Matte 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 matte black too.
Be Inspired Kitchens
1. It Draws You In
Matte black has several design advantages, but one of the biggest is its significant wow factor. Black is already a dramatic color, but matte 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.
Bella Life Style
2. It’s Artistic
Speaking of “drawing” you in, matte black has a graphic, artistic vibe, whether applied to a canvas or other accents in a room (such as a rug or fabric print).
McGrath II
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.
Baulch Services
3. It’s Graphic
The artistic quality of matte black doesn’t only apply to art pieces. When matte 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.
Consider using matte 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
Matte 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.
2LG Studio
5. It’s Waterproof
While matte black is not always literally waterproof, as a finish it’s quite splashproof, 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 gray to give a more subdued look that still has “oomph.”
Casa Perfecta Inc
By the way, note that matte black’s ability to hide fingerprints is not only useful in wet spaces. As a finish for door handles and pulls, matte black stays beautiful through years of use, and it draws the eye to exactly where your hand needs to reach.
Rebecca Hay Designs
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 livable for your day-to-day life.
co(X)ist Studio
Tamara Magel Studio
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.
co(X)ist Studio
8. It’s a Perfect Counterpoint to Glam Brass
Matte 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 matte 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.
SDG Architects
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.
Matte 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.
Kristina Dousharm Architecture PLLC
10. It’s Easily Repeated
Matte 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 color, 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.
Jdesign Group
Whether it becomes the defining character of the home or just a consistent subtle element that grounds your design, include matte black throughout your color 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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