I’ve always wanted a black room. But, it never seemed to fit until we moved into this house. I know black might seem scary to some of you, but I’ll try to convince you that it’s cozy and warm—and not all that dark, if you pick the right shade and paint the right parts of your room.
I recently got a new paint deck from Clark + Kensington (available at Ace Hardware) and found my shade of black in the midst of the purples(!). It’s called “Little Black Dress” (how can you go wrong with that name?) and definitely has some purple undertones—in a good way. In fact, the first coat looked more navy than black.
The black has already made me want to spend more time in this room. Even without anything on the walls yet, it still feels cozy but not cave-like. A lot of that has to do with the fact that this room gets plenty of natural light, and I kept the ceiling and (most of the) trim white. More on my painting process coming in another post. . .
I used a satin finish (easy to wipe down!) and painted right over those pesky light switch plates. Hoping to put some bookcases in this room and eventually, some comfortable seating. . . Oh, and I also need to convince somebody in my house to play this piano.
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Kelly says
November 12, 2015 at 10:16 amI love it, Emily! So sophisticated and beautiful. Enjoy your black room!
Jen says
November 12, 2015 at 10:18 amLove it! I can’t wait to see more of this room and a pulled back look…
Stephanie says
November 12, 2015 at 10:25 amI love this Emily! The walls, the trim, the wood tone of the piano – gorgeous. Your photo may just be what I need to convince my husband that we need a room painted black too. Please post more photos of the rest of the room.
Emily Clark says
November 12, 2015 at 10:29 amI have to clean the boxes out of the room, and then I promise I will :)
Liz says
November 12, 2015 at 10:31 amL.O.V.E.
Seeing your room has given me the courage to paint my entry/living room in a dark shade.
Bellissimo!
Julie @ Creating This Life says
November 12, 2015 at 11:00 amI love it! I just had our master bedroom painted SW’s Urbane Bronze and it feels very black too. Like a warm black, if that makes sense. And I so agree with you, it’s very cozy, and the other things in the room (painted trim, upholstered headboard, gold picture frames) seem to pop right off the walls.
Michele says
November 12, 2015 at 11:24 amThe wood tone of the piano and the the brass mirror look great with the black! Is the mirror thrifted? Love it leaning with the painting, too!
Emily Clark says
November 12, 2015 at 11:27 amYes, a happy find!
Katy says
November 12, 2015 at 11:36 amLOVE it so much, Emily!
[email protected] says
November 12, 2015 at 12:00 pmIs this your living room? I love you style.
Jody says
November 12, 2015 at 12:25 pmgorgeous! and surprisingly reflective! love love love it!
Mary says
November 12, 2015 at 1:06 pmI love it. I’ve always been a fan of black walls. About 10 years ago I painted our guest bathroom black. It doesn’t have any windows so I just embraced the dark & went with it. I just think it makes a room feel sophisticated.
Tia says
November 12, 2015 at 2:42 pmLove it! I can’t wait to hear about your painting process. I need to hone my painting skills.
Thanks,
Tia
shannon says
November 12, 2015 at 2:54 pmLove the look of this! Very chic!
http://atouchofshannon.com
Holly says
November 12, 2015 at 3:30 pmOh my! That black is absolutely stunning! It really looks smart and definitely isn’t too dark! I love the name too ;) x
[email protected] says
November 12, 2015 at 4:18 pmOh my Gosh, I love this. I wonder if I can convince my husband to let me paint our bedroom black. It’s pretty small with good natural light, but it seems like the perfect place to try something this moody and sophisticated.
Great job! Can’t wait to see more pictures.
Mandy says
November 12, 2015 at 5:42 pmI would NEVER have considered painting a room black, it reminds me of teenage angst…..but…WOW…it’s gorgeous, so chic, grown-up and sophisticated. Love it.
sixteen fourteen says
November 12, 2015 at 6:38 pmAbsolutely LOVE this!!!
Kathy says
November 12, 2015 at 8:37 pmI’ve always wanted a black room too. I love the LBD color, it’s beautiful. The wood tone in your piano compliments it nicely!
Sherri says
November 12, 2015 at 8:45 pmThis is stunning! Our home doesn’t get tons of natural light, like this room does, but I am trying to visualize a room in that exact color because this really is striking, yet warm and cozy!!
Karen T. says
November 13, 2015 at 7:51 amWow! That looks amazing–everything “pops” but in a good way. :)
Arielle says
November 13, 2015 at 3:40 pmGorgeous! I think dark rooms get a bad rep because they don’t always photograph well (though these photos are lovely). I LOVE being in my dark rooms – they just feel cozy and sophisticated, not oppressive or dreary. The first brush stroke is always a bit scary, but it’s worth it!
Gwen, The Makerista says
November 13, 2015 at 7:01 pmLove that you painted the chair rail too. It looks to be a really beautiful color, can’t wait to see more!
Heidi says
November 13, 2015 at 8:08 pmOur bathroom is black. We have original tile on the floor and halfway up the wall and the black works really well against all the white tile! I love it and would probably do it again in another house if given the opportunity. Your room looks great so far! The piano and mirror really do look great with the dark wall.
Sarah says
November 14, 2015 at 4:28 pmLove it! It’s especially sophisticated with the gold mirror, and I love your art. Do you have recommendations for blacks in SW or BM paint? I’ve been thinking of doing a dark dining room and wold love the colors to be narrowed down for me. :)