Monochromatic themes in interior design have become a sudden favourite. From designers to consumers, everyone is embracing and encouraging this trend. Monochromatic interiors essentially encompass picking a base shade for a space and then working with it’s shade and tonal variations around the space. Doing this creates a beautiful and soothing effect across the room. The monochromatic look is extremely versatile in its application. It can be used in commercial as well as residential spaces with ease. Going the monochrome way may seem extremely simple but requires a ton of attention to detail. With just one color across the room, there remains little space to hide, especially in lighter colors meaning each element needs to be picked out with due diligence so as to not disrupt the theme of the room. Further extending the monochrome theme to the decor of each room can only help elevate the look. 

The idea of monochromatic interiors usually poses a dilemma for individuals looking to develop their space. The fear of monochrome is often due to the fear that having one color throughout the room may make it look less appealing or plain boring. The reality, however, is quite the opposite. Picking the right color and then exploring it’s variations, while a daunting task can prove to be quite rewarding when the space is completed. Trending and absolutely gorgeous, the monochromatic route is a great way to develop your space in a unique and classy manner. 

WHY MONOCHROME IT? 

Monochrome is a perfect fit for your interior plans to develop an aesthetic and functional space. Why do you ask? Primarily, using monochrome schemes in your interior saves you from the conventional color crowding. Usually picking and pairing different colors can prove to be a hassle. Using too much color often disturbs the room and makes it feel more closed off than it actually is. However, using monochrome only adds to the ambience of the room. It looks simple yet classy. Having similar hues run through the room as opposed to different colors also gives an illusion of space to the room making it seem bigger. Monochromatic interiors also save you from the risk of visual chaos in a room. Different elements and interiors, with different colors and hues around can often create a confusing and chaotic effect. However, keeping it monochrome avoids that by creating a level of consistency and tranquility in the space. 

Here are some suggestions and design inspirations to help ease the process. 

CREATE AMBIENCE WITH THE RIGHT COLOR 

The most crucial element to acing the monochromatic interior is picking the right color. Since the color chosen is the only one modified to use across the room, it is important to pick one with shade variations that suit the space. The color that you choose will ultimately set the tone for the room. It is first important thus to look at the space you are picking the colors for. Whether it is a living area, bedroom, office space, or kitchen, the function of the room should be kept in mind while picking a color. For instance, speaking of living rooms, they attract the most foot traffic in your house, with visitors walking into it. In such a space, picking a color that creates a stellar yet elegant look may be a good choice. 

For a more subtle way you could lean towards a white or beige theme and use it’s shade variations to develop the space. Should you prefer a more bold and eye catching finish, you can opt for a deeper shade throughout the room. You could keep the base of the room a lighter shade of the color and use darker colored furnishing and elements or vice versa depending on what suits your preference. For spaces such as bedrooms, the focus is comfort. Creating a comfortable space would need you to pick a color that suits your personality style the best. Whether your style is soft pastels or bright and bold colors, you could pick just about any color to create a theme around the room, classy or fun, it’s your pick all the way! In kitchen areas, where splatters and spills are an occurrence, picking a darker and easy to clean theme may prove useful. On the other hand when developing an office space, it is essential to pick colors that are not too loud yet create a positive atmosphere for you to work in. Throwing in the right furnishing and decor can help create a calming feel to the room which is essential in a work space where stress levels run high. 

DESIGN INSPIRATION TO ACHIEVE THE MONOCHROMATIC LOOK 

GO THE CLASSIC B&W ROUTE

GIVE PASTELS A SHOT 

Pastels have been trending across the design industry and for all the right reasons. They look gorgeous and lively and give a space a light and airy finish. Being light and soft in nature, pastels can develop a feeling of comfort and cheerfulness in a room. Pastel shades can also prove to be a good pick to monochrome a space with. You could pick the desired color and pair it with it’s lighter variant for a subtle yet beautiful finish. Pastels perform particularly well in spaces with a ton of lighting which makes it look brighter. You could continue the pastel theme through your decor and furnishing or choose to incorporate elements that give a slight contrast. 

KEEP IT BRIGHT AND ELEGANT 

If you wish to opt for a deeper color yet keep the room bright, then monochrome is the way to go. You could pick a darker color to run around the room and incorporate a lighter shade in the decor and furniture to balance the color palette of the room creating a pleasing look. As shown above, the room has a dark blue theme while the rug, bed, side table, futon all are paired with a bright white shade to form a subtle contrast, cutting through the darkness. 

INCORPORATE NEUTRALS 

Incorporating neutral is a good choice if you want to keep it subtle and elegant. Neutral tones have recently become an insta trend especially in interior design. You can easily use a neutral color palette to monochrome a room. Neutrals are usually simple solid colors and fairly convenient to work with. Depending on the space you could create a light or darker background. Using neutrals gives a soft and airy finish to a room, enlivening it up. As shown in the design above, while the wall is a light brown shade, the fireplace is further down the lightness scale giving an off white effect. The furniture paired is in a similar dusky shade giving an overall pleasing and comfortable look to the room.  

GO THE GOLD WAY

Gold is a shade often neglected for a monochrome theme. However, used well it can help create a classy and luxurious effect in a room. To use gold, you could keep the walls in a lighter finish while focusing the deeper shades on the furnishing and decor elements. You could also use a deep golden wallpaper and keep the furniture simple and light for an entirely different and glam effect. Pairing it with warm yellow or white lights can further add to the effect of the room upping the luxe and comfort factor. 

ADD WARMTH WITH BROWN 

For a warm and rustic look, brown could help you monochrome with ease. Brown as a color has a very cozy and homey effect to it. It looks great and has a good amount of shade offerings that you could utilize in your room. To create a monochrome effect with brown you can never go wrong with classic wood floors. You could keep the flooring and walls light while keeping the furnishing in deep and bold shades. You could also pair it with warm lights for a rustic yet elegant look. 

USE NATURAL ELEMENTS 

To decorate a monochromatic room, natural elements are your best friend. They look great and add to the room’s aesthetic appeal and can even be carefully placed to cut through the uniformity in the room. They also help introduce different textures into a room. No matter the color, wood flooring goes great with a monochrome theme. You can customize the color of the wood floor according to what the room requires. You could also incorporate wooden side tables, stools and chairs for a fun and classy addition. Jute and whisker decals are another great way to decorate any space. They have an organic charm and come in a lot of designs to give your room just what it needs.