Get a Knack for Black

debbierolfes I loved this!! I have always used and loved black on walls, furniture and accent pieces. People often think I'm crazy, but it works... love the drama it creates. Thanks for the support of black... my favorite color!!

designwitch I'm afraid that while this article does a great job of supporting my favourite colour and the one I use mostly in my interior design projects, the author is incorrect about black on walls making rooms feel smaller. This is not my opinion, but scientific fact. Black recedes. Therefore, it makes any space appear larger because by receding, it pushes the walls back, visually. However, it does tend to make a room feel darker, and therefore should be used sparingly in rooms that lack adequate light. If there is inadequate natural light from windows, this can be compensated for by the judicious use of lighting fixtures.

storklady i have black walls in a bathroom with no natural light - but all fixtures are white...all tile is white and the tile is extended up the wall in a wainscot. So, in reality, only the top half of the wall is painted black. We have a shower light...overhead fixture and a sconce on each side of the mirror. It's very striking and pretty. So, I guess, the moral of the story is don't be afraid of black without natural light if you have lots of crisp white to set it off.

patscats2 You just can't go wrong with black and white.

Sharon Barnard I recently had a an all Black library..natural wood floors...Sisal rug...taupe furniture and books covered in taupe paper...stunning< I thought..as a designer, it was one of my favorite rooms ever and the room we lived in most of the time....very calming and warm.

Designs For Living I have always used black in my personal designs, I just love it. Black makes for a great background for accent pieces!

trasgorshek I painted an accent wall in my sons room black and it instantly transformed the room. Added very industrial looking sconces to both sides of the bed and it really took shape. I am no longer afraid of black, but you cannot be sloppy with the paint and be ready to do many coats for an even look.

Samantha Schoech designwitch : Hm, that's interesting, But scientific fact or not, I still feel like black rooms feel closer than white rooms. Maybe smaller is the wrong word. Cozy? Close? Intimate? Whatever the adjective, they do feel less expansive than light rooms to me. And that's not a bad thing.

Sean After seeing some of the pictures here on Houzz, we decided to go all in with the black in our family room. The results are amazing and has become our favorite room.

Sean In our lounge/library we used black bookcases as a room divider.

Marie Meko, Allied ASID Thanks for a great article to help people realize how fabulous black is as a dramatic statement and yet can feel warm and welcoming. I love the cobalt blue and the Cinnabar cabinet as statement color in the room. Great photos.
Marie Meko

hopingtogetfit Not quite black, but adding drama to the wall behind our master bed, is Kendall Charcoal paint by Benjamin Moore. Looks great with white, yellow, red, orange, you name it!

7j DESIGN Black is dramatic in any space as long it is balanced with any colour or white. We stained the reclaimed wood on the floor in black but then used a lighter shade of grey, white and other bold colours in the space to balance the use of black.

VC Studio Inc. Love black. Charcoal or graphite grey also make great backgrounds for a pop of color.

Georgia Way Interior Design My bedroom is black (with a touch of plum) Ben. Moore's cavier, balanced with white and cream as well as gold accents I love it! Eileen Hanuse, Qualicum Beach

designwitch I never use any paint but Benjamin Moore. Period. I use an old number but they can still mix it with the name of Inner Balance as my backdrop. Black looks smashing against that. It's like putty with the teeniest hint of green. very calming, very cool. Frames artwork to perfection, shows off my black furniture.

Sean The last picture (king and queen hipster) reminds me of an updated version of the Griswold's neighbors in the movie Christmas Vacation. Hey, they did have to remodel after that Christmas.

Contempo Space Black is the new black!

sdrotschmann Why not a black dining room? Are there examples of Do' s and Don't here?