In the summer of 2016, we were moving into our second home. The home had a large foyer and we were pondering what color we should paint it. My mother-in-law, who is an experienced interior designer, with over 30 years of experience, recommended we paint it black! I thought she was nuts! She said it would be very elegant and add drama. I thought about it and decided to take the risk for multiple reasons; one, my mother-in-law knows what she is doing, and two, I enjoy taking risks and adding drama when it comes to design. Three, I take pride in making my home stand out. And my oh my would a black foyer make it stand out!
As I was packing my bags to leave for a much-needed girls trip, I observed my husband cut in and roll a few jet-black brush strokes in the foyer…. I was immediately worried; the existing paint color was a light beige… and it was being covered up by dark black paint. We were having my son’s first birthday party at our house in a couple weeks and all I could think about while I was on this girls trip was… “what if we don’t like the paint? Are we making a mistake? Will the relatives think we lost our marbles? ”
A couple days into the trip my husband and father-in-law finished painting and they sent me a couple pictures of the finished product. I loved it immediately! It looked so classy, especially with our large gold-framed mirror and buffet. Once the paint dried, my husband and father-in-law hung more of our gold-framed oil paintings against the black wall, and formed a collage in the stairwell. It looked gorgeous and I couldn’t wait to come home to see it in person.
Finally, when I came home, I got to see my black foyer in real life. It looked incredible, even better than the pictures. We had our son’s first birthday a couple weeks later and everyone was asking about it and loved it. Complements galore! And earlier I was worried we’d get asked if we were related to the Adam’s Family or the Muensters. Ha ha!
I was so thrilled we decided to take a risk to create this wow factor in our home.
If you are contemplating painting your walls black, here are some reasons you should go for it:
It adds contrast – With black paint it makes everything pop! The art work on the walls, the furniture, the rugs/carpet, the plants, the trim, the doors, the drapes, light fixtures, etc. Things look crisp! I can go on here, but I think you understand what I am getting at. Think about the black walls like a canvas. Instead of an ordinary white canvas, your canvas is black. Therefore; adding whites, golds, silvers or any lighter color for that matter you will get interesting contrast. Look at it like you are using the black to make everything stand out, but in a bold dramatic way. Have fun with it by adding lighter furniture to give it more of a pop.
It adds drama – I mentioned drama earlier and this is simply what black walls do. They create a bold or a chic look to your space. Black walls are not ordinary, therefore by doing this you are making your home stand out among the rest. People will walk into your home and remember the drama, but in a good way.
It invokes an intimate mood – Black walls create a more calm and intimate setting. This is because black absorbs other colors and objects like furniture, artwork, etc. fade into the background. The black pulls you in rather than pushing you away. It actually hides more imperfections in a room and makes things look more finished, thus creating a calm and inviting scene.
If you are ready to take the plunge and paint your walls black be mindful of the following:
*Ensure the space you want to paint black has a lot of natural light and proper lighting. You do not want to make a dark room darker or feel more closed in. Our foyer, for example, has several windows and one of them is very large. We have a high white ceiling, recessed lighting and a large chandelier, so the black walls work because we already had a lot of natural light.
*Black walls are higher maintenance because they can show more dirt, dust, pet hair, and oils from fingerprints. Think about caring for a black car versus a white car. Black vehicles usually require more car washes to keep them looking good. Also, if damage to the walls occurs, it is much more difficult to touch up black paint.
*Keep in mind the function of the room you wish to paint black. Our black walls are in the foyer, which leads to the stairwell and an upstairs hallway. The area is not a high traffic area in our home; therefore, our black walls stay pretty clean. In a higher traffic area, a space where food is being prepared or consumed or a playroom for example, you may want to be more mindful on how the activity may affect the walls. We’ve had black walls since 2016 and we have two boys who are constantly leaving fingerprints when they walk up and down the stairs. Routinely, I use a damp microfiber cloth to clean fingerprints and dust off the walls. It works like a charm!
*When choosing the type of paint and sheen. Matte may look better and you may want to use that finish because it can hide more imperfections, but really it is more likely to show fingerprints and scuff marks. An eggshell finish for high-traffic spaces and will not show imperfections, dust, dirt or the fingerprints as much. Also, be sure to choose a high-quality paint, like Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams or Michigan-based Repcolite. A higher quality paint is easier to apply, is more fade resistant, conceals imperfections better and is easier to clean. Spending a few extra dollars will go a long way and make your home look more elegant.
Happy Painting!!
