When it comes to staging homes for sale, the first choice our Stylists have to make is decide which theme, style and colour palette are they bringing into the house.

This can be a tough decision, as there are numerous different factors they must take into consideration – like buyers’ demographics, architecture of the house, what stock is available, and the list goes on.

(Full article on ‘How to choose the right style’ HERE).

Sometimes, there is a simple solution to bypass the lengthy, colour-matching process…. choosing the Monochrome Style!

What is Monochrome?

The term monochrome colour palette can imply two things in interior design.

  • combination of black & white
  • varying hues of only one colour
green sofa with green wall, green artwork, green cushion on a white chair, white coffee table and black rug underneath

Here at Foxy Home Staging, when we say monochrome, we always refer to the black & white combination, which is what this article is going to be all about.

Let’s dig in!

What Do We Like About the Monochrome Colour Palette?

  • It’s sophisticated.
  • It brings a trendy, contemporary and harmonious feel to the property.
  • It has simple, minimalist features – our Stylists love that!
  • It’s timeless, monochrome colours will never go out of style.
  • It goes with any wall colour (yes, even beige).
  • It’s one of the most versatile styles, mixing well with numerous different design elements (classic, tribal, traditional, etc.)
  • It’s dramatic – which always comes out looking beautiful in real estate photography.
black coffee table with black and white accessories, dark grey sofa and a black and white tribal painting por
black couch with black and white rug, black coffee table, white creamy chairs and in the background there is a black kitchen with white dining chairs

When Do We Style With Monochrome Colour Palette?

Older Houses: suitable for elegant, classy & sophisticated architecture

New Houses: suitable for contemporary builds

Buyers: suitable for people who are downsizing or young professionals (note: monochrome style is not suitable for families)

a bed styled in black and white, two black and white artworks on the wall and a black bedside lamp

Is there such thing as too much black or white?

Absolutely. That’s one of the few tricky things about styling with the Monochrome colour palette – finding the right balance between black & white. It needs to flow harmoniously to achieve that stylish & aesthetic final look.

  • Too much of black can suck up the light and make the property appear darker than it really is.
  • Too much of white provides nothing for your eye to settle and appears washed out. If there is no feature, the potential buyers aren’t likely to remember the space and the property won’t stand out in real estate photography.

If you are worried about using too much black or white, you can add a pop of a foreign colour. Although it won’t be classed as monochrome design anymore, it can give the interior a nice little boost and break up the space.

This could simply be a statement artwork with a colour-matching cushion, or an eye-catching throw draped over the couch. Just make sure to keep the colourful decorations to a small number, otherwise it may clash with the monochromatic patterns and create a disjointed look.

Which Rooms Should I Decorate Monochromatically?

If you choose to go ahead with the monochromatic design, it needs to flow through all the living spaces.

That’s all the living areas, dining, kitchen, media room… basically everything except for the bedrooms and bathrooms. These are considered more private, therefore you can bring in some colour to express their individual personalities.

Here’s an example of a property we’ve done some monochromatic integrated staging for (mix of our & owners’ furniture) in Calamvale.

This beautiful house ended up selling at an auction for $3 million dollars – you can watch our behind-the-scenes video HERE.

coffee table pictured from above, black and white rug in the background, open book on top with a wooden vase and some black decorations

Thank you for reading!

Hopefully we were able to provide some inspiration, so you can re-create these beautiful, monochrome elements in your own home.

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Photography Credit: LJ Hooker Sunnybank Hills
Photo Credit for the green monochrome picture: Modsy Blog

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