Certain paint colors take off and become bestsellers. But why? Sometimes a stylemaker or person known for an impeccable eye (or these days, a mammoth social media platform) will endorse a color. In other cases, it’s mysterious. Maybe the color has a killer name that resonates in a particular cultural milieu (i’m tellin ya, hire me, Behr or Ben Moore). Frequently it’s because the paint color works across varied lighting conditions. It’s trustworthy. These ideas for black paint are tried and true colors to set you up for sample success.
Ideas for Black Paint Colors: Sample These!
If you have been searching for a black paint for kitchen cabinets, walls, deck, vintage furniture, a shelf, or an accessory, then you know. Even when you think it’ll be a cinch, there are too many choices. Here’s how to narrow down the list for trusty ebony tones to sample.
Farrow & Ball RAILINGS No. 31
SAMPLE Railings RIGHT HERE. Here’s a color for which I enjoy success. I love Railings for a soft, off-blackish navy. When you are viewing photos online, you won’t necessarily see the blue undertones. That’s why you should sample. When the light hits it, it may surprise you.
Remember how the same color will look different during the day versus at night. Will the color be for funiture in a room most often used at night? Make sure to view a sample in the space at night. Also, even if you think you want a true black, it’s still possible an inky black will charm you.
Remember how the Property Brothers Drew Scott used it in his Hollywood Regency style home including the kitchen?
If you want to see more of Railings, check it out in this video (and there may or may not be a scene with Drew in a freestanding tub painted black…):
Painting a room black is not commonplace since painting over it aint a barrel of laughs. Drew and Linda were going for a chic cocoon look, and again, consider the time of day a room is used to decide if it is sensible.
Black endures as a common color for kitchen islands and window trim when high contrast is what you’re after.
It may make sense to paint a freestanding pantry or cabinet a contrasting color to achieve a more custom, two-toned, unfitted look for a kitchen.
Dark colors are going to be weightier in the space and can be used for balance of any number of things.
Ideas for Black Paint Colors: Sherwin-Williams TRICORN BLACK 6258
SAMPLE Tricorn Black RIGHT HERE. For a true black, Tricorn Black has sort of a legendary following as a designer favorite.
Quite a few front doors and shutters across the web are Tricorn Black so it appears to be trustworthy. It’s wise to order a peel and stick sample or get a sample pot and live with it for a few days before committing.
Oh so many ways to use black if you love traditional style. A vintage piano? Boom. Laundry room cabinets that have seen better days? Bingo.
The key? Know thyself. Know thyself well. If you have lived with black and loved it, that’s data. If it’s new, approach it as an experiment. Paint a little something black and live with it to notice whether it works in the space. How do your senses respond to it? Will you grow tired of it?
Here’s a bath vanity in designer Darryl Carter’s own home. The black is reminiscent of Tricorn Black:
Isn’t it gorgeous? Find more black contenders to sample:
How to choose the best black? The easiest, non-messy way is samples delivered to your door from Samplize. Peel and stick sheets of “paint” stick to walls and are easily repositioned.
Sherwin-Williams URBANE BRONZE 7048
SAMPLE Urbane Bronze RIGHT HERE. There’s a strength and boldness with this shade. Black paint colors suggestive of warm metals can definitely be suggestive of timelessness. Here’s a great example:
Where could you use Urbane Bronze? It can certainly cozy up a media space. Also, home offices seem to lend themselves to moody deep tones these days.
Downright elegant, yes? A powder room is sometimes ideal for a dark and dramatic paint.
BM Wrought Iron
SAMPLE Wrought Iron RIGHT HERE. Here’s another metallic black that may be just right if you’re updating window trim or doors.
I loved how Sherry Hart used it for a gallery wall in a powder room. So many settle for boring white boxes when an art gallery is quite possible.
Bonus inspiration is how the designer displayed a woven basket with the framed art…
Pin THIS to save for future reference!
Wrought Iron reminds me of a PPG color Leanne Ford uses called Black Magic:
See more of Leanne Ford’s favorites in THIS.
How is Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron different from Iron Mountain (which designer Sherry Hart uses with great success including that viral ORC bedroom makeover)?
We see more brown undertones from Iron Mountain when it is compared to Wrought Iron.
No idea what the exact paint color name is for the home below, but it certainly seems to be in the family of Iron Mountain black-browns:
Slightly darker, yet still very close to Iron Mountain’s black-brown color is this one:
Ideas for a Soft Black With Brown or Blue Undertones
My own personal favorite soft black was actually discontinued! Of course it was! It was the HGTV Home Sherwin Williams color Carbonized. Its formula may still be in the computer at your paint counter, but no worries if not.
You can see how close Iron Ore is in this side by side:
Right? So my new favorite is Iron Ore since it is interchangeable with my old favorite which is no longer available. Here it is on our front doors and the stair hand rail in our home:
You can also visit my Instagram where I have reel videos showing it in various light.
Clare GOODNIGHT MOON
What if brown-blacks and those muddy grays are not your jam? Moody blues and greens are still all the rage. Maybe sample a deep blue-black such as…
I’m a fan of paint colors from CLARE, and even though we’re not sure of the exact color on this bath vanity below, you could get this look with the help of Goodnight Moon.
While I’m unsure of the black paint color on this gorgeous exterior (Ladisic Fine Homes), at least in natural light, we see blue undertones:
Clare BLACKEST
Where oh where would you use a rich dramatic very black color that reflects no light? Here’s the description of Blackest:
“Chic. Modern. Dramatic. Our blackest black might seem edgy, but when paired with the perfect light, it has the power to make a space pop.” – CLARE
For starters, you may have a little niche where a pop of black makes sense to create high contrast. Here’s a moment that suddenly shot up the style scale in a wee workspace:
Designer Sherry Hart painted a pantry boldly black, and this is a smart move to test a color when you haven’t lived with deep tones.
After living with the color in a small area, who knows? Maybe you’ll decide to go big in another room. Black can be chic, doncha know…
I can imagine there are lighting situations where the warmth of the yellow sun may warm a cool, very dark black.
Unsure of what was used on exteriors above and below, but an argument can be made for how black makes a striking backdrop for lush foliage:
Wow!
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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