As New Yorkers, we have a special relationship with black. Where others may see darkness, death or general demise, we see a power color that allows for effortless day-to-night dressing. The hue is always elegant and never out of style, and comes in a plethora of options to suit every budget and closet. But now — in a surprising twist for spring — the color is popping up everywhere in home furnishings.
Mid-century Modernists have always embraced black leather — in an exceedingly tailored fashion. Those pieces, including the Eames Lounge chair, Corbusier LC4 chaise and Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair, are still produced and more popular than ever. Black also recently featured prominently in Rick Owens’ monolithic furniture designs. All of the aforementioned pieces require a comma-in-the-price commitment which, for those dipping their toes into these inky waters, may be too much of a risk.
But fortunately, we’ve rounded up a few more wallet-friendly, back-in-black options. So you can experiment in your home before taking the full noir plunge.
Plates are a great place to incorporate black; these are made by Daiki Takashima, a Japanese artisan whose family has been making ceramics in Kyoto since 1965. They’re beautiful, weighty and have the detail every food stylist loves: a scalloped edge. Bonus: If you’re someone who has to photograph every meal you make, black makes a gorgeous backdrop for food.
This duplex of a tray debuted in 2014 and is obviously aging very well, thanks to its clever design by the legendary Jasper Morrison. The top tier rotates, the bottom does not, and the uses are endless — from food service to jewelry storage.
James Klein and David Reid have been hand-crafting ceramic gorgeousness in NYC for over two decades. Their latest creation is a hanging porcelain “Arpejo” pendant inspired by the architecture, music and spirit of Rio de Janeiro. Not only does it make for some seriously stealth drama, but it’s handmade and can be customized by color, length and shape. The standard combinations of 24-, 36- and 48-inch lengths start at $1,400. But if you’re feeling flush — or simply want something nobody else has — you can inquire about custom combinations, lengths and multiples, including a curtain.
Last year, Herman Miller began offering its iconic Eames turned wood stool in an ebonized ash finish. The design world rejoiced. It’s a classic, sculptural piece that will age well, with uses limited only by your imagination. The stool comes in four shapes, all with concave tops and bottoms — so you get to decide which end is up.
Animal prints are considered neutrals by the fashion set. While leopard will always be the queen of the urban jungle, we’re also seeing the demure zebra gain in popularity. To wit: the Matouk x Schumacher Zebra Palm Beach towel. The pattern is an elegant mash-up of tropical leaves and zebra stripes, woven with plush white cotton-terry to give it a handloomed look. Trust us, you’ll use this on the regular … even if you’re nowhere near a beach.
If the design of filtered water pitchers has left you a little damp, we suggest you check out Lifestraw Home immediately. This sleek design comes in seven colors and is said to be the only water filter pitcher that removes bacteria and parasites in addition to lead, microplastics, PFAS (“forever chemicals”) and more than 30+ contaminants — all while dramatically improving the taste of your tap water. (Never fear, it retains good-for-you minerals like magnesium and potassium.) If you’re an avid traveler and concerned about water quality, you can also pick up one of the brand’s popular individual water bottles before embarking on your next adventure.
While we’re on the topic of practical items, let’s discuss showerheads. They’re a super easy way to upgrade your bath experience, and there are many options in a matte black. The Jolie takes it a step further with a filtered showerhead that “removes chlorine, heavy metals and other contaminants from your shower water — to improve your skin, hair and wellbeing.” The internet (and a few of our editors) love it, and say it’s helped alleviate dry scalp, skin redness, frizzy hair and allergy issues. It also has a great, consistent spray, and comes in three finishes.
You can thank the pandemic for the rise of small, portable lamps in designs you won’t regret a few years on. This one, called the Multi Lite, is the creation of Danish architect and interior designer Louis Weisdorf, and originally debuted in the 1970s as a pendant with shades that could be manipulated to direct light upwards or down. The same holds true for the petite, indoor-outdoor table model, shown here.
This is one of IKEA’s best selling tables and for good reason. It’s made of powder-coated steel with a tray top that can be removed for serving or clearing. While it’s technically an indoor table, because it’s so light, it can also easily moved outdoors. It’s available in four colors — including a limited edition on-trend red — at a price that encourages buying multiples.
Tarmo Likki clearly has a sense of humor. The Finnish designer created this Fly Fly swatter back in the 1980s, fashioned from black or tan leather and sustainably harvested birch. It undoubtedly will do the job keeping winged pests at bay, will look great on a wall when not and, we suspect, has a few alternative uses as well.
Combining stainless steel with resin handles to create flatware may seem unremarkable now, but back in 1975 when David Mellor debuted this design, it was considered revolutionary. Mellor may not be a household name, but he has a cult following among design aficionados in an IYKYK way. His take on Provençal flatware, made in rural England, seems as fresh today as it did 49 years ago. Best yet — it’s dishwasher safe.
While officially labeled gin glasses, we think these Scandi-designed “Oslo” stems are misnamed. First, while popular, gin is not the first booze that comes to mind for that area of the world. Second, these elegant glasses, designed by Anton Studios, will no doubt be excellent containers for a variety of beverages beyond gin, with or without booze. And best yet, this set of two is available in noir or with clear, frosted stems.
