When it comes to colour, ironically, there’s no more classic combination than black and white. A beautiful equilibrium of opposites, pairing these two shades has been a staple in fashion and furnishings for centuries—if not longer. An easy way to employ the look is layering black pieces against a white wall or, for added drama, experimenting with the inverse. It’s not a style for everyone, but when done right, the results can be timeless and still feel fresh. A trickier task is balancing black and white in the same object without having it feel carnivalesque or overdone. To achieve a more refined pairing, designers like Jimmy Delatour and Pieter Maes mix materials in their seating options. The former successfully plays with scale in his Origins sofa, where a soft, curving form meets linear structure, while Maes uses strict symmetry in his oak-framed Bracci chair. Both come out looking modern and polished.
At Salvatori—the Italian brand known for its natural-stone offerings—Milan-based architect and interior designer Elisa Ossino was tapped to develop a series of tables, which she did with light and shadow in mind. The resulting Proiezioni collection includes both dining and coffee tables in bold contrasting stone; we think the circular dining table—and its off-centre black-marble embellishment—is a playful yet sophisticated choice. For an art-design crossover, Jérôme Pereira’s Messenger II suspension lamp exemplifies attention to detail, combining blown glass, plane-tree wood, and ash to create a uniquely handcrafted piece. Sometimes, the most unexpected applications—such as the black-and-white-striped pattern of the 024 sink, imagined by Gumdesign for Antoniolupi—turn a tried-and-true trend into a contemporary classic.
Proiezioni, Elisa Ossino
Messenger II, Jérôme Pereira
024 Sink, Gumdesign
Origins, Jimmy Delatour
