Black is sexy, sassy and sophisticated. It has been a color that never goes out of style because it’s a classic, bold and revitalizing hue. When used in the right amounts, it creates a striking difference in a room that has the power to redirect focus and add elegance. Here are some tips on how to use this dark hue to make your home well-decorated:
1. Emphasize art with black.
If you want to feature sketches or monochromatic art or sculpture on the wall, they can be best emphasized with a black accent wall. Paint one wall where you plan to display your art with undiluted black paint and let the artworks reveal themselves. Painting the wall black also works if you want to bring attention to your edgy and shiny pendant lights. If you’re not ready to use a rich black hue, try using softer charcoal tones instead. It can create the same impact, but it doesn’t risk overwhelming the room like black can.
You may also do the opposite – when featuring colored pieces of art, group them with similar, black frames to unify them and place them on a wall with a lighter color.
2. Use it in an accent piece
Featuring a large, black piece of furniture might not make an impact, so it’s better to pick a black accent piece. Choose a black accent chair or a black side table as a highlight piece and use the color in smaller accents throughout the room, like in a frame of a mirror or flower vases. Make a high contrast look with using a single chair upholstered in a black-and-white stripe.
3. Pick a black sofa
Picking a black sofa gives off a modern, sleek vibe and a striking alternative to the typical white or beige sofas. It’s even better because black sofas hide dirt and stains better than lighter alternatives. Just make sure that you don’t overwhelm the space by putting it in a room with a lighter wall and floor color. Layer in other neutral accents and add a few pops of color.
4. Paint your door black.
Complement your white or lighter-colored wall with a black front door or garage door. A sophisticated black door will pop for your visitors and mail carriers alike. Use bright white tile numbers made of porcelain so your home number is very visible. For garage doors, paint it with high-gloss black so it can act as a mirrored surface for the driveway and surrounding plants.
5. Paint your brick black.
For a modern take on your exterior brick wall, paint it with matte black paint. Decorate your wall with creeping vines for additional character. For the brick accent walls on your interior, painting it black makes a striking, masculine effect.
6. Incorporate a dark floor.
A black floor against white walls or other lighter colors makes an elegant yet striking combination. Meanwhile, a black floor against bolder-colored walls like red makes a dramatic effect. Dark floors can induce these emotions and effects that can simply make your home look glamorous. Ink or stain your wood floors to make it as dark as black (it works well with cherry wood), or install black granite for an extra luxurious effect.
7. Add a black headboard.
Create a strong focal point in your bedroom by adding an ebony-color headboard. This gives off a modern, put-together look that gives the eye a visual break. You can soften it with a tufted silhouette design to create a balance between contemporary and traditional styles.
8. Add black-and-white stripes.
Using a simple black-and-white striped combination is one of the most classic decorating tricks you can employ to include black without fully committing yourself to it. Layer in the classic stripe and use it in the form of wallpaper, accent chair, curtains, or in small details like throw pillows.
9. Paint your fireplace black.
When placed into largely white or neutral space, and the fireplace is painted with black paint, the fireplace pops and draws attention to itself. If your fireplace needs a makeover, paint it with few coats of pure black paint and watch the focus instantly direct to it.
10. Choose black kitchen cabinets.
Add a modern twist to your kitchen by injecting the color black. If your kitchen has white paint and has lofty ceilings, adding black base cabinets, wall cabinets, and kitchen island cabinets can ground your kitchen design. With your lofty ceilings, adding a skylight will make black kitchen cabinets work and not look too dark.
11. Install black wallpaper.
An unexpected twist like a black wallpaper goes well with certain rooms, such as the bathroom or the hall. Let your creativity take over and try to be bold with design choices and start with the smallest room in the house by installing a pretty black wallpaper around your bathroom sink or vanity. The contrast between your white vanity and cabinetry and the black wallpaper adds wonder. When used as a backdrop in the hall, pick only one wall and make it an accent wall and try to balance it out with lighter-colored elements like a white chair and white mirror.
12. Anchor the accents with black.
If you have a room filled with neutral colors (let’s say, the living room), add pops of black in items like frames, throw pillows, rugs, and throws. This will anchor the accents and give the room an edgy personality. Just make sure that the black elements are well-coordinated and distributed throughout the room, so there’s no side that is too dark and a side that lacks some black.