Choosing the perfect black paint color for your home is difficult. Trust me I know, because I’ve tried dozens and dozens of options over time. After all, it’s natural to want the absolute best (paint) for your home-sweet-home. In that pursuit, I want to take the pain out of the process. Ya’ ready for it? Tricorn Black Sherwin Williams (SW Tricorn Black) is by far the best black paint color there is. Trust me. It’s the purest black without undertones, and it simply looks polished – always. Give SW tricorn black a try on a door or accent wall, if ya aren’t quite convinced. I know you will like what you see.
Whether you are planning to paint for the first time or have ambitions to renovate your entire home, color should play a critical role in setting the vibe. Don’t get it wrong. A good color choice will give your space a unique character and make it welcoming. Most importantly though, it makes it you.
There are a variety of brighter and bolder hues of black paint. But, when it comes to my personal favorite bold paint color for homes, nothing can come close to the bold and beautiful Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams (SW 6258). It looks design worthy, without feeling like you are turning your home into the inside of a dive bar. Some black do that. That’s not the vibe.
One quick note. This is not a collaboration or ad with Sherwin Williams. I genuinely am in love with their stunning Tricorn black paint color. It’s a great choice – far better than its biggest competitor Sherwin Williams Iron Ore. Plus it looks great in most home design concepts and far and wide the most popular black paint color. It’s great as a focal point too and I have used it; my front door, interior doors, my kitchen cabinets, and even on my restored vintage roll-up desk. I can’t get enough. Ok, let’s dive in…
Whenever someone asks for my preferences on paint colors, Sherwin Williams’ tricorn black paint always remains my top choice and suggestion. It’s because, for one, very few colors are as timeless as black paint. And two, the quality, smooth finish, and overall texture of this black paint are matched.
Candle Stick / Vintage book / Wooden Bowl / Wooden SpoonsThere are a large variety of black hues out there and all of them are not equal. They have different undertones, rgb values, textures, finishing, and requirements for application! So, you must carefully select a desired paint color and brand before going on to suit your design style.
However, if you want to skip all this hassle and just be done with it, (raises hand) then just go with Tricorn Black paint by the Sherwin-Williams company without any second thoughts. It looks great in natural light, and works great as a wall color, trim color, or even a whole room. It’s a more modern and bold look that keeps your design or home feeling elevated. A few things to consider:
One of the best things about Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black is a true black paint color. On the LRV scale where 0 displays true black and 100 displays pure white, Tricorn Black stands at 2.45. It means that it is an intense and neutral black shade. It will give a warm and cozy appeal to your home without being cold or depressing.
Many people think that painting your home’s exterior with black color might appear to be odd or eerie. But this isn’t true at all! In fact, black exteriors make your house stand out in the neighborhood (in a good way, of course) without looking like you are trying too hard. Paired with some other muted tones and home decor items, the Tricorn Black exterior paint looks quite impressive. I just love its eye-catching appeal and texture.
Did I tell you that wall art and paintings look absolutely stunning on a black wall? The. contrast helps make everything sing. If you’re like me (I bet you are) and love embellishing your walls with beautiful wall art like this Morning at sea print or this Man on Horse print, then grab a brush and paint that wall. Your art will look great on an accent wall of black.
Photo via House of Jade InteriorsImage source and name: Light-colored painting on Tricorn Black wall
If you have ever gone shopping for home decor accessories, you will know confusing it can be. But not anymore because matching home decor items for a Tricorn Black wall is easier than you think!
For example, you can add this fantastic art piece and enhance the beauty of your gallery wall. Or buy this beautiful rug to make a big impact in any and every room. The best thing is, that it is affordable and super easy to clean.
Another must-have home accessory that will easily blend with black interiors is this recliner. It is good-looking and oh-so-comfortable!
Now that I have told you why I love Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black paint, let’s have a quick look at what kind of finish you should opt for under different conditions. Here’s what I recommend:
Walls and ceilings: When it comes to walls and ceilings, very few finishes can match the smooth look of matte. When you are painting your walls and ceilings with Tricorn Black, the shiny look of semigloss finish can make them look a bit tacky. Don’t do that! The matte finish on the other hand will give them a subtle and clean look that looks gorgeous and sophisticated.
Trim: I always prefer using an eggshell finish for trim and moldings. It adds a nice sheen to the baseboards and makes them pop and goes with matte walls and ceilings quite perfectly!
Doors and cabinets: Selecting the perfect finish for your doors and cabinets is quite a task, especially if you are painting them black. While the matte finish looks stunning, it also shows dust, fingerprints, and other dirt more easily. So, I recommend going for a satin or semi-gloss finish for doors and cabinets as it is easier to clean. If you have kids at home, your doors and cabinets will get dirty sooner than you can imagine! So, save yourself some hassle and go for a nice satin or semi-gloss finish. Also, keep a microfiber cloth on hand. With warm water and soap, you can clean just about anything off your stunning new cabinets.
Further, to elevate the look of your doors, make sure to choose some unique door handles and knobs. P.S: Antique handles are my personal favorite!
Not at all! Since Tricorn Balck is very close to true black, it does not look like blue at all. In fact, it doesn’t have any undertones like blue, brown, or gray. So, it looks like it should – a solid, and rich shade of “pure” black.
One of the best things about SW Tricorn black paint is that it goes with almost all kinds of hues. You can easily coordinate it with most hues without any difficulty. To answer the question, yes, Pure White will easily pair with Tricorn Black quite easily. In fact, the contrast will give a striking appeal to your place.
When it comes to black paint, I am quite biased toward this bold color. But, if you want to consider another good choice (or four,) here are some other popular options:
Yes, it is a bit. But, you can get it in matte, eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss. The shine level goes up from matte to semi-gloss. I love a matte finish, but semi-gloss is the easiest to clean. Tricorn Black does have a glossy sheen that gives a stunning and tasteful look to your home’s walls without going over the top.
Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black is neither warm nor cool. Since the color lacks any undertone, it cannot be categorized as a warm or cool color.
This is the most obvious question considering the topic of this blog post. So, here is my obvious answer, Tricorn Black is one of the most popular and highly preferred black hues offered by any paint manufacturer out there. It’s a great option being the truest black and working well on tons of architectural features as well as the exterior of a home.
Since dark colors absorb more sunlight, they tend to fade faster too. So, if you decide to go for Tricorn Black exterior paint for your home, make sure to get it repainted after three to five years.
Sherwin Williams has a good range of dark black hues. Some of them are very close to true black. The darkest Sherwin Williams black colors include Tricorn Black, Black Magic, Greenblack, and Inkwell. It really is the perfect black paint color in my opinion.
It is common knowledge that black reflects authority, power, and strength. Having a black front door displays boldness, style, and sophistication.
Image source and name: Tricorn black front door with brass handle
You can also go for a stylish brass door handle to take the appeal of your Tricorn Black front door several notches higher.
The best thing about Tricorn Black is that it is easy to mix and match with other hues. Whether we are talking about contrasting colors like white or colors with similar undertones like gray, Tricorn Black looks good with most of them.
Some colors that look superb with Tricorn Black are:
So there you have it – the major reasons why Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams is the best black paint out there. I hope you found this blog post helpful and are now ready to embrace this gorgeous hue with open arms. While you paint for home’s interiors and exteriors with black paint, make sure also choose some contrasting paint colors, home accessories, and the right finish to complete the look of your home. Good luck and go for it. You got this. xoxoxo
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I absolutely love the color black and have used it extensively in my home. Over the years I’ve developed my faves, so this post is dedicated to the best black paint color options for furniture, doors and walls.
I have a popular series about living with black doors. When we built our home back in 2017, a few people thought our choice for black interior doors was a bit odd or unconventional.
Five years later, we still absolutely love our satin black doors, but I’ll admit I have been considering painting our front door a different color such as dead salmon for a different vibe. But more about that some other time.
I’m going to break this post up into black paint colors you can get custom mixed at a popular paint store like Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore, or at a big box store like Home Depot or Lowe’s.
Additionally, I’ll also include some black colors you can literally grab off the shelf or order online without ever needing to head to the paint counter or leaving your house. These black paints are great options for painting furniture without needing to wait to get paint mixed or agonize about the perfect black paint color to choose.
And if you’ve landed here, you may be wondering, “isn’t black paint just black?” Not quite, but more on that in a bit.
I think black used to get a bad rep as being the color of wall an angsty teenager might choose, but not anymore.
Painting furniture black can seem like a bold choice, but it is a timeless classic color at its core. Additionally, depending on the color of your walls, a black piece of furniture can be striking, bold and accentuate the decor on it or around it. Using black paint on furniture allows it to be more of an accent color than painting an entire room black.
An example of a soft black paint color: Blackboard by Magnolia HomePersonally, lately I am smitten with pairing the color black with brass finishes, wood furniture and florals and greenery. It feels fresh, calming and ethereal. Black and gold is a timeless color combination that can look modern or French baroque or fun and fresh. It’s so versatile.
You can also add a pop of color to a furniture piece or room that is painted black. There’s something magical about dark walls or furniture when paired with colors that add high contrast.
Colorful art and decor on a bookshelf with black contact paper on the backWhen thinking about black walls, you have to take into consideration how much light a room gets and the overall mood you want to achieve. This is why in my original office in this house, I opted for a black accent wall and left the rest of the walls white.
The room was small, got plenty of daylight, but since it was a space where I had to be productive and work, I didn’t want to be enveloped in the color.
A question I get asked a lot about our black interior doors is whether they show dust easily, and honestly they don’t, thank goodness! I’ve written why we chose black doors for our home, and I did a follow-up blog post about maintaining black doors if you want to take a look.
And now let’s dive in to my favorite black paint colors.
In my opinion, tricorn black is the best black color option and best choice. Tricorn black is one of the top picks you’ll see over and over with interior designers and DIYers alike (and for good reason!). Tricorn black is a true black color with no undertones. It’s a great option if you’re wanting a matte finish or a satin finish.
Truly, tricorn black is a great choice if you want a true black wall color. You could stop reading here and be confident in your decision, but I will show you some examples of tricorn black below.
Our interior doors have all been painted tricorn black in a satin finish and the doors look fantastic in natural light and with the lights on.
A tricorn black door is paired with sulking room pink walls in my office.Our builder got tricorn black color matched into a PPG paint and sprayed all of the doors, but if I was going to buy some of this black paint for a furniture or DIY project, I’d likely buy directly from Sherwin Williams in their cashmere line for walls or their Pro Classic lineup for doors, trim and furniture. Both of those paint lines can be a little pricey, but they have great coverage and are worth it.
In our first home, we first used tricorn black in our owners suite as an accent wall. I enjoyed how much our headboard stood out against the black.
Using tricorn black is a solid choice if you have a lot of neutral color, furnishings and decor in your home– if you love Scandinavian style or farmhouse, you can’t go wrong with this paint color.
We are considering painting our kitchen island tricorn black to add some contrast to our kitchen. I love black kitchen cabinets, but don’t want to commit to a whole wall of black cabinets, so a black kitchen island with a brass foot rail is on my wish list.
If you’re an introvert like me, sometimes you just want to buy some black paint in your yoga pants and do self-checkout so you can be on your way to enjoy your iced coffee and true crime podcast.
I feel you. This is when you’ll be thrilled to hear about Painter’s Touch by Rustoleum. This black furniture paint comes in quarts (and pints online) and it is a lifesaver and excellent quality for the price and the fact it’s ready mixed paint. It can be bought online in addition to being on the shelf ready to go at Home Depot and Walmart. I even found it at Ollie’s recently for $5 a quart.
Painter’s Touch in black paint (or white paint) is my go to paint when I plan to use my paint sprayer (which I’ve written extensively about here. Truly it is the best paint sprayer ever!) for DIY furniture painting projects.
I used the Rustoleum black paint in a black satin finish on this office chair I revamped for Daniel’s office.
I used the high gloss version of this paint on a bombe chest I bought from an antique store. The chest had a lot of imperfections and due to the curves of the chest I opted for a high gloss finish to help hide those issues. Mission accomplished.
This burl wood piece I upcycled from the thrift store also used this specific paint in a satin finish, and I love how gorgeous this looks with our home decor aesthetic. This Rustoleum line dries to a smooth finish with a couple coats of paint, and you can’t beat how affordable it is.
An important note about this paint line is that in the can, the black paint looks navy. This really tripped me up the first time I was going to use it to paint a dresser. And even as you spray or brush it on, it still looks very navy. It does dry to a solid black color, I promise.
The first two options I’ve shown you are true pitch black paint colors. So what if you’re wanting almost black or very rich but not super dark black? This next paint color is definitely soft black with a teeny amount of blue undertones.
Blackboard by Magnolia Home | Photo Credit: MagnoliaBack in 2021, I tried out the Magnolia Home Paint line, which is made by KILZ, to revamp a dresser that was originally painted oval room blue. I looked at the swatches and noticed there wasn’t a true black paint color, but I still liked how the color Blackboard looked on the swatch card.
The color is true to its name– definitely looks like a school blackboard. There’s a slight blue undertone when the paint is going on, but once it dries that blue undertone is less pronounced and shifts more to a very dark gray black hue.. Against my warm white alabaster walls, I honestly think it looks like a bright black if that makes sense.
Blackboard is a good wall paint color that would be a good choice for a living room or dining room that gets plenty of light, and it’s by Joanna Gaines!
If you have a small space that you want to feel cozy and moody, but you don’t want it to be pitch black, I have two paint color recommendations for you that will help achieve that vibe.
In our previous home, we painted our foyer Peppercorn by Sherwin Williams. This color was huge around 2012ish when we used it because it was also heavily used and promoted by Pottery Barn.
What I still love to this day about the color Peppercorn is that depending on the lighting and time of day, it can look warm black, dark brown or dark gray. It’s a paint color chameleon that is a safe, solid choice for a man cave, powder room or a study type of space.
A similar paint color is Railings by Farrow and Ball. Seriously, I think Farrow and Ball can do no wrong and Railings is a popular black paint color right now. It’s not quite a true black like Pitch Black is, and on the swatch card it reminds me of Blackboard, which I covered earlier in this post.
Peppercorn and Railings, which are popular colors to this day, both look amazing when paired with gold or brass hues, and would also be lovely on cabinetry.
With these black paint ideas, examples and color choices, I think you’re well informed enough to pick the best paint colors for furniture or any other painting project you have going on in your home.
For best results look at swatches, try out some paint samples to pick the right paint color for you and then dive in and make it happen.
My biggest advice is to not panic when you open the paint can and it doesn’t look quite dark enough– use the black paint, allow it to dry and then decide how you truly feel about it.
If you’re looking for more painting content, here’s some of my other paint guides that might help you on your DIY journey. Thanks for stopping by!
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