The soft side of black interiors

Did you catch last week’s Home Front? In it, Lindsey Mather gave us the rundown on a bed trend that’s beginning to bubble up: triangular headboards. Well, one of the early adopters of the style is designer Lauren Carlucci, and today she shares the story of how her take came to be. It shouldn’t surprise you that Lauren is pioneering the look—she’s always liked a space with idiosyncrasies. She credits her appreciation for pattern and timeworn textures to her English upbringing and her architectural boldness to living in the U.S. (Lauren currently splits her time between New York and Wyoming). Taking the design road less traveled can be unnerving. Thankfully, Lauren is here to hold our hands. —Lindsey DeSimone, senior editor, content strategy

Also in today’s Home Front:

• Have you ever considered corner beds?

• Revealing the soft side of black interiors

• Lauren’s “perfect” finishing layer

The vision: A cozy sleeping area that felt special and personal to twin girls (who wanted to sleep as close together as possible), created without moving any walls.

The dilemma: We were really cornered by the architecture of the room, an upstairs bedroom in an East Hampton house. It had angled ceilings in a few awkward places, so we didn’t have enough height for built-in bunk beds. The floor plan also didn’t allow for beds side by side without them feeling too big and bulky for the more intimate space. There was also a closet door on one of the walls, which limited the depth we had to play with even more.

The winning solution: I developed the idea of two corner beds that would fit seamlessly into the room and make use of as much wall space as possible between the entry and closet doors. My first concept was a softer, fully upholstered design, and then my client had a thoughtful idea to make the dividing section between the beds a bit more structured. It gives the girls more separation, allows their pillows to sit nicely when the beds are made, and also creates space for a little shared bedside table for books or water.

That small change ended up making the whole layout work. We were able to pull the beds slightly farther into the room, keep the circulation comfortable, and create a sleeping area that feels really cozy without fighting the architecture.

I’m really drawn to introducing moments of black. It can feel intimidating because it’s such a high-contrast color, but when it’s balanced thoughtfully it brings an incredible sense of depth and sophistication to a space. Rather than feeling heavy, I find that black helps anchor a room and allows everything around it to feel really crisp.

Start with One Small Moment
Like a black lamp, piece of hardware, or artwork. These small touches are often enough to introduce contrast without overwhelming the room.

Layer Judiciously
Try to incorporate different tones and finishes of black, rather than making everything feel too dark or devoid of light. Mixing matte, glossy, textured, and natural materials can help the color feel softer.

Use Black as Punctuation
A few well-placed moments can help define sightlines and make the brighter colors around feel even more beautiful.