9 Best Color Black Finishes to Use in Any Rooms
Recently, I tested positive for Covid and celebrated my 35th birthday in quarantine at my home. It was the first time I contracted the virus; unfortunately, it was my birthday. I had to cancel my dinner party with friends and all planned activities on one of the most memorable days of my life.
I thought it was the most challenging moment because, for the first time, I felt so isolated, and the hardest part is I couldn't do anything but deal with all my symptoms and let the virus take its course. My point is that I feel like I'm in the darkest place at the moment but complaining about what's happening is something that I don't want to do. Before I got covid, I planned my birthday celebration a day before my actual birthday. I thought it would be nice to have a personal day off to do some activities on my actual birthday, such as going on a road trip, doing some nature stuff, or even staying home and binge-watch horror and suspense movies.
My ultimate goal on my birthday was to relax, think and recharge. And now, covid is fulfilling those goals by giving me all the reasons to stay at home, not do anything, and enjoy the quietness and peaceful time to rethink all my dreams and plans in life. It might not make sense to other people, but this is the reason I can't complain about my situation. Even in the darkest moment, you can still find something to be thankful for. That should be the only thing you should focus on because that will make everything so beautiful and peaceful.
Black Finishes
I apologize for the lengthy introduction about what I'm going through now. I just thought that the timing is relevant for this blog's topic, which is Best Color Black Finishes to Use in Any Rooms, and design tips on how to use them properly to create beautiful, meaningful, and peaceful spaces.
Similar to my previous blogs about colors, which currently include Green and White, tons of black finishes are available on the market. You can use them in interior design for both residential and commercial projects. It boils down to your design goals and visions to what type of finishes you want to incorporate into your space. All finishes that I will include on this blog apply in any room. Still, to make everything simple and specific, I will focus on designing an existing home library that can be both an office and a quiet reading area.
By the way, black isn't for everyone, and I know it based on my years of experience in interior design and architecture. At first, black was something that I would not use too, but I realized that it is one of the most sophisticated colors (yeah, I know, black is a shade, not a color), and it has that bold ability to bring drama and high-end feel into a space. So, if that is what you're going for your room, then read through, and who knows, I might change your perception about black finishes in interior design.
Black Floor Finishes
Floor finishes in black are something you want to incorporate into your space to make it look glamorous, bold, and sometimes classic. Be careful, though, on using flat black or finishes that don't have any pattern; you may still want to bounce off lights in your space by combining black with other lighter or toned down dark colors. Black flooring can also look hard and harsh; however, it might look dramatic if you're using it in an art studio or, brave enough, in the quietest space in your home, home office, or bedroom.
Timeless Butterflies Nero Blanco
The 12" x 18" polished wall or floor tile from Tile Bar combines a black and white nano glass pattern on porcelain backing. You can use the high-gloss black and white stripes to create inverse, traditional chevron or diamond patterns. What I like about this tile is the versatility of the patterns and how it will look modern once applied to the floor.
Using the traditional chevron pattern on the floor, I thought the space would easily stand out even with just plain paint walls and a pop of colors from decorative pieces and lighting fixtures. I recommend this floor tile on spacious hallways to create a focal point for an object or wall feature and to add playfulness to kitchen and dining areas.
Broome Street- Black Glass
The Broome Street is a 50cm x 50cm carpet tile from NY+LON Streets Collection of Interface. The inspiration came from the industrial spaces and urbanism of New York and London cities. The modular carpet has a group of small circle patterns with black, white, and grey shades. Aside from the actual texture of the rug, the design somehow has its texture by creating different depths from shadows and the liveliness of the circles.
The carpet is applicable for heavy traffic areas; its main application is for offices and other commercial spaces; however, residential application is an option if budget permits. Home offices and reading rooms can be great for this type of carpet. Even with the busy and playful pattern, the various shades of black and white colors made the carpet look soft and stylish.
Andover Dakworth
Luxury vinyl planks are one of the go-to floorings for most spaces because of their durability and quick installation methods. It is also the most cost-effective floor finish and probably one with the most number of options in the market right now. I like the Andover Dakworth luxury vinyl planks because of their nice wood look with various shades of charcoal. Each plank also features knots and graining making it look like a natural stained black wood.
Blogs that might pique your interest:
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How to Make a Rental Living Room Feel Like your Own?
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The luxury vinyl plank is applicable for both residential and commercial spaces. This product would look terrific in the bathroom since it is 100% waterproof. Combining this product with lighter shades such as white or lighter warm colors can accentuate the subtleness of wood grains and knots
Black Wall Finishes
Now let's move up our focus to walls. Selection of black wall finishes for your space can be tricky and, if not correctly done, turn your area into a dungeon of darkness. Unless that is your ultimate goal for your room, I know a few people who would love to have a dungeon of darkness in their house. It's bizarre but achievable.
Black wall finishes can be of tiles, wallcoverings, or as simple as paint. Again, it all depends on the texture, pattern, and level of details you want to achieve on your wall. I love tiles and wallcoverings to bring black and boldness to a space because of their texture and various shades.
Tricorn Black
There are many black paint shades, and I know the frustrations when selecting the best black paint color for your room. It is similar to other colors, the process is stressful, but eventually, the right color will come to you in the end. Patience is the key.
The Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams is an interior and exterior paint color also available for wood and metal. The shade is not as dark as charcoal but not as light as other darker greys; it's in the middle, which is why I like using it on walls and cabinets. Too dark shades of black will absorb most of the lights in the room, making the entire room dull and dark; with this particular color, there's a slight greyness on it which can bounce off light and other colors in the room.
It is essential to request paint samples from your contractor or supplier and try to paint it on a giant size board and let it dry for the entire day. Put the board on your walls and let it sit until you finally decide whether you like the color or not. Another way to see the color in a space is by visiting your supplier's website and checking if they have a room visualizer where you can apply your preferred color to give you a visual idea of the space.
Enamel Charcoal Field Tile
For me, the best wall tiles out there are those that embody art, texture, and nature. These tiles will add movement and style to your space and inspire you to do whatever activities you intend to do in your room. The 5" x 5" ceramic tile in charcoal color from Artistic Tile is one of the best examples of these tiles. It has six colorways featuring rustic edges and various black and grey shades, resembling charcoal artwork.
It is applicable for both commercial and residential use, and I thought it would be perfect as wall tiles behind open bookshelves, wine rooms, and entertainment rooms. It can also look great if used as a wall finish for a massive wall gallery in a hallway. There is so much artistic use for these tiles, and it's a matter of location and proper lighting to show its maximum visual features.
Let's Face It!
I want to leave you with an attractive black wall covering with a very artistic pattern for our last black wall finishes. Let's Face It! by Olivia + Poppy is a vinyl wallcovering suitable for residential and commercial use. I adore this wallcovering not only because of its abstract face patterns but also because of its black and white color.
It evokes stories and conversations; it is an actual artwork for a unique wall in the house. I like how simple yet classic and stylish it looks, and I thought it would look lovely in the living areas, dining, and powder room. It might look scary and too dark for some people (you might feel like the faces are staring at you while you mind your own business inside the room), but for others, this is a great way to express art and can resemble an evolution in home designs.
Black Millwork Finishes
Another part of your space where you can incorporate black finishes is on millworks or cabinets. Black wood laminates, black countertops, and shades of black metal are a few finishes that you can use for your shelves, base cabinets, and other built-in storage. Just be mindful of using dark laminates, as some can easily show specks of dust and fingerprints.
Using black finishes for your shelves and other cabinets to display stuff is a good idea if you want to create a focal point for books or decorative pieces you want to showcase. Black laminates are also suitable if you want a cleaner and modern look for all your storage.
Darcrest
Countertops for millwork can be of laminate, quartz, or synthetic stone finishes. All these finishes have black color options, and all look stunning in any dark or shades of black. The Darcrest from Caesarstone features bold organic veins and has various combinations of black, grey, and dark blue colors. It is available in honed finish and thicknesses of 13mm, 20mm, and 30mm.
Aside from being dark and organic, I like how the stone resembles the ocean reflecting the blue night sky, and the tiny spots look like reflections from stars. It will match perfectly with warmer colors to very dark wood cabinets. I recommend this countertop finish in kitchens, bathrooms, and shelves for living rooms and entertainment areas.
Night Owl
HPL or high-pressure laminates come in various colors, textures, and patterns like other finishes. The Night Own by Tafisa, included in their Feria collection, features a Hickory wood species and shades of black. Black wood laminates such as this can create a moody environment or classic vibe for your space. I prefer installing it with veins positioned vertically for millwork applications to create an illusion of a high ceiling.
Polished chrome is usually the go-to finish for cabinet handles that can easily match this dark laminate. However, matte finish metals that can be black, bronze, or gold are now available to make the overall cabinet design stylish and sophisticated.
Black Magnetic Chalkboard
How about a finish that is black because it has a particular function? One feature you can add to your cabinet doors is the black magnetic chalkboard by Formica. It is available in a matte finish and similar sizes to other regular laminates. I thought it was a clever idea to use for spaces that require additional functions such as writing notes and recipes- maybe for a home office or part of your kitchen.
You can incorporate this finish on your feature wall or even just a part of your cabinet door to create that additional functional space where you can write notes. I thought that this is one of the black finishes out there that is intentional in black color and will serve you a particular and functional purpose.
Black is Bold & Brave
When applied in interior spaces, black finishes can be as bolder as you want them to be; too much black will create too much darkness, which is always an issue when using black finishes. However, as I explained in the first part of the blog, you can always find something to balance or tone down the darkness. Combining shades of black with other colors, patterns and texture is the easiest way to tone down the color black. Your choice of glossy or matte texture also significantly impacts any black finishes.
I did a quick home office interior design showing some of the black finishes included on this blog. Imagine a CEO of a giant corporation and the person adore all things dark and black- this is the perfect home office and library that is designed to achieve high level of sophistication, power and class.
Please think of why you want to use black as the primary color in your space; black is bold and brave, and so are you for trying to get out of your comfort zone and doing something different. I hope you like some or all the finishes I included on this blog. I know thousands of black finishes are there, but I can only fit so much on my blog, finishes that will look timeless and genuinely elevate the design of your space.
Fave Picks of the Week
Below are some of my fave picks of the week products, such as furniture, lighting, and other fixtures that I thought you might love, and I'm sure that will go well with any black-themed rooms. Check them out, and let me know your thoughts. I can help you select other finishes or products to match your newly designed space (or if you haven't decided yet to renovate your room, you can always visit our services and portfolio pages for design inspirations).
Thank you for stopping by and reading my blogs. I aim to impart more than a decade of design (primarily interior designs) knowledge and experience through reviews, tips, inspirations, and DIYs. I hope you enjoy your time here as much as I enjoy writing my blogs; feel free to comment below, email me at info@rocabudesigns.com, or subscribe to our newsletter for fresh blog updates.
Together, let's create meaningful and beautiful spaces.
Ron
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2 comments
Hi Mikchela S.
Thanks so much for reading my blog! Feel free to check out other interesting articles on our blog page. Have a great day!
love the black interior designs.
