Black Wall Paint On Living Room Walls
Black wall paint on living rooms walls (and other rooms) is becoming super trendy. I love a paint transformation because it is super inexpensive and really shows the true power of paint. This living room with black wall paint makeover cost less than $98 to do and changed the entire look of the room!
Black wall paint has gone beyond chalkboard paint to be the perfect backdrop for lighter furnishings and decor
Here’s a peek at what it looked like beforehand for contrast. I love how the black wall paint changed the entire feel of the room (See how striking our Christmas tree is against the black walls here). Before the white walls blended into the ceiling, now there is so much more visual interest and the illusion of the ceiling melting into the trim to make it look taller. When choosing my paint finish, I used a matte/flat sheen for my black living room walls. Matte black walls hides the imperfections of an older home like mine that has quite the less-than-perfect walls, and makes a great feature wall.
The cost for this living room makeover with black wall paint really came in at the supply level. I used a half a gallon of matte black paint at $35, the vintage art work I thrifted was $35, and the supplies for stripping the fireplace were about $28…$98!
The trick to using black paint on the walls and making it work is making sure there is lots of natural light and using light textiles and decor for a stylish and moody space
See: the fireplace stripping process
After the fireplace was stripped from the paint down to the bare wood and the fireplace mantel was rehung, I fell in love with the end result. It really made the natural texture of the wood mantel an eye-catching show piece.
I decided to paint the wall black for contrast because the other wall in the living room was already painted with a black accent wall to hide the TV and to create a living plant wall. I knew it would show up much better than back on the white wall. I kept the mantel simple with a cute ponytail palm and the vintage MidCentury artwork I found at the thrift store for $35. I love how it works so well with the wood of the fireplace and the deep, dark wall color and adds warmth to the room look.
I chose Universal Black by Benjamin Moore. It’s a wonderful actual ” black” color without any green hues or undertones.
The dark color makes the small room feel cozy like a nook with sophistication, not cramped or tight. Black walls and dark paint make a great backdrop for lighter colors, which is why the light wood tone works so well against it. I love using contrast in interior design. It think it’s such an important technique.
Even though neutrals and whites and grays have been king for a long time, we are now moving into dark paint colors and black wallpaper. Those pops of color are now turning into full-blown saturated color. Especially in rooms such as dining rooms, black wall paint on living rooms walls and even small spaces like apartments, bathrooms and powder rooms.
When adding decor and accessories, I wanted to use gold/brass. The vintage art plays a little with color off of my rug with warm, orangey, rust and desert tones to really warm up the black. It makes the space feel cozy instead of too modern or industrial. I loved the brightly patterned throw pillow on the couch with the rug.
So what do you think about black rooms? Is it something you could so in your own home? If the idea of a dark wall color seems intimidating, thing about a slightly softer look with navy, or a deep blue statement wall instead of doing the entire room painted in dark colors. If you really feel brave you can also paint the ceiling black as well for extra drama!
Now that my walls are painted black, I would love to get a lighter leather sofa (and add some light curtains, pillows and fabric to soften it a little. That’s the best part… I can do lots of color, or keep it softer with simpler colors and tones like creams or even linens to create very different spaces.
