Black, anthracite, midnight blue and pine green walls, floors and ceilings characterize the interior design of more and more houses. After white and blonde wood from Scandinavia, dark tones awaken the longing for elegant and mysterious environments. Light on a dark trend… anything but depressing!
Published at 1:59 am. Updated at 12:00 p.m.
A black house or nothing. The desire to be radical came strongly after viewing an approximately 1,300 square meter property built in the 1990s on the Mont-Royal plateau in Montreal. Large industrial windows on three facades, two majestic black-painted steel staircases and a high ceiling provided the background for the artist couple’s new field of expression behind the young Bolitomino studio.
The modest house, dressed entirely in white, has been transformed into a work of art. To achieve this, the new owners had to embrace their avant-garde vision, sometimes against the advice of the professionals who assisted them to give substance to what in the eyes of others appeared to be pure utopia. A year after making a name for themselves in this unique ambience, they praise its beneficial effects and elegance.
PHOTO MAXIME BROUILLETTE, PROVIDED BY INDEX-DESIGN
A velvet “Ruché” sofa by Inga Sempé for Ligne Roset sits next to a carved wooden bar by Simon Johns, a glossy table by Marc Newson for Cappellini and a square rug by Montreal designer Will Choui. These details distract the eye from the surrounding darkness.
PHOTO MAXIME BROUILLETTE, PROVIDED BY INDEX-DESIGN
The granite and fenix kitchen was decorated with black walnut panels.
1/2
The designer Louis Béliveau, co-founder of La Firme, had the opportunity to stage this extraordinary interior with its owners: “Due to the fact that we were faced with a black environment, we had to calibrate the spaces so that there was a certain difference between them, and that the ones where the owners would spend a lot of time are a little less dark. » So the granite and Fenix kitchen designed by La Firme (“that doesn’t keep an eye on the fingers!”) was covered with panels of black walnut wood. One of the advantages of this tip was that you didn’t sink into monotony. By searching a wide range of materials, textures and prints for the design and furnishing of the house, this challenge was overcome.
Highlighted
PHOTO MAXIME BROUILLETTE, PROVIDED BY INDEX-DESIGN
An elegant black frame with calming properties and matte and glossy finishes
Matte and glossy finishes for walls and tables, or even velvet and striped finishes for a quilted velvet sofa by Inga Sempé at Ligne Roset and a carved wooden bar by Quebec designer Simon Johns punctuate this space where art is on full display.
A track lighting system with projectors allowed objects to be targeted in a theater or museum approach.
Louis Béliveau, designer and co-founder of La Firme
This process not only ensures optimal lighting of a room, but also allows it to be redesigned as needed. “For example, we can add pendant lights and vary the intensity of the lamps,” reveals Louis Béliveau. Thanks to a careful selection of pieces by artists and designers from Quebec and abroad, also mostly black, certain corners of the house are reminiscent of the curio cabinets of yesteryear.
The designer, who likes to integrate black into his projects, for example in libraries or bathrooms, has another dream: he wants to build an all-black chalet for his family. “I will erase its surfaces so the eye can focus on the exterior. This means the chalet blends in better with nature,” he believes.
From shadow to light
PHOTO ALEX LESAGE, PROVIDED BY ATELIER BARDA
In this project by Atelier Barda, the alternation of light and dark surfaces enables transitions from shadow to light.
PHOTO ALEX LESAGE, PROVIDED BY ATELIER BARDA
The contrasting effects were preferred by the architects of Atelier Barda.
PHOTO ALEX LESAGE, PROVIDED BY ATELIER BARDA
When the sun’s rays penetrate, beautiful light and dark colors are created.
PHOTO ALEX LESAGE, PROVIDED BY ATELIER BARDA
Light and dark areas alternate.
PHOTO ALEX LESAGE, PROVIDED BY ATELIER BARDA
The bathroom is black terrazzo.
1/5
The use of black to design a house or apartment makes it possible to “erase” certain volumes but also to create an impression of depth and more subdued atmospheres that promote relaxation and calm. The Atelier Barda team has a habit of designing their projects the way directors would for a film. “We work on our spaces as if we were carrying a camera on our shoulder,” explains Antonio Di Bacco, co-founder of Atelier Barda, who relies on contrast effects in his architectural approach.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Architects Kevin Botchar, Cécile Combelle and Antonio Di Bacco from Atelier Barda pose in front of the Alma residence, whose facade is made of bricks and dark wood.
When renovating the Alma residence in Little Italy, architects Cécile Combelle, Antonio Di Bacco and Kevin Botchar alternated light and dark surfaces to create transitions from shadow to light. A black terrazzo bathroom, dark floors and furnishings, and an interior garden with burnt wood paneling stand out against a backdrop of light walls and textiles. When the sun enters the room, beautiful light and dark colors are created.
Wrap yourself in mystery
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The mezzanine is made of wood stained with fir green oil.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The stairs to the bedroom provide a special path through this small space integrated into the attic.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The Langevin Forest plywood box was stained with Benjamin Moore “Forest” oil.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The result: an interior space protected from the hustle and bustle of the city.
1/4
A darker area in the interior is enough to create a completely different living ambience. In his downtown Montreal loft, fashion photographer David Picard invited architecture firm Future Simple Studio to create a mezzanine bedroom with built-in storage.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Architect Christine Djerrahian, founder of Future Simple Studio, envisioned a mezzanine bedroom above a pine-green wooden box for photographer David Picard’s loft in a former print shop in downtown Montreal.
The mezzanine rests on a wooden box stained with pine green oil, like the Norfolk pine that stands out in this generous window area, allowing it to recharge away from the urban hustle and bustle. The interior of this versatile boudoir addition is also great for photography activities and evenings with friends.
“In this personal space, David begins and ends his days and reproduces his daily rituals,” emphasizes Christine Djerrahian, founder of Future Simple Studio. This corner, reminiscent of the forest, exudes calm. “Its dark color prevents your mind from wandering and slows down the pace. It also opens the door to creativity,” emphasizes the architect. With a few candles and the Japanese music that David loved in the evening, the secret found refuge here.