The House
Shannon Wilkins and her husband, David, knew they wanted their Newport Beach, CA, home to stand out from the all-white interiors typical in Southern California. But they couldn’t deny that bright white paint would transform the dated rooms of the 1999 Craftsman-style ranch they bought a year and a half ago. So Shannon, a designer, whipped out her secret decorating trick: black paint. She used it on the kitchen cabinets, the walls in her office and — most prominently — the window and door trim throughout the home.
The black-and-white contrast is not only undeniably eye-catching, it’s also the perfect backdrop for Shannon’s groovy decorating style, which relies on cool vintage finds, vivid colors and worn kilim rugs. Shannon has experimented with black tile, black front doors and black grout in her clients’ homes, but she’s never had the opportunity to put the dark hue to work on a grand scale — until now. “There’s nothing scary or depressing about black,” says Shannon. “Use it the right way and it can actually emphasize all the color in your home.”
