We all know that black is one of the most sophisticated of colors, but for light-starved people like myself, it's often written off as too dark for airy interiors. So, how to get the chic -appeal without the gloom-factor? Black doors of course! High gloss or low sheen, paired with white or black trim, they're a perfect example of timeless class. Check out some of our favorite examples...
FIRST ROW
• 1 These chic highgloss black dutch doors are a Thomas O'Brien special. He has classic style with modern appeal down cold.
• 2 Another high gloss beauty. Due to its reflective nature, a high luster sheen adds glamor and drama without weighing down a room.
• 3 The unexpected black on the french doors bring just enough weight to this clean-lined traditional living room.
• 4 If you, like us, leave your exterior door open most of the time you're home, it's nice to have an outside door color that compliments your interior as well as it does your exterior entrance.
• 5 Black creates a regal focal point to an otherwise blank entry.
SECOND ROW
• 6 & 7 Door colors do not have to match the trim. We love these examples of black doors paired with bright white molding and door casings.
• 8 & 9 However, to up the drama, black trim is hard to beat.
We love the striking transformation of Chris Kauffman's (Just Beachy) entry which she accomplished with the help of a chic black door.
before:
after:
This is a great solution for avoiding the cookie-cutter look in a home lacking architectural interest.
Tip: For the most luster-y sheen, use a high gloss oil paint such as Benjamin Moore's high gloss Impervo, and apply it with a sponge roller for a smooth finish. Latex is fine for lower sheens, but even coating it with glossy polyurethane will not achieve the same luscious look as oil paint. However, if you're looking for a low VOC (actually zero VOC) interior paint, we've heard great things about Mythic's high gloss latex paint.
(Images: 1: Thomas O'Brien via Habitually Chic, 2: William Waldron, 3: Country Living, 4: Don Freeman, 5,8,9: Living Etc., 6: Domino via frolic!, 7: Miles Redd, 10 & 11: Just Beachy)
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
I love my black front door with polished nickle hardware, Arts & Crafts style glass panels, white trim, agains the teal siding... it was a hard sell (my domestic partner wanted a color, maybe red) but it's great. Black shutters work with it nicely.
view SherryBinNH's profile
Thanks for this! It's the remedy to a rather blah area of my home. These rooms feel so calm and sophisticated to me. I'd like to view this treatment in images a la "make over" to see the power behind it, because the painted doors and trim pull these rooms together so effectively. I've seen this done with a dark more traditional blue as well - for those who are afraid of using a black in their interior.
Choosing the correct black is important, as I discovered when preparing to do trim work on my home's exterior. Some are absolutely inky like licorice, other quite green or blue.
view Vincent B.'s profile
Any reason you don't acknowledge the source of these photos; i.e., the second photo is of Nate Berkus's office in his NYC apt.?
view Indy Jeffrey's profile
Indy Jeffrey- Image credits and sources always appear at the bottom of the posts in parenthesis. Thank you for pointing out Nate Berkus's office. In some cases (like that one) we solely credit the photographer if we do not also know the location. Thanks for your understanding.
Leah Moss
view LeahDC's profile
i love the shiny black doors! the contrast is gorgeous, i painted the interior of my mom's bay window a dark dark grey and it turned out lovely, really makes the window and view a focal point of the room...this is the post:
http://otisandfrank.blogspot.com/2009/05/bay-window.html
view evamae's profile
I LOVE the shiny black floors in #3. I find that a spot of shiny black is an easy way to make things more sophisticated. I had a pair of raw wood tables with butcher-block tops. I painted the legs shiny black, and - kapow!
view Suzyn's profile
I'm glad to see this. I'm thinking about painting the french doors in my dining room black.
view Midwestdiva's profile
I love this post because I recently painted the door from my kitchen to the garage in chalkboard black. It looks very sharp, as well as being utilitarian.
The really funny thing is that before anyone wrote on it, it was such a flat black that sometimes I would walk by it and think that the door was open to our dark garage.
view jgphotomom's profile
Great post! I plan to paint an old queen anne cabinet (that I got on craigslist) high gloss black and hope the paint looks as good as in the pictures here.
view krojahn's profile
NEED the help and advice of fellow posters in this thread. I too love the black doors and how they dress up ordinary doors.
QUESTION: In my upstairs hallwayI have three bedroom and one bathroom door. All fairly close (DC wardman rowhome) but not side by side. Would that be too much black in the hallway or would it stand out even more?
The walls are modern neutral gray and all baseboard and trim is gloss white
view Peter knockstead's profile
I see a red door and I want to paint it black...
view here2help's profile
My front door is red...I have just painted the interior side of it black~
We are loving it. Originally re-painted the trim white but ended up painting the trim to match the door and it's much nicer IMO (against a gray wall).
view muirwoods08's profile
Oops...I must correct my post: It's not actually black, but a deep charcoal - Valspar Mark Twain Gray Brick ~
view muirwoods08's profile
I also love the look of black window trim...dreamy
view allicoop86's profile