Black Homes Gone Mainstream

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Black homes have come into fashion at a fast rate! Pinterest claims that saves for black houses have grown 774 percent since 2014. There are a few things you should know before committing to painting your house exterior black. Black is beautiful! It is trendy and will absolutely draw attention. The dark house trend has been alive in Japan for a long time; however, it’s been gaining steam in the US since 2017, and now they seem to be popping up everywhere.  

A black home exterior is like a pit bull… in the wrong environment they can turn ugly! But with the correct surroundings, they grow and love and protect. A black house will do just the same. 

#1. Black homes look beautiful with natural wood.

Natural wood will ALWAYS be a classic staple on home exteriors. Natural wood is used commonly on doors, gables, porches, and home accent pieces. It blends beautifully with a black home exterior.

black home exterior with wood accents

#2. Black stain is like UnderArmour for your house.

Generally, a darker stain provides the greatest coverage of the wood it’s covering. UV rays deteriorate wood but darker stain is a perfect protectant, like UnderArmour for your house.  

A cottage style home rendered in Tricorn Black with a large deck

#3. Black homes appear strong.

Black appears effortless, traditional, and strong. People who choose darker colors are usually considered more creative, bold, and artistic. While this fearless approach isn’t for everyone, it definitely works!

Virtual rendering of a home rendered in Caviar with wood and stone accents

#4. Black is a beautiful backdrop for landscape.

The way kelly green landscape shows against a black home is gorgeous! Grass, container plants, shrubs, wild grasses… a black backdrop can take your curb appeal from a solid 8 to off the charts.  

Exterior of a home rendered in Sherwin Williams' Caviar

#5. Black adds drama and mystery.

You won’t blend in with the neighbors. Do you have the Langhorn or the Breckenridge floorplan… uh, no. There is an element of chic drama that goes with black that you can’t recapture with white.  

Black Forest Green and Black next to brick and stone on a mid-century modern home rendering

#6.  Black is not reflective.

In general, the lighter the color of your home, the move reflective the paint. A white home picks up the colors around it, and the tone may shift depending on those colors. Black stays true to the color. It won’t reflect your neighbor’s home or the landscape; it is what it is.  

We always recommend sampling and testing paint colors before committing. Factors such as natural lighting, undertones, and your property’s fixed elements will have a significant impact on how a color will appear on your exterior. Our friends at Samplize offer extra-large 9 x 14.75 inch peel-and-stick paint samples of the colors we love for exteriors. Order your ‘Real Paint, No Mess’ samples from Samplize here.
Black home exterior

If you’re considering painting your home black or a dark color, be bold and go for it! Black is still much less common than white or other neutrals, but with celebrities and home designers on board, we don’t see the dark house trend dying out anytime soon.

With black shades becoming more mainstream, it’s giving confidence to the everyman. Plus, paint and stain these days is so reliable and formulations so strong, the color isn’t going to fade or need to be redone year after year. So, put your fears to rest and truly consider black an option the next time you’re scouring exterior paint colors

Author

Cassie co-founded brick&batten in 2017 with her sister, Alli, but her love of home design was born years earlier. Cassie’s passion for design can be traced back to her childhood, when she’d accompany her parents on road trips through small towns in search of inspiration for properties they would buy, fix up, and sell. Prior to launching brick&batten, Cassie worked as a fourth grade teacher, but her love of design, architecture, home renovation, and open houses inspired her to pursue a new career. When writing for brick&batten, Cassie aims to empower homeowners to make the best informed decisions for their property. She knows from experience how challenging home renovation can be, and when she writes, she puts herself in the shoes of every homeowner with similar frustrations. Cassie currently lives in Florida with her four children, an old dog, and her loving husband. When she’s not working, Cassie is most likely checking out a nearby open house or traveling to learn about the latest house trends.