Interior Design
10 Reasons to Love Matt Black
See how this strong non-glossy colour can bring sophistication, artistry and a wow factor to your home
Matt black is sultry, sophisticated, flattering and timeless. So it’s no wonder I’ve been finding more and more clients looking to incorporate this finish into their homes. And here are 10 reasons why you just might fall in love with matt black too.
2. It’s artistic
Speaking of drawing you in, matt black has a graphic, artistic vibe, whether applied to a canvas or other accents in a room (such as a rug or fabric print).
Speaking of drawing you in, matt black has a graphic, artistic vibe, whether applied to a canvas or other accents in a room (such as a rug or fabric print).
Look to a wallpaper in a hand-drawn black-and-white pattern to give a bathroom or den a true sense of drama while feeling composed and serene.
3. It’s graphic
The artistic quality of matt black doesn’t only apply to art pieces. When matt black is used for thin linear elements like columns, leggy furniture or thin, wiry shelving, it makes those pieces almost look hand-drawn and gives serious architectural edge.
Take pleasure in the simplicity of sharp black lines
The artistic quality of matt black doesn’t only apply to art pieces. When matt black is used for thin linear elements like columns, leggy furniture or thin, wiry shelving, it makes those pieces almost look hand-drawn and gives serious architectural edge.
Take pleasure in the simplicity of sharp black lines
Consider using matt black for items like metal baskets or cage lamps, towel bars, slim mirror trim or any other elements with thin lines that you want to pop like a crisp architectural drawing.
4. It’s touchable
Matt black makes a savvy finish for bathroom fixtures not just because it looks stunning next to crisp porcelain and earthy stone tiles. It also does an excellent job of hiding fingerprints, so your faucet handles won’t constantly show your every touch.
Matt black makes a savvy finish for bathroom fixtures not just because it looks stunning next to crisp porcelain and earthy stone tiles. It also does an excellent job of hiding fingerprints, so your faucet handles won’t constantly show your every touch.
5. It’s waterproof
While matt black is not always literally waterproof, as a finish it’s quite splash-proof, hiding water marks on your sink and other wet fixtures. For a bathroom with unique flair, you can pair it with nearly any accent hue, or simply mix it with timeless white and grey to give a more subdued look that still has ‘oomph’.
While matt black is not always literally waterproof, as a finish it’s quite splash-proof, hiding water marks on your sink and other wet fixtures. For a bathroom with unique flair, you can pair it with nearly any accent hue, or simply mix it with timeless white and grey to give a more subdued look that still has ‘oomph’.
By the way, note that matt black’s ability to hide fingerprints is not only useful in wet spaces. As a finish for door handles and pulls, matt black stays beautiful through years of use, and it draws the eye to exactly where your hand needs to reach.
6. It’s always fashionable
Black and white is a popular combination for several reasons. It can look great at any budget level, and it always carries an air of fashion. A space as mundane as a laundry room can be elevated by including some simple black-and-white stripes. It’s a graphic look that speaks to high-end fashion labels while being liveable for your day-to-day life.
Black and white is a popular combination for several reasons. It can look great at any budget level, and it always carries an air of fashion. A space as mundane as a laundry room can be elevated by including some simple black-and-white stripes. It’s a graphic look that speaks to high-end fashion labels while being liveable for your day-to-day life.
7. It’s an attention-grabbing frame
Black picture frames are a classic choice for artwork. Similarly, black window sashes are great for homes with a picturesque view. Black window mullions or trim present the scenery beyond like a gallery piece, drawing the eye to it without clashing. Black window sashes also look great from the outside in, giving your home a manor-like appeal reminiscent of age-old luxury homes.
Black picture frames are a classic choice for artwork. Similarly, black window sashes are great for homes with a picturesque view. Black window mullions or trim present the scenery beyond like a gallery piece, drawing the eye to it without clashing. Black window sashes also look great from the outside in, giving your home a manor-like appeal reminiscent of age-old luxury homes.
8. It’s a perfect counterpoint to glam brass
Matt black is a perfect finish to pair with your brass elements to bring out the best of both, with the warm shimmer of brass and the dry, flat finish of matt black being perfectly compatible opposites. Mix the two into a room with some stone and wood to get a rich and complex scheme without introducing a wild hue.
Matt black is a perfect finish to pair with your brass elements to bring out the best of both, with the warm shimmer of brass and the dry, flat finish of matt black being perfectly compatible opposites. Mix the two into a room with some stone and wood to get a rich and complex scheme without introducing a wild hue.
9. It’s classic and contemporary
In today’s design world, more and more people find themselves torn between loving modern and traditional styles. There are just so many design periods to choose from, and it can be hard to settle on just one.
Matt black is a finish that can give a more traditional piece of furniture a certain contemporary edge and vice versa. It’s truly ageless, so it can elegantly straddle different time periods.
The black finish on these chairs suits the farmhouse-tinged style of the room while also feeling fresh and of-the-now.
In today’s design world, more and more people find themselves torn between loving modern and traditional styles. There are just so many design periods to choose from, and it can be hard to settle on just one.
Matt black is a finish that can give a more traditional piece of furniture a certain contemporary edge and vice versa. It’s truly ageless, so it can elegantly straddle different time periods.
The black finish on these chairs suits the farmhouse-tinged style of the room while also feeling fresh and of-the-now.
10. It’s easily repeated
Matt black is a finish that can be applied to a single piece for emphasis but works perhaps even better when threaded into the design of an entire home.
Luckily, black is a popular colour, so you’ll find no shortage of ways to sprinkle it into each room through different pieces like lamps, table bases, seating, stone, accessories and paint.
Matt black is a finish that can be applied to a single piece for emphasis but works perhaps even better when threaded into the design of an entire home.
Luckily, black is a popular colour, so you’ll find no shortage of ways to sprinkle it into each room through different pieces like lamps, table bases, seating, stone, accessories and paint.
Whether it becomes the defining character of the home or just a consistent subtle element that grounds your design, include matt black throughout your colour palette to tie the home together in a sophisticated way, giving other elements a little bit of extra verve and your home a sense of maturity and history, even if that history has only just begun.
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5 Apartments With Black and White Drama
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Did you find this story useful? Tell us in the Comments section below. And remember to save your favourite images, like the story, and join the conversation.
MORE
5 Apartments With Black and White Drama
Matt black has several design advantages, but one of the biggest is its significant wow factor. Black is already a dramatic colour, but matt black feels even more unexpected. It reflects very little light, so it feels especially strong and commanding. A two-toned cabinet scheme like this with charcoal black on the uppers creates a strong focal point that draws you into the kitchen.