Black & White Artwork

Perusing through some of my favorite inspiration images recently, I've noticed that one of my favorite elements is black & white art work.  You have to be careful with black & white so that it doesn't feel stark, but when done well, it's one of my absolute favorite combinations:  timeless yet a little edgy.

What makes this room below (by Gerrie Bremermann via Cote de Texas) for me is the combination of antique gold finishes and the contemporary black & white canvas.  There's not even one stitich of green in the room, yet I still LOVE it!!

I've posted the next image more than once & it still remains one of my favorites.  Again, it's that black & white artwork juxtaposed with the gold.  (And they've used greenery & frogs & BALLS so can it get any better?  ;)

{House Beautiful}

This Nate Berkus room (below) also showcases black & white contemporary artwork and I think it stays warm-feeling because of the textured bed and basket.  I love it with the zebra hide. 

Again, another one of my favorite spaces ("favorite" warning:  will say it a lot in this post).. Monelle Totah's apartment feature in Elle Decor.  To the right of the fireplace you can see her black & white print peeking out.

I just saw this image (Martha Stewart) on La Dolce Vida and loved its massive black & white contemporary paintings.. (Honestly, if someone had told me 5 years ago that I would ike something like this, I would have laughed and then groaned.):

Anyway, since I started getting this black & white art craving a few months back, I was at a clients house and we were looking around her home for art options for her living room.  (Love shopping in clients' houses!)  And I saw this original beautiful black & white tree painting she had. 

{Are you ready for my blonde moment??}  I thought she had done it because the name scrawled on the painting looked like her last name to me at first glance.   I was like, "You did this?!  It's amazing!"  

...

And then I looked closer as she laughed...  "Matisse"  

It was an original Matisse. 

Oh. my. goodness.

hahhahaah SO...  at least she's got a sense of humor and we're now using it in the living room. 

(And I would say it's time for me to bruch up on my art ;)