When it comes to decorating a house and creating a consistently warm, inviting atmosphere, neutrals are the simplest and most appealing starting point. In her book, For the Love of White: The White and Neutral Home, our founder Chrissie Rucker OBE talks about the pleasure of creating a cosy home, using layered white and neutrals. “White in the home is like the perfect little black dress,” she says. “It’s simple yet effortlessly stylish… it also has a magical, calming, spa-like quality…” That calmness and simplicity is something we hope to recreate all the time at The White Company, with pieces that can be styled together with ease to create a sanctuary that you and your guests want to spend time in. But there is another neutral tone which has a different role to play. Black has many of the same qualities that white has: it’s a neutral that ‘goes’ effortlessly with white, cream, caramel and other browns, but also with all the natural textures we love: exposed wood, textured metal, stone, earthenware and foliage.

More than that, it’s a grounding colour, that brings weight and balance to a room. It can transform a space from timeless to contemporary, adding vibrancy and modernity. Stark black and white – the classic monochrome duo – is back in fashion this season, but layering in other tonal neutrals brings the modernity without it feeling like a fashion statement.

Our favourite way to use black as an accent shade is to add it in accessories – keeping it sleek and minimal. Many of our darker products actually play with lightness in their design. For instance, a mirror with a black border adds the darkness, but will also reflect light and brighten a corner or an alcove. Similarly, candlesticks or pendant lampshades in ebony shades filter light around the blackness when they are in use.