for the love of: Black Rooms

 

Black  rooms  continue  to  dominate  the  design  world  these  days !  
Whether it's black wallpaper, paint, lacquer, or a combination,
black   rooms   are   everywhere !

What's   so   great   about   them ?
Designers swear by black as a great neutral...against which any color,  not to mention artwork,  looks fantastic.   Words that come to mind when you think of black rooms?   How about  "neutral"... "dramatic" ... "glamorous" ... "classic"... "chic" ... "bold" ...  read on for designers'   praise   for   black   walls !

This library by Jeffery Bilhuber is stunning...

the chair and ottoman really make the space! 

There seem to be lots of black libraries in particular ...

Black lacquer is the most fantastic, I think...the above space was created with 

" 100  coats  of  custom  lacquer."

Carleton  Varney   recommends   Benjamin   Moore's

"EBONY  KING"    2132-20:    " There's  this  thing  called  glamour  that's in short supply these days, but   Dorothy   Draper   had   it.    When I first saw her office in the 1960s, it was done in black lacquer with white woodwork, a white desk, and black patent leather on the conference chairs.  she had spotlights in each corner and when she presented fabrics, they really popped  against all that black."

Sherwin   Williams'    "IRON  ORE"    SW7069   and

"TRICORN    BLACK"    SW 6258  are  also  recommended  colors.

Robert  Brown  recommends  a gray-black with a hint of warmth,

Sherwin   Williams'      "SEALSKIN"      SW7675.    "I painted a traditional paneled library in this dark charcoal gray, with a hint of brown and green.  We mixed it as a marine enamel -- typically used on boats -- so  it  really  shines  when  the  light  hits  it  and  makes  the  room  feel  bigger.   If you just did it in a nice flat finish it would be heavy, somber, too much for the space.  But this is stimulating."

Celerie Kemble's recent book

"Black  and  White  (and  a  bit  in  between):

Timeless  Interiors,  Dramatic  Accents,  and  Stylish  Collections"  

offers  great  inspiration  for  decorating  with  black.

Jay  Jeffers   recommends  a  deep  charcoal,   Benjamin  Moore's

"CHEATING   HEART"   1617.     "If you had told me three years ago that I was going to be using gray in every project I'd have said, 'No way.'  But the switch for me was realizing how versatile it could be.  You can start with this soft, charcoal gray and then bring in any accent tone -- apricot, chartreuse, yellow, blue.  To me, that's modern, because people change their minds about color all of the time." 

Above paint color is   Benjamin  Moore's    "BLACK"    2132-10

"I  can't  tell  you  how  many  times  I've  used  this.

It's a very good formula, which I'm not sure I should reveal -- Benjamin Moore deck enamel brown  mixed  half - and - half  with deck enamel black.    The  shine  reflects  the  light,  so  it  doesn't  seem  like  a  dark  room.   Try it with white trim and a touch of pink."  - William  Hodgins    Benjamin   Moore   deck   enamel

"RICH   BROWN"   60    +    "BLACK"    C-112-80

If you're looking for a black with no blue,   Home   Depot's   chalkboard   paint

is  recommended  as  a  flat,  true - black  with  a  nice  matte  finish

(whether you write on it or not!)

Eric   Cohler     likes    Martha    Stewart    Living's

" FRANCESCA "    (above)     MSL279 :

"If you get out of bed in the middle of the night, you don't know where things begin and end. That's what black does.  It gives you a sense of infinity.

It's    the    foil    that    allows    art    to    float    like    sculpture.

And this black reads as brown or purple or blue or black,

depending on how the light hits it.  It's never static."

"Black   is   dramatic   and   daring.   It has that forbidden quality, which is irresistible. I think of sexy black negligees and fast black cars. A room painted black is a place where you can tell secrets. The semigloss finish gives it an edge, like patent leather, and makes everything pop. You have to be very confident to use black, and that kind of confidence is very attractive."   -Nancy Boszhardt 

If you've seen any of  Jeff  Lewis'  shows  on  Bravo,  you  know  he  uses  a  lot  of  black.    Lately it seems he won't do a room without it or, at least, a dark, charcoal gray.    Lewis  seems  to  favor  black  trim,  shelves,  cabinets,  etc.  over  black  walls;   he  almost  doesn't  do  a  non-dark  trim.   (At least he has Zoila to do his dusting!)  

(By  Jeff  Lewis:  above,   office  from  'Interior  Therapy' 

below,   House  Beautiful's  2010  Kitchen  of  the  Year)

Betsy  Brown  recommends  Pratt  and  Lambert's   "WENDIGO"   33-18,

"This is really, really dark, almost black.  It's not a color that introduces anything -- you're barely aware of it at all, you just see what's in the room."

Another  recommended  charcoal  gray  is  Martin  Senour's  "NEWSPRINT"

Chad   Eisner   likes   Pratt   and   Lambert's    "DEEP  CHARCOAL"    25-18:

"This is a soft black, inherently elegant with a bit of mystery as well, 
and    it    will    work    with    any    palette    in    any    room."

There certainly is no lack of drama with black...and almost any color looks good against it (the brighter the better, which fits well with all of the neon brights of today) along with a dose of white.  So, what are you waiting for?!

*NOTE:  Unless  specifically  linked  to  a  photo, 
PAINT  COLORS  are  UNKNOWN !*

PHOTOS: 1. song of style,  2. the aestate,  3., 8. architectural digest,  4., 9., 11., 12., 18. unknown, 
5., 6., 15. elle decor,  7. decor pad, 10. belle vivir,  13. the house home,  14. robindegroot.ca,
16. lynnnchicago.com,  17. house beautiful,  19. spooky home,  20. shelterness 
QUOTES :  House Beautiful Magazine

R E L A T E D     P O S T S :

Black   Rooms

More  Black  Rooms  +  Black  Paint  Colors

color  combos :  always  classic,  black + white