I asked renowned interior designer Sheila Bridges if it would be a major faux pas to go monochrome. Based in New York City's Harlem, Bridges was named "America's Best Interior Designer" by CNN and Time magazine. She also designed former President Bill Clinton's Harlem offices.
With so many design magazines and design shows touting color, is it okay to decorate in one color palette?
It's absolutely OK to decorate with monochromatic color palettes. Monochromatic interiors have always been in style, and will continue to be for many years to come. Just because a room is monochromatic doesn't mean that it is colorless! People often think that monochromatic means "BORING" or that a space must be all white or all beige, which is NOT the case.
Is it easier to decorate some rooms in one color more than others?
Monochromatic spaces generally have a very soothing and calming effect on people, so bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms or any other space that you want to feel relaxed in are a good choice for a monochromatic scheme. Monochromatic colors work well in places you spend a lot of time in.
What makes the room in this image work?
This space seems very inviting because of the warm and soft neutral tones that are used in it. The colors in the botanicals are complimented by their wooden picture frames. This scheme uses a lot of warm textures like the wood blanket chest, frames and the straw basket, all of which add interest to the space without having to add a lot of contrasting color. One of the important things to remember when decorating with a monochromatic scheme is to make the overall foundation similar in color. In this instance the walls and floors are painted in similar shades.
What would be some other monochrome color combinations you would suggest?
Personally, I love to use taupes, soft greens and greys. All of these colors are very soothing when layered with varying shades and textures within the same overall palette.
