subject: Interior Painting Examples where black Interior walls can work @shearerpainting #paint colors 2011 [print this page] Interior Painting Examples where black Interior walls can work @shearerpainting #paint colors 2011
Black walls are scary; uninitiated design professionals or homeowners cannot picture a black wall bringing new life to a room. However, when our customers see a black wall done well in another's home, it creates what we call a je ne sais quoi effect - they want their room to look just like that.
Candice Olson, host of the HGTV design show, "Candice Tells All" - also recently featured in the Wall Street Journal - agrees; black walls don't have to be scary. Painting a wall black, with the right lighting, setting, and accessory colors, can transform a normal room into a rich, elegant space.
An example of a black wall done right. Photo by The Wall Street Journal.
Black walls aren't pretty everywhere. They work best in bedrooms, bathrooms above the chair rail, and certain living rooms. If you're extra daring, you can even slap on some black in the kitchen; but limit it to one wall, Olson warns. One cute idea is to use blackboard paint for the kitchen. Yes, blackboard paint - wall paint that you can write on with chalk. It might be easier to get the kids to do their chores if it's spelled out right next to the fridge. And believe it or not, even with kids' doodles, it still looks chic.
A black, glossy finish adds that extra dose of glamour, that je ne sais quoi. Olson calls it the "little black dress" of a home - "everything goes with it." I'm willing to bet that that one line made women everywhere want to paint their living rooms black.
Olson has other fabulous suggestions, like:
- Neutral furniture and bright wall colors are beautiful together. Go for a color like turquoise, or one that's in vogue, like wisteria or lavender.
- If your d?cor is colorful, don't make the walls too bright, especially if you're hanging artwork.
- Gray-green or light, olive-colored walls are viewed by Olson as neutrals and can be used in practically any room.
- Lighting, lighting, lighting! For a black room, lighting is especially key - make sure to "beef it up." For brighter rooms with south and west-facing windows, where the sun is particularly strong, warm colors work best. Very bright colors in these rooms may be a bit too much for the eye to handle. Cool colors, like moss green or blue, work well in rooms with low light. Remember, the sun casts a yellow tint on everything it hits. Olson states that investing in halogen lighting will bring out your walls' true color(s).
- Who doesn't love a good accent wall? It's a quick update without committing to painting an entire room, which believe me, when not left to the pros, can be exhausting. I'm all for slapping red paint on my longest wall or the wall that I've placed my couch against, and calling it a day.
So take a page from Olson's daring playbook and step out of your white-walls-and-ceiling box. You may just discover that you're a brave, black wall kinda gal/guy after all.
