Jennifer Aniston Designed Her Living Room Around This Risky Hue

For Jennifer Aniston fans, her mid-century modern home in Bel Air needs no introduction. The structure, designed by architect A. Quincy Jones in 1965, is the perfect canvas for experimenting with her favorite design trends, thanks to its abundant use of glass windows that fill its spaces with sunlight—and that includes the bold color palette in its living room.

THE Friends The actress opted for a primarily black color palette, which isn’t reflected in her paint choices (although the area around her fireplace does use the shade), but in her furniture choices. In the room, designer Stephen Shadley found a way to decorate with black without making Aniston’s room seem too dark.

Despite the opulent, dark furnishings (including dark leather seating), black-hued sculptures, and fireplace, the space feels undeniably bright and airy. Much of the success is down to the floor-to-ceiling windows that fill the room with natural light. However, as the designers explain, it’s also down to its styling.

In addition to her black furniture and artwork, Aniston created a balanced room with a large light gray rug (which covers most of the floor). She also used a lighter gray on some of the walls and incorporated a cream throw and a houseplant in the corner of the room. It’s a color-balancing technique that Rudolph Diesel, interior designer at Rudolph Diesel London, swears by.

“To add style to your black furniture, I suggest surrounding your light-colored pieces with accessories like throw pillows, blankets, or rugs. In my experience, this contrast creates a visually more balanced space and keeps the room from feeling too dark or heavy,” Diesel says. In addition to the technique used in Aniston’s space, they also recommend decorating with mirrors, especially in rooms that don’t get as much natural light as Aniston’s.

“Incorporating reflective surfaces, like mirrors or metallic accents, will bounce light around the room, increasing the perceived brightness of the space,” suggests Diesel.

Contemporary living room with white painted walls, gray painted ceiling trim, two black sofas, black square coffee table, blue patterned rug

A living space that uses black accents strategically, similar to Jennifer Aniston’s space.

(Photo credit: Ginny Macdonald Design, photography by Raquel Langworthy)

Aside from choosing the right color accessories, we can also learn a lot from Aniston’s lighter wall paint. As mentioned earlier, she chose a subtle light gray that doesn’t demand attention. It allows her black furniture to make the statement it deserves while still allowing the rest of the room to breathe. We can do the same with a similar gray or another light neutral, such as off-white or cream.

“To ensure that black furniture fits well into your interior design, I recommend creating a cohesive color palette that complements the boldness of your black furniture,” says Diesel.

“The light walls and flooring provide a neutral backdrop that allows the black furniture to stand out without overwhelming the space. Experimenting with different textures, like velvet or leather, would deepen the visual interest of the room while maintaining a unified look.” For an Aniston-inspired starting point, we love these soft, neutral pieces below. The rug is especially perfect for adding light and warmth that juxtaposes the black leather, and its color palette is perfect for almost any type of space (even beyond the living room).

A thick beige blanket on a gray sofa

Madison Handmade Chunky Double Knit Blanket

Stone bowl

beige carpet with subtle pattern

Cyrus Ivory Beige Tufted Rug

The key to a cohesive black living room is to play with different heights and shapes. Both of these elements “can go a long way in amplifying the aesthetic appeal of black furniture” in a living room. “For example, tall floor lamps draw the eye upward, contributing to the growing sense of balance and sophistication in the space.”