Debi is back and we’ve had such a great response to her article, she’s going to come on board! Give us a comment and let us know what you think. Her article today starts a series of posts about color. We are both color geeks, so we’re going to have fun with it!

Black! Black! Black! Black is my second favorite color to use in design. It’s quite possibly one of the most versatile colors on the spectrum. It’s also my “go to” color for many things- clothes, shoes, handbags- you name it- and when it comes to using black in interior design, well you cannot go wrong. 

Black anchors a room and adds an air of sophistication that is hard to achieve with many colors. It helps to enhance decorating schemes. You can use it in accessories, such as lamps, picture frames, dishes and glassware, vases, pillows, and rugs. You can use it on furniture- such as one of a kind painted pieces, headboard of a bed, exotic side chair or statement coffee table, and other furniture. You can use it on fixtures- such as light fixtures, kitchen and bath fixtures, tile and ceiling fans. I love to use black paint for mantles, front doors and trim around the room. I have even painted a ceiling black in a black and white toile bedroom, which added a level of drama that could never have been achieved with any other color. 

Black is to decorating what the “little black dress” is to fashion. Always beautiful and always in style. Always dramatic, never boring. When you use black in a room or space, anything you pair with it will auto a look better.

Every color goes with black. In the design world it is considered a favorite neutral. Try painting one wall in a bedroom black or all four walls in a dining room for a gorgeous ambience that works beautifully with fun crystal light fixtures. I love to use black and white together with a pop of just about any color- red, lime green, millennial pink and even orange. 

If you are feeling bold and adventurous, try painting your doors and window frames black and even the trim and molding in your rooms. I promise you, you will get compliments.

Here are just a few easy ways to incorporate black into your design if you are wanting to try it, but are afraid to fully commit: 

1. Try re-framing all of your family pictures with black frames. It will bring cohesiveness to the hodgepodge that is your gallery wall. 

2) Paint your front door black. If you don’t like it, you can always repaint, but I’m willing to bet my firstborn that you will love it. Talk about a dramatic first impression!

3) Paint a tired old piece of furniture – maybe an accent chair, end table or dresser- black. Paint is the most inexpensive way to try something new. 

4) Try a large black framed mirror or art piece. It will be your stand out wall!

5) Try painting one wall or a mantle or built in bookcases. The result will be stunning.

6) Or if this is just too much, maybe small appliances- coffee pot, toaster, or hand towels in a guest bath. 

So now you know the secret color that virtually every designer uses. Try it! Who knows? You may get brave enough to paint your kitchen cabinets or an entire room in gorgeous, lovely black! I promise! You will love it!