Dramatic and glamorous, noir-inspired hues find a home in residential projects.

By Kitty Shea

Every season, the fashion world touts [blank] as the new black. But in home interiors, black has never really had a run to call its own. Homeowners have been hesitant to go to the dark side: Will black shrink a room? Will it look depressing and gothic? Will it hinder resale?

Those reservations are softening. Black and other dusky palettes are trending on social media sites such as Pinterest and in the portfolios of high-end designers, as TV shows and commercial environments demonstrate to their clients the depth and sophistication black can deliver.

“The hospitality industry has habitually used black in interior design to create glamour, drama and intimacy,” says Sabreen Madden, a Chicago contract designer who does residential design on the side. During a visit to New York City’s Ace Hotel, designed by Roman & Williams, Madden was struck by its use of black paint in the restaurant, lobby, elevators and guest rooms. “It created a unique and memorable experience,” she recalls, and inspired her to seek the same aesthetic at home.

She recently painted the industrial modern loft she shares with her husband in sweeps of charcoal, midnight and ebony. “I don’t mind having a space that looks a little smaller, as long as there’s some sort of character and experience,” she says.

Madden created depth by using black as a back wall to ground her bed, as a frame for her bookshelf and to emphasize an alcove. Black can stylishly camouflage the eyesore that is a big-screen TV, which when turned off, all but disappears into the surround of darkness, she notes. A white sofa and light, sheer window treatments pop against the black, and draw the eye from its depths.

The trick is specifying the right black, Madden advises. “You don’t want to go with black-black. Something really dark could be too intense. Just slightly lighter, it will be perfect in installation.” She likes Sherwin-Williams’ Black of Night (SW 6993) and Greenblack (SW 6994).

Walls must be prepped to ultra-smooth, because black, reflecting light as it does, announces every paint drip and drywall dent. A flat finish produces a higher-end look, although doors, doorframes and window frames can be glossy.

Dark recipe

Black kitchens are on trend for 2015, according to designer Denise Dick, owner of Signature Kitchens by Design in Carrollton, Texas, and vice president of the National Kitchen & Bath Association. Black is a versatile neutral that works with many styles, she adds.

“Black doesn’t scream contemporary or traditional. It can really take any direction,” she says.

Black’s migration into the kitchen began about a decade ago, according to Dick, with black islands, mantle hoods and accent cabinets. “People became comfortable with that, and then went to the full black,” such as banks of black cabinets. “Now black is as acceptable as cherry once was.”

Specifying black requires professional counsel and more client education, Dick says. “Homeowners can’t just use all-black kitchen cabinets and say, ‘Look! Black is in!’ There’s a whole lot more to think about,” including the space’s other appointments, lighting, glazes and maintenance. Imperfections, fingerprints, dust and watermarks show up differently on black than on, say, wood grain, she notes.

Appliances, too, are trending darker. GE Appliances is set this year to debut a dark graphite finish said to have a dark, brushed stainless-steel effect. Coming on the heels of its 2012 introduction of slate, a warm gray, low-gloss metallic finish, and nearly 40 years after GE unveiled black onyx, the new finish is expected to follow the same trajectory.

“Kitchen noir is high end and somewhat niche-y today,” says Lou Lenzi, general manager of design at GE Appliances in Louisville, Kentucky. “But it will trickle down to more popular price points, which will translate into broader mass-market acceptance.”

Best blacks

Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams, shares her favorite noir hues:

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  Black Fox (SW 7020). “This is an off-black with luscious chocolate undertones that give it a nice warmth,” Jordan says.

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  Caviar (SW 6990). A black that is sophisticated and classic with a subtle softness.

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  Tricorn Black (SW 6258). “Our most popular black — the truest of true blacks,” Jordan says.