Black Magic: Lori Morris Innovates Interior Design Through Darkness and Drama

Lori Morris is a visionary luxury interior designer. Through her firm, Lori Morris Design, she has been pushing boundaries and reshaping spaces for over three decades. Her latest design philosophy centers on black, a powerful but often misunderstood element.

“Black is the ultimate seductress,” declared Morris. “It’s seductive, intriguing, and endlessly chic. It draws you in. Used as an accent, as a contrast to whites, or as the draw, black places design in an overdrive mode.”

While everyone else shies from darker shades, she is infatuated with black’s dramatic ability to grant glamour and sophistication to even the smallest room. Her tactic defuses the notion that dark shades shrink rooms and feel confining. “My customers are typically uncertain about dark insides, yet sometimes an interior rich with a deep inky black is the solution to the entire look,” she asserted. “Black inserts drama, nobility, and opens up options.”

This philosophy is realized in her work, where black is the star of the show in many different ways. One home demonstrates how dramatic black walls can enhance the drama of a crystal chandelier, with gold accents providing warmth and opulence. In another project, black and white photography turns a traditional room into something both classic and modern.

For beginners to add black, Morris recommends starting with art. “Art is a great way to add black if you’re still not confident,” she recommended. “A dramatic photo, an abstract piece of art—it’s an easy way to add the depth black adds.”

The black wall, the most daring of Morris’s design choices, illustrates how shades of black enhance perceptions of space rather than closing them in. “I don’t know where the myth started that black closes up a room,” she said. “Design is about a sense overall, never one single piece. Black adds depth of feeling. In the correct layers, it will perform anywhere. And the great news? It works with anything.”

With her designs, Morris continues to demonstrate that black is not merely a color choice—it’s a design style that can transform any space from the ordinary to the transcendent. Her artistic vision demonstrates that when used with purpose, black can create spaces of sophistication and lasting appeal.

To learn more, visit www.lorimorris.com.

Ty Wenzel

Co-Publisher & Contributor

Ty Wenzel, a recent breast cancer survivor, started her career as a fashion coordinator for Bloomingdale’s followed by fashion editor for Cosmopolitan Magazine. She was also a writer for countless publications, including having published a memoir (St. Martin's Press) and written features for The New York Times. She is an award-winning writer and designer who covers lifestyle, real estate, architecture and interiors for James Lane Post. She previously worked as a writer and marketing director for The Independent. She has won multiple PCLI and NYPA awards for journalism, social media and design, including best website design and best magazine for James Lane Post, which she co-founded in 2020. Wenzel is also a co-founder of the meditation app for kids, DreamyKid, and the Hamptons social media agency, TWM Hamptons Social Media.