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8 black and grey living room ideas

Recently overshadowed by its sophisticated sister grey, uber-cool black is making a comeback and we want to show you how these two versatile colours can join together to create a wonderful variety of interiors. From refined sophistication to metallic chic, embrace monochromatic beauty and create a stunning black and grey living space. Read on for our 8 top design tips and discover how you can make black and grey work in your home.
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1. The black and grey living room: an ultra-modern pairing

Get the ultra-modern look with this distinctive colour combination, and revel in its surprising variety. Black and grey are just different shades of the same colour so embrace their similarity but luxuriate in their differences. Sleek and ‘of the moment’, black and grey interiors create a rich and sophisticated palette for beautifully designed spaces. With a range of grey tones from dark charcoal to pale stone and blacks with navy and brown undertones you have an amazing array of design opportunities at your fingertips, especially in the ultra-modern style that lends itself so well to darker shades.

Modern black leather sofa with metal feet
Grey classic back Duresta sofa

Think clean, sleek lines and low-level sofas with sumptuous deep seats all in the plush, moody tones of monochrome. For an executive style inspired by the boardroom, choose a rich dark fabric sofa punctuated by grey velvet scatter cushions. Or, if you’re a minimalist, complete your black and grey living room with a fleecy black rug for underfoot comfort and an ash or smoky grey sofa with gorgeous deep seats. There are so many ways to create your ultra-modern haven in black and grey luxury.

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2. Play with geometrics

With a two-toned palette, adding geometric features and uniquely shaped accessories is the best way to create eye-catching design and focal points in your black and grey living room. A welcome relief to the eyeline, angles and geometric shapes add interest and creative distinctiveness to your interior. Choose angular coffee tables in high-gloss blacks for dramatic effect or create more space with squared, open leg ends in polished chrome or grey.

With the striking effect of jet black and light grey next to each other in geometric designs, you can create dramatic, stand out centrepieces. Play with triangles, squares, octagons, checks and zig-zags for patterned perfection. You can easily introduce these quirky geometrics with decorative scatter cushions and patterned rugs, or in your ceiling lights. And, what’s more, this stunning colour combo lends itself perfectly to Dark Scandi for a moody take on clean, fresh minimalism.

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Geometric table lamp

3. Industrial: slate grey meets charcoal black

Trend-proof your living space by combining slate greys and jet blacks for a bold take on the popular industrial style. Moody and edgy, this monochrome palette is inspired by nature’s raw materials: slate, charcoal and graphite.

With a slate or graphite grey sofa, you can create an inviting seating area that stands out against the charcoal black of a few scatter cushions or throws. If you’re feeling bold, a charcoal feature wall sets off slate grey furniture beautifully. Continue with heavy, sturdy furniture for this masculine look and keep things clean and angular with straight-edged coffee tables and console tables for a seriously stylish interior.

Continue the black and grey living room theme with on-trend black ceiling lamps or exposed bulbs to give your interior that unfinished industrial feel and, finally, embrace the mechanical detailing of a metal clock for a touch of metallic grey.

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4. Catch the light with metallics

Black and grey living room ideas need not always involve moody dark tones. With grey as your complementary or accent colour, you have the beautiful and brilliant world of metallics open to you. Light up your living space with metallic shine and watch your black and grey living room come to life.

Embellish black sofas with satiny grey cushions or decorate a black table with a chrome-plated lamp or vase. Metallic decorative accessories act as little orbs of light dotted around your room to brighten your interior. Bounce even more light with a trendy silver floor lamp and for a clever space-increasing illusion, choose sofas with chrome or metallic feet to lighten your sofa’s silhouette and opt for gorgeous glass coffee tables.

And if that’s not quite enough light for you, introduce a stylish large mirror for added gleaming radiance. With a couple of metallic accessories, you can really make your black furniture ‘pop’.

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Large modern dark grey fabric recliner sofa

5. Dark monochromatic glamour: dark greys with black

Create the plushest of interiors with a mix of dark greys and black for dark monochromatic glamour. Despite their similarity, dark grey and black are natural bedfellows and enhance your furniture’s silhouettes, particularly sofas, for a truly opulent look.

Choose gently curved or softly lined sofas upholstered in luxurious black and dark grey velvets or fabrics for pure, indulgent comfort that makes a statement. Or perhaps you’re loving the glamour and elegance of the 1920s? Then decadent art deco could be for you. Combine inky, midnight blacks with rich lilac greys for a black and grey living room that’s wonderfully glamorous. Straight lines or streamlined curves lend debonair flair to monochrome furniture for a look that’s the height of sophistication. Think curved grey armchairs with tapered black feet.

6. Statement art for your black and grey living room

Decorate your black and grey living room with a striking piece of statement wall art in black and grey. If you have a feature black wall or pure white walls, these expanses of space are crying out for artistic images.

Choose abstract pieces for contemporary elegance or black and white photography to evoke vintage style. Take your pick from moody cityscapes, mid-century icons or stunning wildlife shots and you’re sure to find a beautifully captured photo that stands out.

Abstract art in black or grey is an eye-catching addition to any monochrome space and adds thought provoking or dream like scenes to blank canvas interiors.

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Wall art monochrome modern art canvas

7. Classic sophistication: light grey sofas with black accents

For a black and grey living room that’s refined and elegant, incorporate a Chesterfield or scrolled arm light grey sofa and keep your space light and airy. Then complement with black accents for a sophisticated twist on a classic style. Opt for a stunning black glass vase or add a regal touch with a dramatic dark grey or black table lamp: you only need one or two accents to create a stunning contrast.

SHOP GREY SOFAS

Black wooden Ercol coffee table

Add a comfy black armchair or evoke mid-century style with Scandi-inspired light grey armchairs paired with a simple black coffee table. You can even achieve a rustic country look with a light grey that leans towards taupe, beautifully paired with a stylish painted wooden coffee table in a rich black. Light grey interiors provide a wonderful opportunity to get creative with different looks and styles.

8. It’s all in the details

Finally, it’s all about the details. The balance of colour and shade in your black and grey living room is important, and that’s where carefully chosen accessories come in.

If your room is predominantly black, lighten the look with silver and grey decorative accessories such as vases and clocks, while a light grey room benefits from the addition of a luxurious black throw or striking black lamp.

You can mix and match with different textures too – try combining a deep pile rug with a smooth black leather sofa or add a tactile black or charcoal grey rug to warm up a grey tiled floor. Or perhaps you have the balance just right in your black and grey living room, in which case a patterned or geometric rug incorporating both black and grey can tie your interior together. Details add points of interest throughout the room, so feel free to experiment with black and grey detailing whether its cushions, rugs, vases, clocks or throws.

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Selection of modern living room accessories

We hope that you feel inspired by these grey and black living room ideas. For more home styling tips, visit our Home of Inspiration.

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