Looking for sleek interior design ideas? It’s time to go back to black. Move beyond monochrome and make this dramatic shade the focus of your decor scheme, with dark, moody walls and dusky soft furnishings. Good Homes magazine highlights the looks and the buys for those looking to embrace the dark side…

Black decor ideas

1. Moody hues

Choosing a black paint isn’t as black-and-white as you might think, funnily enough. There are true black shades, graphite shades with blue undertones, and velvety shades with red undertones, so think about the rest of your decor scheme and which shade will work best with any furnishings you already have before making the plunge. Pictured below is Graham & Brown’s Witchcraft, a black paint with purple undertones, which will show in brightly lit, large spaces. In smaller rooms, it will read as a truer black.

2. Softer shades

For a softer alternative to black to pair with other accents like papered feature walls, try the Coal emulsion paint from Woodchip and Magnolia, as pictured below. Laden with high levels of pigment for depth of colour, the shade has been created to compliment Woodchip and Magnolia wallpapers and murals, or to work individually. The paint is vegan-friendly, water-based, has minimal VOC content and is virtually odourless.

3. Add an accent

Black and gold decor is a classic, but you can soften this look by introducing warm beige and sandy neutrals to offset the intensity of a black scheme. Try Cotton Cream, from £31.09 per 2.5 ltrs, Dulux, adding sculptural pieces and textural layers for an on-trend look. For a similar black paint colour to that pictured below, which works with blue highlights, try David Rose by Coat, a complex, blueish black with a soft sheen finish.

4. Paper it

For a high-impact feature wall, try a black print wallpaper, either paired with black-painted walls or standalone as part of a more neutral or monochrome decor scheme. This Carpe Diem Wallpaper in Reverse Monochrome (£40 per 10m roll from Lust Home) features white koi carpe swirling on a true black background.

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Best buys: black homewares

1. Black wall art

This eye-catching black wall art is sure to make an impression. The Round & Round Wall Art from By Boo (£95) is beautifully crafted from a mix of natural materials including rattan and bamboo. Each circle is made up of different weaves and textures, and it can be hung horizontally or vertically.

2. Monochrome line art

This black and white hand-illustrated line art print is a great way to incorporate a flash of black into an otherwise neutral decor scheme. It’s handmade in London for quality craftsmanship and 100% plastic free. Labyrinth fine art print in oak frame, £9.95-£183 (depending on size and frame options), from Abstract House.

3. Fringed placemats

Update your kitchen with these black seagrass fringed placemats from Decoralist (£65 for four). The straw grass placemats add a touch of black Boho to your table setting. Natural and versatile, you could also use them as decor elsewhere in your home.

4. Striped cushion

The beautiful intertwining Ilen Stripe cushion by Tori Murphy (£80) features an eye-catching yet simple design. Made from Merino Lambswool woven in Lancashire, washed in the Yorkshire Dales and made in Nottingham, it’s beautifully soft and hand finished with a duck feather pad.

5. Velvet shade

This opulent Dragonfly swarm velvet lampshade (£75-£100 from The Curious Department) combines moody hues with jewel-encrusted dragonflies in shimmering patterned velvet. It also features gold metal lining and black metal fittings, and is available in ceiling or standing orientation.

6. Star pot

This simple cement indoor pot features a black star print that will slip effortlessly into any black or monochrome decor scheme. Handmade and hand painted by Big Pot Little Pot in the UK, the star plant pot costs £27.

7. Black rocking chair

The black painted rubberwood frame of this Miki Cane Rocking Chair (£149 from Dunelm) contrasts beautifully with the natural rattan seat and backrest, picking up Good Homes’ recommended accent colour for a black decor scheme brilliantly.

8. Curvy candle holder

Pillar candle holders are an ideal way to add a flash of Regencycore with a modern twist to your home decor scheme. The contemporary matt black and curvy, bulbous shape of these black pillar candle holders (available in three sizes, priced £45-£70 from Layered Lounge) makes them an ideal accessory for styling up your sideboard.

Read more about black decor schemes

• 5 inspiring black interiors on Instagram
• How to use black in your bathroom
• Black kitchen styling ideas from Good Homes’ roomset moodboard