Do you want to know one thing you can do to make your home instantly more sophisticated? It’s so simple, you won’t believe it.
Domino Mag
Did you guess? Paint your interior doors black. I’m not talking all the trim – although that can be ultra chic, too. Just the doors.
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Even cheap or imperfect doors look so elegant with a coat of black paint.
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I’m telling you, it can work with just about any color scheme. Instant upgrade!
Even more elegant when the room has a few other black accents, like this fabulous lantern light fixture.
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Update: This post will tell you more things that look fab with black paint!
Hi Kristie, I love this post, great pics! We have no black in our home but lots of brown, do you think painting the doors a rich chocolate brown would have a similar effect?
You know, Kelly, I really don’t think it would have the same effect. Dark brown paint just makes it look like you are trying to simulate stained dark wood, unpainted. Which can look kind of cheap. What about a nice dark charcoal color, not black-black but almost black? I really like Ben Moore’s Graphite 1603.
interesting! Never really thought of that before. I’m guessing you would take the sheen into account as well. All of the phots seem like they are gloss or semi-gloss
yes, i think the gloss gives it sophistication – and i would never paint a door or trim in anything less than a semi-gloss. you need at least that so that it’s easily cleaned (doors are constantly handled!).
Kristie, I was first introduced to the idea of painting interior doors black several years ago via an issue of House and Home. As you said, it adds instant sophistication. Your examples are simply beautiful!
I love black doors – inside and out! Definitely at the top of my favourites list 🙂
Great post! Love all the pictures too!
Stacy Naquin
Ow la la…LOVE black doors..great post and great pics!
oh how I LOVE black doors!!! Still don’t know that I’m adventurous enough to try it, but I am definitely pondering which door to attempt the look with!
Absolutely love this stunning idea. My white kitchen pantry door is always in use & in need of cleaning. I’m so anxious to paint it a hi-gloss black. Thank you
Great, Cherry! Please send me a photo after you paint it!
I recently had an interior designer give me some ideas for my entry and that was the first suggestion she had.
That is a nice tip.
i love this house. the style reminds me the italian luxury brand Sige Gold..Do you know?
I have been seeing black interior doors more and more. They do make the room so sophisticated! Great pictures, great post!
I absooutely love the black doors and am ready to dive in! However, I am getting some flack from others so I want to make sure I do it right. You said it works well with most colors. Can you give me some examples where it might not look as good? Thanks so much!
well, what are your colors?
To be determined! We are remodeling and so I am fixing to give the whole house a makeover! I am looking at laying a grey wood or laminate flooring to pick up the grey swirls in my ceramic tile. The tile also has small hints of brown.
Thanks Kristie – great pictures – I love black doors and searching the internet for ideas.s I have black ebony stained hardwood floors – do you think it matters? Do you think I need to be worried about “matching” or do you have a go-to color for black doors??
Thanks.
The floors shouldn’t be an issue, I don’t think. I like Benjamin Moore’s Black – Int/Ext Rm for doors. It’s not the blackest black, so it’s not to slick and modern. I’ve also specified Graphite, but there are instances where it’s not dark enough.
Thanks Kristie – what are your feelings about hardware…do I need to switch that to something darker??? So much to think about 🙂
Hi Kristie, Wounderful pcs. I have trouble find the right color black for my front door. I just painted my foyer in nimbus by BM which is a soft silvery gray color and stairs i stained in dark chocolate a mix of rosewood and esspresso stain. I have A contemporary chandelier in bronze the base and hnned glass, accent table in foyer has dark wood and also gold metal and centr glass, gold big round mirror. What I whould paint my front door? and inside has to be the same color or no necesarily/ inside I just painted turret stair by Ralph L. which mutch with the wood in the stairs (dark) chocolate. Outside house is in soft gray brick and the chattles are white., but I have been thinking in opting for Black , glossy color black, It is a single door, but I would like to paint the whole freme in the same black to make looks more big. What do you recomend? It would be good for a house with this description or what do you sugest? can you sugest colors paint ? either by BM or SW.
Thank you sooo much for your help!! I will send pc whenI have it done!
XOXO,
Mary Davis
Kristie , I would love a something that looks more modern and sophis.
thank you!
I love the idea of painting all the doors in our condo black. Our fireplace is black but there’s a green accent wall behind it. Is it ok to mix accent walls with black doors? I’m planning on also accenting our bedroom wall a calming blue. We have black appliances and some black furniture throughout the condo now (bedroom all black furniture with light sheets/duvet). What are your thoughts?
Lizzie,
I don’t think there’s any problem with painting doors black in a room with accent walls. But, I would be careful about accent walls in general – I written several posts about them. You might want to check those out (just type “accent walls” in the search box on the top right side of my blog).
We just upgraded all of our interior/exterior door hardware with oil rubbed bronze lever door handles and now my doors look even worse than before. We have flat hollow core interior doors and my husband is NOT excited about replacing them. It took him days to get our front door realigned when we replaced it. I was considering adding trim, because he’s willing to do that 🙂 But maybe just painting them black would do the trick. Are you suggesting painting all interior doors black or just accent doors?