Hi Everyone!
So on almost a weekly basis someone slides in my DM’s or shoots me an email to ask “Hey Shavonda, would you mind sharing with me what your favorite black paint colors are?”. As you can imagine your girl has opinions! I definitely have my go-tos that I’ve used both in our home and in client spaces, so I figured I should probably put this in a blog post.
Before I dish out my fave colors I want to talk about my favorite paint FORMULAS. I get this question A LOT too. When it comes to interior walls Im a die hard Behr Marquee fan. I just love this formula friends. The consistency is amazing and it truly covers in one coat. Now let me also mention that just because it covers in one coat, it doesn’t mean I only paint one coat. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS two coats. My standard go to wall finish is eggshell, but I love a good matte as well. All of the walls in our home are Behr Marquee in Eggshell, with the exception of our bathroom shiplap and ceiling which is Clare Paint.
My standard go to paint for cabinets and furniture is Benjamin Moore Advance. I’ve used this stuff in both of our kitchens and on every furniture painting revamp since discovering it. I. LOVE. IT. It does require patience because it takes like 16 hours between coats, but the results you get from it are amazing. It acts like an oil based paint (which in my opinion is the very best for cabinets and furniture) but it cleans and goes on like a latex. It has amazing leveling qualities and the finished product is just so so pretty.
As for exterior paint, I’ve only ever used Kelly Moore so I couldn’t compare it to anything else…but I CAN tell you that its great. My painter basically uses it exclusively. We used Behr Evening Hush color matched to the Kelly Moore exterior formula on #thecottagebungalow exterior. We painted our exterior (3 years ago) a really dark color and have had no issues with fading or peeling or anything so far.
Ok so now that we’ve got those disclaimers out of the way, here are my fave black paint colors (in no specific order)
TRICORN BLACK (Sherwin Williams)
This is a super popular gorgeous gorgeous black, and for good reason. You literally can’t go wrong using it. From interior to exterior. It’s a beautiful black that doesnt read “too” one way or the other. I’d say if your looking for a good universal black this is your guy.
DARK KETTLE BLACK (Valspar)
This one is a new fave of mine thanks to my recent use of it in the Real Simple Idea Home space. Oh, yeah..I was chosen as a designer for the Real Simple Home 2019! I havent talked about it here yet, but more details are coming soon friends. It’s an awesome townhouse in Brooklyn NY and I’m beyond honored for the opportunity. I brought the bestie Carmeon to co-design the space with me and we are so freakin excited about it. We were given the office to design and I’m sure yall can imagine we went moody and bold. ANYWAAAAY back to this color. Yes, we used this color in our space and I AM OBSESSED. It’s got a sort of soot/charcoal undertone and it dries beautifully. Love this one.
BLACK (Benjamin Moore)
When you hear the word black this the color that comes to mind. Plain and simple. It’s a true black and it’s a good one. Before I repainted our kitchen cabinets in Hunter Green I first painted them this color…using Benjamin Moore Advance paint, of course.
FRANCESCA (Martha Stewart Paints)
I always feel so bad sharing this one because it’s no longer available, but I can’t deny my love for it. This is the color of our living room walls, doors, and Michael’s ceiling. I first used it in our last home and I’ve been using it since. You can sometimes find an Ace or Home Depot that still has the color code in the system to color match it, but I don’t want to give you that guarantee. What I will say is it’s a beautiful beautiful color. It’s a bit of a “warm” black and people often ask me if its grey. I think it can read that way against certain light, but nope….its a for real black. And its BAE.
(images of our home via Create + Gather)
PITCH BLACK (Farrow & Ball)
Soooo honestly there’s not much I need to say other than these two words: Farrow and Ball. They just KILL IT with paint and color, and I personally think they do dark colors better than anyone. Pitch Black is luscious and velvety, and it’s a true pure black. If you’re not afraid to go there and you can afford the formula this is where you need to be.
Side note: This damn kitchen gives me all the feels. ALL. THE. FEELS. It’s so so so so so so so so good.
BLACKEST (Clare Paint)
Ok now this one is my jam! Aside from the fact that this is a new(ish) to the market brand owned by black female designer Nicole Gibbons, it’s just dope all around. Clare paint is Zero VOC and currently has just under 60 designer curated colors. I used Blackest in our bathroom renovation and I LOVE it. This color is BLACK BLACK and under all lighting conditions looks that way.
BLACKISH (Clare Paint)
Another fave from Clare is Blackish. I mean with a name after one of my fave TV shows how can I not include this one! Cute name aside, Blackish is a really great “soft” black. I like to refer to this one as the “gateway black”. It’s great for folks who want to dip their toes in the black paint waters but maybe still aren’t quite sure that the color isn’t going to make their space look like a cave. IT WONT, by the way…but because I’m committed to showing all the scaredy-cats that they won’t die and their spaces won’t turn into an abyss if they paint a wall or room dark, I’m including this beautiful color in the mix.
Alrighty friends, there you have it. My top picks for black paint colors. Just like finding a good white paint there are SO many options, and every one has their personal faves. These are mine. For all those that are on #teamblackwalls you really can’t go wrong with any of these. Now go forth and get to painting. Just remember….once you go black you won’t go back. You’ve been warned.
Until next time friends…
Tara says
I tried a dozen black samples and settled on Broadway by Behr at Home Depot. I was really hoping to see it make your list because it’s sincere black without the blue or red haze that our bedroom with lots of light pulled from other blacks.
Question: I went eggshell but am considering covering it with Matte because I feel like the slight sheen is highlighting some wall imperfections. Should I bother or just add art and move on?
Oona says
Thank you, thank you, Shavonda! I’m almost finished prepping front and back doors in my own cottage bungalow, and the front door needs to be black. I’ve been carrying around color chips and agonizing… I so appreciate your guidance, and especially the note about Clare being no-VOC (great for people who get migraines).
Wendy says
Hi Shavonda,
Thanks for sharing your beautiful sleek and sultry black walls. The variations of black and how you used them your spaces is genius. BTW, I just love the cottage bungalow.
Dimara says
Thank you for sharing this post. How do you feel about different black paints in the same house? I have been circling around painting the main wall in our living room black but wasn’t sure where to start. I have black beauty in my bedroom and tricorn for a large planter outside. Granted these rooms can’t be seen from the other. Is there a reason to keep the same color consistent across a home?
Shavonda Gardner says
Hi Dimara! Im totally ok with different blacks in the same house…especially if the spaces are far removed from one another. One room may have different lighting conditions than the other so its a smart idea to choose a black appropriate for each space. BUT in general it’s a good idea to find one black (or white) and stick with it for continuity sake. Using the same color will help create a cohesive flow throughout the house.