Three Ways to Use: Black Paint

The darker corners of our colour card have been seeing more interest than ever, with deep blue, green and grey rooms popping up all over social media and in the pages of our favourite magazines. But if you’re looking for something a little different, there’s another option that takes bold, luxurious looks to a whole new level: black.

“Black can feel like an intimidating to colour to use in interior decoration,” says Patrick O’Donnell, “but by veering slightly away from pure black and using a more nuanced shade you can create rooms of great beauty and drama.” To help get your next scheme started, we asked Patrick for three easy-to-use takes on black paint to suit three different rooms of the home.

The Kitchen

Studio Green, our blackest green shade, can look supremely beautiful used on kitchen units in Modern Eggshell – or, for extra va va voom, Full Gloss.

Cabinets: Studio Green No.93 in Modern Eggshell; Walls: James White No.2010 in Modern Emulsion; Chairs: Sloe Blue No.87 (A) in Modern Eggshell

Pair with Cromarty in Modern Emulsion on your walls and James White on your ceiling for a play on greens. Work surfaces in a deep brown Emperador marble and antique brass fittings for the ultimate urban kitchen.

The Bedroom

Oh yes, a black bedroom! Something slightly more charcoal in tone, like Tar from our California Collection, would look stunning in a north-facing bedroom.

Left – Walls and Ceiling: Tar No.CC1 in Estate Emulsion; Right – Walls: Tar No.CC1 and Sand No.CC2 in Estate Emulsion

Team with a clean but not overtly pure white, such as Strong White, in Estate Eggshell for your woodwork and Estate Emulsion on your ceiling, and layer with off-white linen curtains and bed linen for a sharp but relaxed look. You can even paint your floorboards in Strong White Modern Eggshell too, and dress with a Berber rug for a great monochromatic scheme.

The Living Room

Our perennial favourite, Railings, creates a great backdrop to many a living space. Your artwork will register with renewed clarity, you will feel cocooned when bathed in ambient lighting at night, and colours will pop against it – think chartreuse yellow or bright emerald sofas in velvet or wool.

Walls: Railings No.31 and India Yellow No.66 in Estate Emulsion; Ceiling: Strong White No.2001 in Estate Emulsion; Trim: Strong White No.2001 in Estate Eggshell | Jannik Martensen-Larsen

For woodwork, either play with the crispness of our purest white All White in Estate Eggshell or pull out the nuanced blue in Railings by teaming it with Borrowed Light.

More Ideas This Way

Feeling inspired to take your interiors over to the dark side? Visit our Black Paint page for more tips on using pure black, purple-black, off-black, and even black wallpaper to bring a hint of luxury to your next project.