Schlotter: When thinking of nursery decor, your mind may automatically go to soft pinks and blues and whimsical pastels, but over the past couple of years, nursery colors have become much more mature. To add instant sophistication to your baby’s space, pair it with a pale pastel on the ceiling and an off-white trim.
How to Use One of the Trickiest Paint Colors in Your Home
The idea of painting a room or even just one wall black is intimidating, especially because the cardinal rule of making your space feel bigger is to steer clear of dark hues. But once you get over the mental hurdle, it’s anything but scary. Black paint can be cozy, transportive, and, in some instances, quite welcoming and warm. So how do you implement the color without overpowering a space? We tapped two experts at PPG to clear up some frequently asked questions. Here, senior product marketing manager Jenny Burroughs and senior color marketing manager Dee Schlotter share their top tips for painting with one of the most dramatic hues.
The Number-One Rule to Painting Walls Black
Jenny Burroughs: Priming is key when moving from light or medium colors to black or vice versa. Some homeowners may be hesitant to paint walls black because it is thought to be more difficult to paint over later; however, with proper priming, it can be covered rather easily. A gray or deep-hued base primer is recommended if you want full coverage in fewer coats.
The Gist on Undertones
Dee Schlotter: The indigo undertones of PPG’s Black Flame make it a cooler black, while warmer blacks pull red and brown undertones. Both cool and warm blacks are anchors for other softer colors. For example, a cool tint serves as a great anchor for trim and doors against colors like Olympic Paint’s Burnt Red and soft blues like Glidden Paint’s Arctic Blue.
Burroughs: Matte finishes continue to rise in popularity this year, particularly with kitchen appliances. As this trend continues to expand, there has also been a rising interest in using flat paint sheens to achieve the same luxurious matte finish on walls in the home. For high-traffic areas, higher-sheen products like eggshell and satins offer more durability. They can withstand repeated cleaning and touching, so we recommend using in a playroom, a kitchen, and bathrooms—rooms that are exposed to a lot of activity. Flat finishes are excellent sheens to hide imperfections and can easily be touched up, making them a great choice for either ceilings or dining room walls.
Tips for Using Black Paint Inside Your Home
There was a time, not very long ago, when black wasn’t on anyone’s list of options for interior painting. That is beginning to change, however, and especially in recent months, we are beginning to see some exciting, beautiful uses of black interior paint. As it turns out, there are all kinds of ways to use black paint in the home!
Here are a couple of general considerations before we begin sharing ideas:
- Black paint absorbs light, so you want to use it in a space that has ample natural light. If you are just doing trim or an accent wall, this isn’t as vital, but if it will be your main wall color, you need some good windows in the space.
- Painting a wall black will make it feel closer, causing the room to feel somewhat smaller. Painting a ceiling black will have the same effect. For this reason, you want to choose a room that is big enough to handle this effect, or a room where you want it to feel cozier.
- There are all different kinds of black paints. Don’t just go with any old generic black. Carefully consider the sheen you want, and find a shade of black that has some character to it. There are black paints that have an earthy slate feel, and others with a deep blue undertone. If you can, get a sample and try it on your wall before you buy gallons, so you can see how it really looks in your space.
Where to Use Black Paint in the Home
A bold, yet moderate way to use black is as an accent. This could mean an accent wall, a ceiling, a black interior door, or black trim. Another idea is to paint a feature such as a fireplace surround or a built-in cabinet set.
When using black as an accent, just remember that it will draw the eye and become a focal point in the space. Make sure you use it in a part of the room that feels natural as a focal point, rather than a place that will feel off-balance.
Black can also be used as the main wall color in a room. If you go with this option, it is important to have significant contrasts. For example, light-colored furniture, a light rug, white curtains, or white trim would help bring balance in the room. A decorative mirror would be a striking piece of visual interest, and it would also help amplify the natural light in the room.
If you use black interior paint, other colors in the room will be amplified by contrast. That being the case, you will want to choose those other colors with care. It’s not that they might not match the black (anything goes with black), but they might not be colors you want to emphasize that much. Small pops of bold colors, be they orange, blue, yellow, lime green, or anything, look phenomenal in a black room!
Interior Painting in the D.C. Area
If you would like to use black paint in your home, but you’re not sure where or how, Williams Professional Painting would love to help. We have a professional design center, and we can help you think through the options for your rooms. We can envision with you where the black will look best, and what other colors will go best with it.
Serving Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the Washington D.C. area, Williams Professional Painting is a fantastic choice for your interior house painting.
Why is black a great colour for walls?
It’s a good foundation colour – you can put anything with it, so it makes a great backdrop. I look at interiors as a recipe, a combination of ingredients and black walls make a strong, basic ingredient, to which you can add all sorts of interesting things. Whatever you put against the walls will be beautifully framed by the dark backdrop, so their shapes are made stronger and more graphic. Furniture, shelves, bookcases, pictures, even a wall-hung marble basin and brass taps in a cloakroom:all can be made to look sharper and more striking.
Of course, black isn’t for everyone, although I’m surprised and pleased by the number of clients who like it. If you want a room flooded with natural light, it’s probably not for you, but the drama is hard to beat. Black walls can make a room feel cosy, but can also, curiously, make a space feel bigger, rather as if the wall is pushed back. When white, a wall ends; when black, the effect is like a tunnel, stretching to infinity.
I try not to fall into the trap of colour trends. One of the things I particularly like about black walls is that the look is always classic, always chic.
