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 cozy 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 color, 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 favorite 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, candlesticks or lanterns in ebony shades filter light around the blackness when they are in use.