Tips for Painting with Black Interior Paint

When it comes to strategic interior painting, lighter, brighter colors are often celebrated. It’s not hard to see why – lighter paint colors not only bounce light around the room more easily, but create a feeling of space and size that most homeowners appreciate.

Light colors have always been both trendy and timeless too, with variations of white paint listed as one of the trending color options of the year. Or, if white is too, well, white, you can always pick from an endless parade of neutrals.

Today, however, let’s talk about a color trend from the other end of the spectrum: black interior paint.

Is Black Interior Paint Right for Your Home?

Photo by LDa Architecture & Interiors

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• How much light does your room have? Remember, black absorbs light, so it will naturally make a room feel more closed and dark. In a well-lit space, this can create a classy, cozy charm. In a small room without much natural light, it can quickly feel like a box.
• What will your black walls accentuate? It’s so easy to focus on the walls themselves that you might forget that black walls will make every other detail stand out. Contrasting trim colors (especially white) can be stunning, but black will make natural wood pop, too.
• Can you use black paint in a small room? Believe it or not, in a space that is expected to be relatively small, like a bathroom or hallway, black can be a gorgeous, unique color choice.
• How about a black accent wall? If you aren’t sure about taking the total plunge, consider creating one statement wall to see how you like it.
• Balance the blackness with a lighter decor. Dark colors beg for contrast, otherwise you’re just enveloping the room in a monochromatic nighttime. White is the natural choice, as we touched on above, as well as vanilla or cream colors, but the options are nearly endless.
• Choose your sheen carefully. Remember, flat paint is easy to apply and touch up, but it’s not very durable and doesn’t reflect light well. Higher-gloss black requires extensive surface preparation, but can have a stunning, almost liquid finish. Talk to your painter about what might be the best option for your home, family, and the specific room you’re painting.

Need Inspiration?

Just to show you what we’re talking about here, take a look at this trending black interior paint from Sherwin-Williams. And, while you’re at it, you might enjoy reading these pro tips for making black paint work well.

Your Professional Interior Painter Can Help!

Working with an established, experienced house painter is always wise, and never more so than when you’re trying something a little more daring and tricky. If you live in the Northern VA or DC area, we invite you to contact us at Williams Professional Painting! It would be our pleasure to serve you.