83 Black and White Bedroom Ideas

Black and white takes your sense of style down to its basic message. Without the distraction of color, black and white allow design elements to shine alone. This monochromatic pairing is a timeless color combination that works with virtually any decorating style.

Whether your vibe is modern city chic or flowery bohemian, you can express it in black and white. Scroll through our selection of the best black and white bedroom ideas and let them spark your own design inspiration.

1. Stylish Black and White Bedroom Ideas for Apartments

Apartments often come with unique design challenges. Rooms are often limited in size, creating the need to maximize every square foot of available space. Fortunately, a black and white bedroom makes such a strong statement that even a small apartment bedroom stands out with this color scheme.

Industrial lofts with exposed ductwork and wooden floor planks enhance a monochromatic palette. Simplicity is key for inherent architectural details to shine. A simple white or black bedroom won’t interfere with the rustic atmosphere. Whitewash exposed brick walls or leave them as-is against your white and black color palette.

A black and white bedroom also looks great in a high-rise apartment building. Often, these buildings have irregularly shaped rooms with more than four evenly-sized walls. The graphic simplicity of black and white is perfect for showcasing unusual wall and window placement.

2. Bohemian Inspiration

Relaxed and free-spirited, boho or bohemian style tends to include the liberal use of color. However, its eclectic nature means that there are no hard-and-fast rules on what colors you can use in a boho bedroom. Bohemian decor has a strong global influence, and many cultures’ textiles incorporate strong black and white patterns.

Boho style allows unrestricted mixing of contrasting patterns. Feel free to put a floral print beside a plaid or mix mandala prints with stripes. Look for faux taxidermy animals to display on the wall, perhaps a white deer head with glossy black antlers. Go full boho with white walls, black floors, and black and white bedding. Highlight it all with natural fiber elements like macrame art and handwoven baskets.

3. Contemporary Twist

People often confuse contemporary and modern bedroom design ideas. Contemporary style refers to current and future trends, while modern style describes an era gone by. Contemporary pieces generally have softer, more rounded lines than modern style’s tight angles. Lighter wood finishes and metal elements shine in contemporary-inspired bedrooms.

Bold color statements are part of both modern and contemporary design. So a black and white bedroom idea is perfect for both types of spaces. Patterns should be kept simple and not overused in the room. Black and white checkerboard patterns are a great way to convey a contemporary or traditional style.

4. Embracing Darkness

Many people love the dark coziness of a black and white bedroom. A dark bedroom is ideal for those who often sleep during daylight hours. There are many ways to increase the darkness of a room without making it a solid pane of black. Paint one wall black or the darkest shade of charcoal, and set a deep walnut headboard against it for a dark-on-dark style that works.

Deep navy blue is a good accent color if you want to keep your bedroom design dark and mysterious. A headboard or chair upholstered in navy blue in front of a jet-black wall conveys a stunning masculine mood. Any shade of gray combines well with black or navy blue and ensures an overall dark, dramatic bedroom.

5. Timeless Elegance

Adding texture is one of the easiest ways to spice up a black and white bedroom. Instead of a shiny wood headboard, use a white wicker bed for a country or beachy feeling bedroom. Look for a white Flokati rug and spread it on top of a black jute area rug. Toss a black cable-knit blanket and some white chenille throw pillows onto a velvet-upholstered accent chair.

You can mix up your black and white color palette by introducing different shades of grey. A range of grey hues will soften the space, blurring the harsh lines between black and white. Use warm flannel grey bedding, black-and-white photographs, and install a grey-stained wooden floor. Also, consider using grey with only black or only white, instead of using both base colors.

6. Themes for Kids and Teens

If your kids have trouble choosing a bedroom color, know that black and white can be a fun bedroom idea for a child’s sleeping quarters. Mix and match black and white chevron stripes, dots, and tribal prints. Paint at least one black accent wall, especially if your child wants a gaming or space-themed bedroom. Or use black chalkboard paint on a full or partial wall if your child loves to draw.

Use white paint to refresh your child’s favorite furniture. Fun black and white animals make an excellent theme for kids’ and teens’ black and white bedroom plans. Zebras, panda bears, snow leopards, and penguins are just some of the naturally occurring black and white creatures to choose from.

Consider a cartoonish panda bear theme for a baby nursery. Likewise, your teenager’s room might benefit from a sophisticated zebra-inspired design.

7. Indulgent Sophistication

Black and white already convey an elegant simplicity, but each color is also prime for luxurious uses. Black or white elements to include in a luxury bedroom include silk fabrics, fur, cashmere, or feathers. Cover a wall in black or white suede panels for a luxurious full-wall headboard.

Metallic accents add glamour to your black and white bedroom. Shiny chrome, yellow gold, rose gold, or charcoal-hued gunmetal all pop against monochromatic decor. Use your favorite metal on light fixtures, furniture hardware, frames, vases, and other accessories. A gold or silver four-poster or canopy bed is a glamorous addition to a luxurious black and white bedroom.

8. Less is More

With more people joining the decluttering bandwagon, minimalist bedroom design is becoming more mainstream. Perhaps you have been embracing the less-is-more lifestyle and want your bedroom to reflect your new, simplified values. Black and white takes minimalist style to its most basic footprint, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring or bleak.

You can make the room feel more minimalist by making each major element of the room one solid color. For example, use all-white bedding but keep all your furniture a deep black color. Another option for a clean, minimalist style is to use white for the entire room—walls, ceiling, floors, and bedding—with just a few black focal pieces. These could be as simple as one piece of modern art and a geometric black light fixture.

9. Sleek and Modern

Modern design encompasses everything from the Art Deco lines of the 1920s to the vintage modern pieces of the 1970s. Modern bedroom design’s mantra is “form follows function.” This means that you can eliminate items without a practical purpose from the space. Exposed structural elements, such as ceiling beams, are a hallmark of mid-century modern homes.

Mid-Century-modern design elements shine when displayed in black and white. Glossy black or white glass light globes are perfect sources of modern lighting, and they pair well with chrome or brass accents. Warm wood finishes were common on mid-century furniture, and they stand out in white and black bedrooms today.

10. Scandinavian Flair

Scandinavian style centers around bright light and neutral colors. Large windows are vital in Scandinavian climates and are an essential architectural feature in these homes. Natural materials are popular, and the overall vibe should leave you feeling comfortable and at peace.

The light wood tones popular with Scandinavian design provide an earthy background. It smooths the lines between neutral white and black elements. Use grey to bridge the gaps between solid black, bright white, and wood tones. Make sure your bedside table, bed frame, and other furnishings have smooth or rounded silhouettes.

11. Keeping it Simple

Keep a simple bedroom design by using only one or two patterned pieces instead of a variety of black and white prints. Having a mostly white room with a white ceiling, white walls, and perhaps one black wall, provides a clean background for your chosen pattern. If you want a softer black and white bedroom, hang floor-to-ceiling chiffon curtaining or sheer drapes for soft, diffuse light.

If you love the contrast of a black and white bedroom design, but those actual hues feel too harsh, use colors that are close enough to capture the same feeling. Examples include dark navy with pale cream or slate grey with a silvery-white wall color. A mostly grey bedroom can make a calm background that highlights your bolder black and white elements.

12. Small Space, Big Impact

Because horizontal lines widen a room visually, consider black and white wallpaper with a horizontal stripe. Applying shiplap to the ceiling or an accent wall accomplishes the same effect. Hang brick veneer on one wall and whitewash it for an intriguing dash of texture. For a more dramatic statement, use black paint instead of white on the brick veneer.

Use mirrors boldly to expand your small bedroom and reflect your favorite black and white decor elements. Prop a tall framed mirror against the wall opposite the window to double the available daytime light. Hang a collage of framed mirrors above the bed for a more diffused light reflection. Furniture clad in a mirrored veneer also makes a small bedroom feel more open.

13. Creative Walls and Ceilings

How you treat your walls can make or break your black and white bedroom decor. If your bedroom includes dormers or other angled walls, accentuate their lines with bold paint choices. Use masking tape to create a geometric pattern on an accent wall. Carry a beautiful wallpaper from the floor across the ceiling, or install a coffered ceiling for added interest.

Wallpaper isn’t just for walls. A black and white toilet wallpaper makes a gorgeous focal point when applied to the ceiling over your black and white bed. Paint crown molding glossy black to further draw the eye up to the painted ceiling. Cover your ceiling with metallic silver wallpaper for a subtle reflective effect.