Designing Interior Spaces with Modern Black and White Rugs

From zebras to dominos, black and white are a versatile design pair spanning nature and culture with their bold, eye-catching contrast. In modern interior design, black and white support distinctive aesthetics in a host of current styles. Here are some go-to style applications of the perennial classic black and white in modern and sophisticated rugs.

Sleek Modern-Contemporary Stye

Modern-contemporary interior design style builds off a neutral white or silver space with clean lines, dynamic shapes, and sleek finishes. Surface is preeminent with color taking a back seat to exquisite materials and modern sculptural forms. White, black, silver or charcoal rugs in tone on tone or reductive design can be a good fit for the modern-contemporary space. Try a tone-on-tone Bodhi Bar in black silk with wool detail. The deep shimmer of natural handspun silk in the Bodhi Bar rug ties in geometric motifs without complicating the environment. A perfect enhancement to modern-contemporary style.

Pragmatic and Refined Scandinavian Style

Scandinavian design takes its cues from Modernism with its embrace of simplicity, functionality, wood and natural light. White, or light colored neutral walls are a hallmark of this style, creating a bright and airy atmosphere. Darker accents, whether in furniture, textiles, or accessories, add depth and contrast to the predominantly white space, while maintaining a light aesthetic. Modern black and white rugs are ideal to bringing the room together Scandinavian style. We like a light white or ivory based durable wool rug with a quiet motif. A good candidate is the Eternal rug by Erica Islas in ivory wool with silk detailing. The Eternal rug has a modern motif of rounded shapes derived from patterns within a dragonfly wing.  

Chic and Edgy Industrial Style

Industrial style in design draws inspiration from urban lofts and renovated factory buildings, featuring raw materials, exposed conduits, and a palette of metal tones, grays and off-whites. This modern black and white rug named Slow Burn by Los Angeles artist -designer Liesel Plambeck, is an evocative rug with a built-in urban loft look. In ivory with charcoal gradations in interlocking wedges, Slow Burn meshes diverse references from concrete brutalist architecture to cubism to noir, while its quality all-wool construction of fine tibetan knot makes it a modern heirloom.

Understated and Evocative Minimalist Style

Minimalist design focuses on simplicity and the principle of less is more. Furniture with clean lines and monochromatic color schemes are common in minimalist spaces. Solid pieces are often a go-to in minimalist decor. But within the bounds of a minimalist interior, subtle design elements can keep things from getting too minimal, aka boring. One of our favorite minimal-leaning collections (when solid is not enough) is Claudia Afshar’s. Try her Formation rug, or Ripples (and its sibling design Archi) for a fine rug offering superlative foot-feel and whispered elegance.

Modern black and white rugs in Art Deco Style

Art Deco design is characterized by bold geometric patterns, luxurious materials, and a sense of glamor. Black and white color schemes foundational in Art Deco’s world of drama and sophistication. Black lacquer furniture, white marble surfaces, and geometric black-and-white patterns contribute to the opulent aesthetic of this style that started in Europe and became hugely iconic by way of pre-code Hollywood. Consider Six Palms in black and white by Liesel Plambeck. Or the playful Perfect (also designed for Mehraban by Liesel Plambeck). Elegant thin International Style lines? Try Schema by Erica Islas. 

Sophisticated Classic Style

Classic interior design pairs timeless elegance with traditional elements of yesteryears’ wealthy sophisticates. While classic interiors often incorporate a range of subdued colors, black and white are also go-tos in this sophisticated look. Just think marble– and you have the beginnings of a classic style. Black-and-white checkered floors, deep exotic woods, ornate plaster architectural moldings, these are further characteristic elements in classic design. Modern black and white rugs can provide a refined foot-hold for a classic interior, rooting a space and providing a stage for an array of elegant and intriguing objet d’art. Into this classic mix, we think texture is the perfect bonus. Try Sirocco or Oroshi from our signature Haute Bohemian Collection. These are Mehraban classics in lustrous lanolin-rich ghazni wool. Our Haute Bohemian rugs blossom alongside marble and mahogany. 

Fantastic and Personal Eclectic Style

Do you like to mix and match? Eclectic style brings together a personal pantheon of styles, colors, and patterns. In this potentially bewildering gathering of elements, a black and white rug can anchor and unify. But it needn’t be without character. Try modern Moroccan-inspired black and white rugs like Darell or Camrus Trail. These pieces offer adventurous pattern and texture without the complication of color. Like a genius supporting actor, these compelling pieces enhance the  design space with unexpected moments of delight, yet they don’t demand the spotlight. Brimming with personality yet adaptable, the Year of the Snake rug in black and white, is another possibility. Whether in trim tibetan style knots or luxurious deep mohair pile, the Year of the Snake rug slides right into place.  

Whether used in a sleek modern space or a glamorous deco styled interior, black and white are a timeless duo bringing versatility and style-power to sophisticated design of all stripes. With graphic savoir-faire, yet without the specificity of the chromatic realms, modern black and white rugs are a design solution worth trying. Black and white can sit back in environments of strong color dynamics. Or hold its own in strong architecture or amongst dramatic furnishings. The modern black and white can be subdued or dynamic, austere (in just the right way) or wildly flamboyant. In fine modern rugs, black and white allows fibers to sing: lustrous wools, shimmery silks, soft tactile mohair. 

Choosing a rug for a space can be challenging, with a host of considerations at play. But the right rug is out there, and thinking about basics first can be a good strategy. Whether it’s a modern black and white rug, or something else, we believe that our extensive inventory, custom capabilities, and expert team make us a valuable stop in your shopping journey. Explore our inventory and feel free to reach out with any questions or to receive personalized help in narrowing down your search for the perfect rug.  

 

for more breathtaking design in black and white, visit our Black and White Moroccan Rugs collection