Want to Paint House Black? Do It Right with Our Guide to Painting in Black

paint house black
If living in a house with good interior design, nice ambience and attractive color is important to you, chances are that black house paint has never even crossed your mind.

That’s understandable. Black is popularly associated with gloominess and death, however, the possibilities of black extend far beyond that. Black rooms are also incredibly elegant and sultry. If you have ever seen a black house interior painted and designed tastefully, it is difficult to deny the allure that it has. A home that with a few black accents, such as black painted doors, black basement ceiling, or a black kitchen countertop can be very striking and attractive.

On the other hand, perhaps you actually want to bring in some of that dark gothic, otherworldly quality to your home. The great thing about black is that is very flexible, and can cater to all tastes if you learn some principles behind using black house paint properly.

In this article, I’m going to explain how to design and paint your house black the right way, whether inside or outside.

paint house black

Pros & Cons of Painting Your House Black

Black paint has been largely embraced by the field of interior design. However, before you settle on your decision to paint house black or other dark colors, here’s what you should know to avoid regrets and make sure your choice is the right one. Apart from most people considering black a gloomy color, there are many more aspects to consider, which we’ll go over now.

PROS to paint house black:

  • Black is neutral; therefore, it can match everything placed in the room.
  • Black wall paint makes the corners of a room less noticeable, creating an optical illusion of a bigger space.
  • Black painted rooms enhance the beauty of gold or white items placed in the room. Luxury and power are associated with black, which is exaggerated when paired with white and gold.
  • Black actually intensifies available light coming in through the windows, by reflecting light. White items paired with black walls also seem brighter, due to the effect of contrast.

CONS to paint house black:

  • Black walls and black ceilings will make small houses feel dark and cold, and should be avoided in small rooms.
  • Black house interiors will feel even more dark if there are no or few windows, as there is not enough natural light to start with.
  • Black retains heat. If you reside in a sunny place where temperatures are high, painting your house exterior black or a sun-exposed wall black will increase the temperature of your room.
  • Low quality black paint will fade when exposed to the sun, and look dreadful.

Design Ideas to Paint House Black

Ready to paint the inside or outside of your house black? Either way, any part of a house that is painted in black, looks magnificent and unique, as long as it is done well. Here are some design ideas to help you plan and paint house black.

Black Ceilings – Basement and Home

Ceilings in a home are usually painted white, but why not consider painting yours black? A black ceiling in a large room can look unique and stylish. There are also practical reasons you might want a black ceiling, such as if you are building a home theatre, repainting your bedroom or want your basement ceiling black for some reason. A black ceiling is very dramatic, and can have a great impact in making your space feel smaller or bigger, so be very careful when deciding whether to paint your ceiling black. Don’t paint the ceiling of a small room black, or it will feel even smaller and darker. Have a look at some photos or try a color-testing app before making the choice to paint your ceiling black.

A black accent wall paired with white accessories and good natural lighting can make a room seem brighter.
Black Accent Walls

You don’t have to paint an entire room black; you can just paint one wall black as an accent. Because black is neutral, place some white items by its side and you have yourself a look that is fashionable and exquisite.

Black Kitchens

Black kitchens countertops are attractive with some wood-like seats by their side. However, it’s unusual to find all black kitchen cabinets but you are not limited to incorporating them in your kitchen.

Black Bedrooms

In those moments when you are suffering from insomnia, a black bedroom would offer help in making you sleep. Imagine the sleep you would get at such a time in a too dark room in comparison to one painted in white. Moreover, a black bedroom looks very sexy.

Black House Exterior

A house that has a black exterior is a sure stand out! You will not find many houses with black paints on the exterior, so when it’s painted black, it is definitely noticeable. It intensifies modern architecture. If you live in a cabin, black wood is a good choice. Be careful with your design choices painting the exterior black, as you don’t want your place looking like a haunted house (unless, that is the feeling you are aiming for!). Consider pairing the black with some other color or use it as an accent, rather than painting the entire thing solid black. Also be mindful that painting your home exterior will increase the temperature of your house if you live in a hot region, as mentioned above.

Choose Matching Colors

As mentioned, black matches everything so you don’t have to worry too much about what items you will place in the room. To work well, however, black needs a strong design to support it, otherwise it may simply look dull. Rooms that are designed well with black usually feature some other color to pair with the black, which helps the black pop and makes the interior generally feel better designed. Whether this be white, gold, yellow, red or some other color is up to you. Carefully choose your interior color scheme and use black as one part of it, not the only part of it. To help you along, test out your ideas with one of the color-testing apps in our article here.

Are You Messy?

Black rooms look gorgeous in design magazines, where the rooms are spotless and the design is impeccable. As mentioned above, black needs a strong design to make it work. If you are messy by nature and don’t intend to maintain a consistent visual design in your new trendy black room, it may be a flop and the black paint job will quickly lose all of the positive qualities it could have had.

Black House Paint Quick Picks

Best Black Paint – Basement Ceiling

Let’s be upfront. Although we searched up and down for basement black ceiling paint, the truth is that we did not come across any black ceiling paints whatsoever. Not surprising really, considering that almost all ceiling paints are white.

But did you know that you don’t have to use ceiling paint on your ceiling?

Any regular wall paint can be used on the ceiling. I’ve personally done it myself when I wanted a colored ceiling, and I had no problems whatsoever using wall paint on the ceiling. Just use the same principles to paint the ceiling as your walls – easy. So, don’t stress that you can’t find black basement ceiling paint or any black ceiling paint for that matter. Just pick up some wall paint instead, in the black shade you want. Below are a few nice black shades we’ve found that will look nice on your ceiling as well as your walls.

Best Shades of Black Paint for Basement Ceiling:
  • Sherwin-Williams: Tricorn Black (SW 6258). Very black. More info here.
  • Behr: Black Garnet (N110-7). Slight red tone. More info here.
  • Valspar: Black Evergreen (5009-1). Slight green tone. More info here.

Best Black House Paint – Walls (Interior, Exterior)

Best Shades of Black Paint for Walls:
  • Farrow & Ball: Tar. Dark grey tone. More info here.
  • Glidden: Onyx Black (00NN 05/000). Very black. More info here.
  • Benjamin Moore: French Beret (1610). Blue-grey tone. More info here.
  • Benjamin Moore: Graphite (1603). Deep gray tone. More info here.
  • Valspar: Ebony Field (4004-2C). Dark gray tone. More info here.

Specialty Black Paints for Interior & Exterior

Apart from color and quantity, paint varies in quality depending on the amount and type of resin and pigment added to it, and its thickness. This would be a little bit difficult to notice as you purchase it, so here are some of the best specialty black house paints we’ve found that have been used by many people with great success.

Apple Barrel: Acrylic Paint in Black

The paint is manufactured in USA and while it is not a house paint, it has a bright color suitable for feature items such as decorative pieces made of wood or canvas. It is a general-use acrylic paint. The benefits of using this paint are that it can be applied on multiple surfaces such as on paper, wood, or canvas and quickly dries to a matte finish. Moreover, it is easily cleaned by the use of soap and water. If left unused for a long time, the paint has a tendency to separate and develop lumps, and does not reconstitute making it unusable.

General Finishes: Water-Based Wood Stain (Espresso)

This is a dark stain, recommended for use on wood only. It is water-based with the color onyx. Its components help produce dark colors on wood that you can either brush or spray on. The stain is only suitable for indoor use. It has no odor, is easily cleaned, spreads easily and mixes without the need for much effort. It can maintain the quality of color for a long time. However, the product is quite expensive making it unaffordable to some. It tends to work well when used on small projects in a house such as a wooden door or decorative piece, rather than bigger projects or larger areas.

Krylon: Chalkboard Paint

This is a fun black paint you can use on a wall that you want to write on with chalk. A great choice for home kitchens if you want to bring in a trendy restaurant vibe, or in a kids bedroom. When applied on a wall, it gives a finish that can be written on and erased. When applying it, you are advised to use a synthetic brush when using it. This paint does not require a primer before you use it. It’s a great paint for creating a chalkboard effect, however, it takes days before it completely dries.

Flexible Magnets: Magnetic Paint Black

When applied to a wall, this unique paint will apparently change your wall into a magnetic board. It is affordable and easy to clean. It takes up to 24 hours to dry. According to a few customers, it requires too many coats for the magnetism to work properly – in some cases up to 6 coats which still only held light magnets. It’s a good idea, but don’t rely on it to support strong magnets

True Value: Pint Black Gloss Enamel Paint

This is a water-based enamel paint produced in the USA, designed to add extra shine to your black accent items. The paint is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. It dries quickly and is durable. You do not need more than one coat to achieve the aim of this paint, and you can easily clean after use with soap and water. It is nice and glossy, and easy to handle by anyone with little painting experience. Unfortunately, it has a strong odor that can be very irritating.

Modern Masters: Metallic Black Pearl

This is a black metallic paint; great for creating striking black decorative and feature items. This metallic-finish paint is suitable not just for small decorative pieces, but also for interior surfaces such as furniture, walls and ceilings. It uses a water-based formula with low odor. It is not susceptible to fading as it has real metallic particles. It is a bit thick, so it is a little difficult to apply.

Majic Paints: Black Flat Latex Paint

This is a flat latex paint in black, suitable for wood, metal, brick and other surfaces. It is a good choice for DIY projects, particularly for refinishing your doors, fences and other wooden structures. It is an exterior paint, designed to withstand outdoor environments and weather.

How to Paint a Room Black

Step 1: Commence by selecting quality black house paint like those mentioned above. You will also need to purchase a primer with grey tint (ask your local hardware store to mix this for you). Evaluate the amount of paint you need and since black is a dark color you will require more coats of paint. For help, refer to our article on calculating DIY house painting costs and coverage here.

Step 2: Remove decorative items and small furniture or place them at the center of the room and cover them with drop cloths, to avoid damaging them with paint.

Step 3: On the floor, use masking tape to cover the edges of the room’s corners, base, and at the doors or avoid paint dripping on them.

Step 4: Apply the gray-tinted primer on the walls’ surface, using a roller and brush. A gray-tinted primer will be easier to apply black color on top of, rather than white primer. Allow primer to dry fully (refer to can for details). Once it has dried, you can start to paint a wall black.

Step 5: Paint the wall black, by applying one coat of black house paint to start. For easy access to the corners and the perimeters of the room use a brush, like one of these recommended in our article on paintbrushes here. On the rest of the wall use a paint roller, and start by painting from the top down, using a roller extension if required. Allow to dry.

Step 6: Repeat Step 5 to apply another coat of black house paint. Allow to dry.

Step 7: Look at the wall and use your eyes to assess whether it needs another coat of black paint. Do not assume that because you used the primer that you do not need to use more paint. If it seems a little patchy or the black isn’t as strong as you would like, then paint another coat.

Step 8: Painting your room black is done. Clean up your black paint and painting equipment, and vacate the room to allow it to dry fully. Make sure to have good ventilation to speed up the process of the paint drying up, such as open windows and a fan.

How to Paint a Basement Ceiling Black

Painting the basement ceiling black uses mostly the same techniques as how to paint a room black. As mentioned earlier in this article, you can use regular black wall paint to paint your ceiling, since you will not be able to find black ceiling paint anywhere. To apply your basement ceiling black paint with a roller, follow the steps in the previous section. If you have access to a paint sprayer, below are the basic steps to painting your basement ceiling black with a sprayer instead.

  1. Commence by covering your entire floor and anything in the room with drop cloths to avoid black paint splashing on them.
  2. Remove any light fittings, to avoid getting paint on them.
  3. Place tape over any areas you don’t accidentally want black house paint on.
  4. Using an electric paint sprayer apply your basement ceiling black paint, and make sure you keep away from the joist and ductwork. If you are unfamiliar with using a sprayer, do some practice first!
  5. Use a paintbrush to get your black paint to those areas that are hard to reach and around the ductwork.

In addition to these instructions, we recommend you refer to our guide on painting with a paint sprayer to ensure you use the right technique.

Conclusion

We hope by this point you have now gained a good understanding of what to do to paint your house black, with regard to design, paint products and techniques. Once you have made up your mind to paint a room black, paint your basement ceiling black or any other space for that matter, keep this guide on hand to ensure you paint house black using the correct techniques and principles. Thanks for reading!

Author

  • nestkoo author image - sara kooring

    Hey, I’m Sara, co-owner of NestKoo! I’m a graphic designer and professionally trained fine artist, with a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) majoring in Painting. I love being close to nature, sustainable living and bringing new life to old things. My specialty in NestKoo is DIY house painting, upholstery and furniture upcycling, where I bring my skills in fine art painting and contemporary design together into a practical home DIY context.

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