Black and white simply never goes out of style.  Just think about favorite black and white moments; movies like The Artist, night and day, spectator shoes, courtyards in Rome, a zebra pattern, the mosaic floors at the MET and the ‘little black’ Chanel dress. Black and white baths never go out of style either. They are like chameleons; they can be formal or casual, colorless or high contrast, elegant or understated, traditional or modern.

Black and white, in theory, is a high contrast palette and, supposedly, an easy one to work with.  However, there are so many shades of white it is difficult to make straightforward generalizations when white can be very cold or warm with hundreds of nuances in between.  It is said that white clears the mind, de-clutters the senses and is crisp, clean and airy. And, black may or may not be considered a color. So the combination requires a delicate balance of proportion; how much black to the percent of white. While weighing the combination you can easily imagine the fundamental simplicity of the pairing.

Either black or white can punctuate a space. But black is a graphic component of design and in many ways helps organize a space. It can define shapes and highlight details. While white is crisp and clean, black is dark and noble and combines flawlessly with other colors especially white.

Black adds sophistication and style, elegance and drama to a space. It is the extreme contrast to white and together they make a perfect marriage of opposites. Black and white is the quintessential and most classic of combinations.