A black wall is a bold choice, but a choice that can make a room stand out. Black walls are beautiful but a little tricky to decorate, here are some tips on how to decorate a black wall.
This post contains affiliate links, which means should you click the links and/or purchase something I will receive a commission. This helps to support my blog and provide you with fun, free material. Please read my full disclaimer here.
Black is the new black. I’m not talking about that little black dress in your closet (but how excited are you to wear that again when social distancing is finally over?) I talking about dark moody walls in the home.
A couple of months ago, we made the decision to redo our living room wall and paint it black. Ever since I have been seeing amazing black wall decor all over social media and I am loving it. And it’s not just walls. Have you seen this amazing matte black piano from Allisa Jacobs? It. is. amazing.
Painting a wall black is a bold choice and one that we did not take lightly. I mean once you paint it black, it’s a little hard to go back. Since moving into our homestead we have done several redos.
Our guest room came first followed by the hallway but our black living room wall is by far my favorite. It creates a rustic feel that is sophisticated and sleek. I’ll be honest though, a black wall can be intimidating to decorate.
Now, I fully understand that black walls are not for everyone. It’s a bold choice for sure. For those of you that want to come to the dark side, here are some tips to decorate a black wall.
Add some wood
If you are going for the rustic look, wood is a great addition to a black wall. It stands outs against the black, is a natural and easy decor option, and ramps ups the homestead feel.
When choosing a wood accent, look for a dramatic grain. It will look great against the black and any black streaks in the wood will match the wall. You can also go the ol’ natural route as I did and add a firewood rack.
Bring on the metallics
Pretty much all metallics; silver, brass, gold, or bronze look great with black. It brings a little brightness and pops against the darkness. Look for metallic picture frames, mirrors, or small accents like the fox hook that hangs below my gold mirror or a brass candlestick.
Don’t forget out easy DIYs! It is so easy to turn something into a metallic beauty by just adding a coat of spray paint. My favorite spray paint is from Rust-Oleum, they have great colors and it sprays on evenly.
add some neutrals
Technically, black is neutral but to soften it a bit add lighter neutrals to balance it out. This can be anything from a small pillow or toffee-colored leather cushion like I did or small accents, like potted plants that sprinkle in different neutral colors.
The great thing about neutrals against black is that most lighter neutrals have the right tone that matches with black. Be careful of any darker colors as they can get washed out.
My leather cushion was originally a darker cognac color and it was so washed out. I had to go back to the sewing machine to make a new cushion with the lighter color.
Add a mirror or glass accents
Adding glass and mirrors can brighten it up (are you sensing a theme here?) and it will add to the already sophisticated black wall. In addition to mirrors, glass accents look great against black; try some float frames or glass candle holders.
Experiment with color
A black wall is like a blank canvas, and colors pop against the darkness. Neutrals against the black will always look great, but vibrant colors like emerald green, deep purple, mustard yellow and even reds look great against a black wall.
So yea, go for the colorful furniture or the bright curtains because odds are, it’s going to look great!
If you are struggling to decide which colors to use, or if you want to make sure the colors will look good with the wall and your existing decor, bring in the paint swatches!
Go to your local hardware store and grab some paint swatches of colors you like. Tape them on the wall to give you a better idea of how that color will blend with everything else.
