classic chic

by Heather Shoning

crisp black adds a touch of elegance to any decor

Black is everywhere right now in interior design and architecture. You can add touches of black throughout your home for an upscale, contemporary look.

1. Power Paint
Go bold with a black accent wall or even a whole room. Farrow & Ball’s Pitch Black is as pure black as you can get, works well in all light, and has an unsurpassable depth and almost velvet quality. It’s also available in the brand-new Dead Flat finish for walls, woodwork and metal. Pitch Black Interior Paint, $125/gallon, farrow-ball.com

2. Time in a Bottle
This decorative sand timer adds a bit of classic elegance to any bookshelf or tabletop. An ideal pick for modern and glamorous aesthetics, it showcases a sleek hourglass set inside a clean-lined, hand-finished metal frame. Airville Sand Timer, $32, wayfair.com

3. Bee’s Knees
Equal parts elegant and eye-catching, this dinnerware showcases bees, honeycombs and wildflowers. The plates, bowls and mugs coordinate easily with solid-colored dishes, linens and additional Honeycomb collection items. The durable porcelain features glossy black and white glazes with 18k-gold detailing and is dishwasher safe. The set includes four 4-piece place settings (dinner plate, salad plate, cereal bowl and mug). Honeycomb 16-Piece Dinnerware Set, $299, williams-sonoma.com

4. Wow Walls
Create a glam feature wall or amp up a backsplash with this textured tile that adds a reflective beauty to your room. Designed to look like wood grain, the tile is a mosaic of hand-cut obsidian jewel glass and New Ravenna’s trademarked sea glass and is part of the Natural Selections Collection by Kevin O’Brien. The product comes made to measure—perfect for your space. Wood grain mosaic, price available upon request, newravenna.com

5. Luxe Linens
Bring the look and feel of luxury hotel linens to your bedroom with this stunning black duvet and shams with striking cream detailing. The linen bedding is made in Chicago by Eastern Accents, a high-quality brand that supplies several famous interior designers. The set includes a queen duvet, two pillow shams and two throw pillows. Inès Linen Duvet Cover Set, $2,335, wayfair.com

6. Snuggle Up
Warm up a sofa, armchair or bed with this soft, chunky black blanket. The acrylic-blend throw has a two-toned texture and long fringe at each end. Generously sized for maximum snuggling, this Crate & Barrel exclusive hand-loomed blanket takes a skilled artisan one day to create. 70×55-inch Black Throw Blanket, $79, crateandbarrel.com