Consider Black Windows and Doors To Punctuate Your Color Palette

I’m giving you a peek inside the new farmhouse I showed you earlier this week.  It’s a new build and about to go on the market, so it’s not furnished at this point. I did a complete interior and exterior paint color and design consultation on this home a couple of months ago, and I got to take a look at the progress just last week.

7O3A7148

before 

The above photo is a “before” of the breakfast room.  The builder was considering wood beams on the ceiling.  I recommended a light gray wall, warm white trim, and almost black on the windows and interior doors.

Here’s the same area after:

black wood beams windows french doors

after 

The wood beams were stained in ebony, and the look is more upscale and contemporary than if a predictable brown stain had been applied. Here is where the kitchen started:

7O3A7150 before

 

Didn’t look like much, but wait until you see it now!  Working off the idea of a “white kitchen” and the quartz countertop my client had chosen, this is the result:

white kitchen green island

after

Painting the island in a dramatic, on-trend color gives it personality.  And it’s not as permanent as cabinets painted a dark color  (which is not really permanent, of course), if the new homeowner wants to change the color in 5-10 years.

The light gray walls play nicely with the penny tile backsplash and the grey metal you see on the stove hood, and the black “eyeliner” on the windows is perfection.

penny tile backsplash

 

white stove

The kitchen is open to a great room.  I advised on all things requiring color (floor, ceiling, walls, trim, accents) as well as the design of the bookcases.  Here is where that room started:

7O3A7149

 

Excuse the boxes and other junk, but I think you’ll like the “after” of the space!  The back of the bookcases are the same color as the kitchen island, which is where this shot was taken from:

ebony ceiling beams

after

gothic interior

after

Here’s a ‘before” shot from the entry of the room, facing the back french doors:

7O3A7151

before

The view out the back of the house are amazing, and I knew that dark window mullions would draw your eye and frame that landscape beautifully.

benjamin moore wrought iron

Painting the interior doors, windows, and specific trim pieces almost black could have made this gothic farmhouse look dark and forboding. By keeping lots of white and a very light wall color in the main areas, the off-black grounds the space and gives it a subtle sophistication it wouldn’t have had were it all painted white.

benjamin moore knoxville gray

moody color in the back of the bookcases

And by using a dramatic color in the back of the bookcases and the kitchen island, this space has a personality it wouldn’t have it we had gone all white and black.

white designer kitchen

benjamin moore knoxville gray

after

All the interior doors are now almost black – not just the french doors.  These aren’t even solid wood doors, but the dark color makes them look so impressive!

black interior doors

I hope you enjoyed these before and afters – I am really proud of this one!  I just did a completely different color palette for a neighboring new build last week, so hopefully you’ll get to see how much COLOR can make a difference in the way a home feels. What’s your favorite thing about this house?

23 Comments

  1. Anne

    Where is this house Kristie? It’s beautiful!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Anne,
      It’s for sale! Custom build by Jerry Kole on Peytonsville Rd in Franklin.

      Reply
      • Anne

        Can you email me the address? Must be on the east side of 65.

        Reply
  2. Leif

    I love:
    the color and trim work on the island in the kitchen!!!! it’s in the details!
    White marble countertops!
    Dark doors
    Stainless trim on the island?
    I know you had zero control over this but I wish the ceiling height was taller!
    Love Love Love the house!

    Reply
  3. Angela

    Gorgeous! I love the use of black and the color you used for the island and bookcases (it is similar to an accent color you suggested for my dining room, which turned out beautifully). I can’t imagine this home will be on the market for long. Too bad I don’t live in TN 😉

    Reply
  4. Tanya Dobbs

    I’ve been dying to do off black on my new windows and french doors that look over my pond and garden.. this blog and the photos give me to courage to do it in spite of all of the negative responses I’ve received from friends when I ask their opinion. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Don’t listen to those people – you should totally go for it!!!!

      Reply
  5. Jessica Johnson

    Kristie,
    Thank you for your magic touch on another project! Jerry is so pleased with it and I know the future owners will be too!! He always comments,” Kristie… she knows what she is doing!!” We have gotten nothing but wonderful feedback from everyone that has previewed it!! Another winner!! Will be getting photos to list in the next week… check out his facebook page http://www.facebook.com/kolecustomhomebuilders for the upcoming photos on this project and message us there for more info!! Thanks again Kristie!!

    Reply
  6. ange

    Beautiful!! I love the beams and all of it! I still like my black interior doors, I agree it makes the doors look nicer than they are. At least in my home. The island color is pretty too! You always do such a fabulous job!

    Reply
  7. Kari

    Swoon. Love every element.

    Reply
  8. Beth

    Love it! I just consulted on a similar rebuild with a pool and ocean view. Unfortunately they had already done the fireplace, exterior stone, windows & granite before they brought me in, so we had some work to do to pull everything together. But I admit that I never considered black windows. That may have worked well. I was able to get the kitchen cabinet color changed today so that we won’t have red mahogany wood next to yellow/grey fireplace stone.

    The good news is that I’m helping on another house and getting in a little sooner.

    Reply
  9. delia

    Absolutely gorgeous Kristie!

    inspirational

    Reply
  10. Lori

    Absolutely gorgeous! Love it all!

    Reply
  11. Rhonda

    Kristie I Love it! I am in the process of redoing my kitchen . Going to do white cabinets , my problem is kitchen has a soffit any tips on what do with it . Besides ripping it out ? Or should I just get rid of it ? THANKS ! Your work is amazing .

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      You could just paint it out white, as well – it will make your cabinets appear taller. Painting it “wall color” will keep your cabinets looking stubby. Good luck!!!

      Reply
      • Rhonda

        Thanks !! I appreciate your advice I think I will do that .

        Reply
  12. Lara

    Just GORGEOUS Kristie!!!

    Reply
  13. patty

    what is the color????? it is beyond wow!

    Reply
  14. Shelly Cato

    Do you give out the beyond-black color or the azure–? Thank you!

    Reply
  15. Kate

    Could you please tell me the paint color of the kitchen island? Beautiful!

    Reply
  16. Gina

    I am mid renovation of a 1939 small colonial with Tudor peak. It has been neglected for many years and it is still not done. I also painted black in places. My bay windows and French doors are now black, the fireplace is black and I have painted two interior doors black; one is to the new bathroom off the kitchen and one is the door down to the basement (I repurposed the former back door with 3 over 4 glass panes to be this door). The other doors are vintage single panel shaker doors. I also plan on painting the front door black. Here’s the fireplace after. Before it was dirty red brick with an oversized brown oak mantle. I think it looks much more sophisticated black!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Very nice, Gina! I love Tudor style architecture – I’m sure yours is full of character. 🙂

      Reply

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