Black Walls? How and Where to Use It

If you want to give a room a stern yet enticing feel, you don’t have to turn to a strong color. Instead, a neutral color could work perfectly. Black walls are a great example.

We normally use lighter, brighter colors for bedrooms and living rooms to transmit a positive atmosphere through color. They also help make a room feel more peaceful.

But what about black? People are nervous about using it in their homes, but you really only need to know where to use it. Black has its boundaries and limitations.

The visual impact of black

The color black creates a very serious character. It doesn’t transmit liveliness or warmth; instead, it offers rooms a darker feel that’s more secluded as if they were in their own bubble.

It’s the opposite of lighter colors like white, which transmit purity and cleanliness. Rather than those, black darkens rooms and closes off any glimmer of depth or openness.

It is also elegant and fits perfectly into any decor style. As a result, surrounding colors match perfectly with black.

— Black goes with everything in both fashion and interior design. —

Rooms where black can work

If you’re not sure where to use black, you can actually use it in any room. But you have to match it appropriately with the surrounding colors to ensure a chromatic balance without saturating areas.

• Living room: this should go without saying, but don’t paint your entire living room black because the results could be very intimidating and unwelcoming for guests. However, you could try painting a single wall black and the others in a different color.
• Bedroom: black is more viable for bedrooms because there can be a direct contrast with decorative elements, especially with ones like the bed and headboard. It’ll look best with white decor.
• Kitchen: a black kitchen could look too rigid and not quite balanced. Instead, paint one wall black and contrast it with the furniture.

• Entrance and hallway: similar to the previous ideas, you can try one sole black wall in these areas. Painting your walls black halfway, from the floor to the center, could look great.
• Bathroom: you can use black walls as long as there is a contrast with white plumbing. You can use black tiles or black painted walls.

In short, you can use black anywhere. However, you have to know how to use it and keep it from being the main color. Instead, do just the opposite and make it a complementary secondary color that forms part of your decor.

Black and how it complements other colors

If you’re going to paint your walls, don’t paint all of them black. Instead, just paint one wall black and the rest a different color unless you actually want a stern, intense effect: bedrooms, living room, bathroom…

• Black can work very well with white. They produce a strong contrast and white shines brighter as the feature color.
• Complementing brown: avoid shades that are too dark; light browns that lean more towards ocher work better. A classic example is pairing black and wood.

• Gray is another good option: both colors create a solid combination. But they do, however, set a very stern air.
• Black and bright colors: pairing with red, yellow, green or orange can really put these colors into the spotlight.
• Purple: both black and purple suggest a certain seriousness, but they are elegant as well. This combination works for chic, original and alternative decor. Purple won’t stand out as much as the other colors when paired with black.

Never forget that black is a great way to nail beautiful interiors. You just need to be careful about how you use it.