Image - Stockholm apartment via Decor Dots

Karen McCartney reveals the key to decorating in a black and white palette for an interior that's both stylish and warm. 

Don't ever let anyone tell you that black and white is a lazy decorating option. While it is the ultimate controlled palette, making it hard to go wrong, there is one great decorating tip for those who fear it will look too cold and mannered. And the tip is, wait for it, to just add timber. The tones of wood, from American Oak to a rich walnut, bridge the extremes of black and white and deliver an interior that balances style and warmth.

Image - Armelle Habib via Inside Out

Melbourne practice Whiting Architects are maestros when it comes to this look, not only with how they treat the architectural envelope but the attention to detail in their interiors. "I'm more comfortable laying a monochromatic or simple palette to build on. It's about a peaceful space – the client has to live in the space and look at it every day so big statements and strong colour can be great in a magazine but difficult to live with," says Creative Director Carole Whiting. And indeed her interiors play with textures – painted lining boards as interior cladding, dark stained floors, honey coloured timber stair treads and then the surprise flourish of boldly patterned black and white cement tiles in the bathroom.

Image - James Britton via Remodelista

The furniture choices need to be confident and unfussy to carry off this look. Think over scale pendant lights, butcher's tiles, and a mix of pale timber stools and chairs around a generous dining table with texture achieved through large knitted pieces, cushions and throws. Then channel a place where Japan and Scandinavia meet aesthetically, add a flash of light industrial, and you are almost there.

A word of caution – don't add anything red – it feels dated. Sadly, yellow is decoratively speaking past its sell by date; better to choose a beautiful blue and use it judiciously.