Black Color for a Bedroom: Three Shades and What to Pair With Them
Black bedroom paint works best when you choose the undertone on purpose. This page shows three very dark blacks measured from paintings, with LRV and paint matches, plus three lighter colors to pair with them.
Quick answer
Use the warm red-orange black (#36261F) on the wall behind the bed, the neutral black (#15110F) for a fully black room, and the light neutral #E8E8E8 for trim or surrounding walls.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
Shades of black
#36261FLRV 2
Warm Red Black
A soft, brown-leaning black for a bed wall or a fully dark bedroom, with an LRV of 2. It comes from Walter Shirlaw's 'Self-Portrait' and the closest matches are Sherwin-Williams SW 6006 Black Bean and Behr 780B-7 Bison Brown.
A very dark black with a warm yellow undertone and an LRV of 2. It can look slightly olive in daylight, so try it on a wall that gets warm evening light. It is taken from Félix Edouard Vallotton's 'The Red Room, Etretat' and has no close commercial match.
The darkest of the three, with an LRV of 1 and no clear undertone. Use it for a full black bedroom or a black ceiling, where you do not want the color to shift. It comes from 'Saint Jerome in Penitence' by the Master of the Lille Adoration and has no close commercial match.
With an LRV of 81, this is the light color for trim, a white ceiling or the walls around a black accent wall. It comes from a Teotihuacan mural fragment, and Sherwin-Williams SW 6252 Ice Cube, Behr PR-W8 Ambience White and Farrow & Ball No. 273 Wevet are the closest matches.
A deep, warm yellow brown with an LRV of 18, suited to a bed frame, dresser or armchair against black walls. It is measured from 'Saint Jerome in Penitence' and matches Sherwin-Williams SW 9106 El Caramelo very closely.
A very light, warm yellow with an LRV of 69, best kept to one bold piece such as a lamp, a nightstand or a pillow. It comes from 'Saint Jerome in Penitence' and the closest matches are Sherwin-Williams SW 6667 Afterglow and Behr P240-3 Mango Nectar.
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
Color
Neutral daylight
North light
South light
Evening lamps
Soft Neutral White
Pale Apricot Glow
Try these colors in a room
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is Self-Portrait.
Which black works best on bedroom walls?
All three blacks here are very dark, with an LRV of 1 or 2. They take in almost all the light that hits them, so the room will feel quiet and enclosed. The real difference is the undertone. The red-orange black (#36261F) reads as a deep brown-black. The yellow black (#252316) can lean olive. The neutral black (#15110F) is the darkest and has no clear undertone.
For a black accent wall, choose the wall behind the bed. It usually has no window, so it holds a dark color well and gives the bed a strong backdrop. This works in a master bedroom or a small guest room alike. For a fully black bedroom, the neutral black is the easiest to live with because it does not drift toward another color.
If you want an off-the-shelf paint, start with the red-orange black. Sherwin-Williams SW 6006 Black Bean and Behr 780B-7 Bison Brown are close matches. The other two have no close commercial match, so ask for a custom color match.
What goes with black walls: trim, ceiling and floors?
Black walls with white trim give the sharpest look. Use the soft neutral white (#E8E8E8, LRV 81) on baseboards, door casings and window trim. It is neutral, so it sits cleanly next to the neutral black and does not clash with the warm blacks.
For a black ceiling with white walls, flip the scheme. Paint the walls #E8E8E8 and the ceiling the neutral black. The pale walls keep the room bright, and the dark ceiling pulls the eye up. In a low room, keep the ceiling light instead, since black will make it feel lower.
Bring in warmth with furniture and flooring. The deep caramel (#986E41, LRV 18) suits a bed frame, dresser or chair, and medium warm wood floors sit well beside it. Use the pale apricot (#FFD195, LRV 69) for one bold piece, like a lamp or a nightstand. For fabric, the red-orange black (#36261F) works well as curtains or a throw. A pale rug will break up a dark floor.
How does black look in your bedroom light?
With an LRV of 1 or 2, black walls bounce almost no light. A north-facing bedroom will feel deepest, and a lamp or two will matter more than the window. A south or west room will show more of the undertone, especially in late afternoon, when the red-orange black looks warmer and the yellow black looks more olive.
Artificial light changes things too. Warm bulbs push the warm blacks toward brown and make the room cozy. Cooler bulbs can flatten them. The neutral black stays the most consistent under both.
Because black absorbs so much light, balance it. Pair it with the soft white (#E8E8E8, LRV 81) on trim or the ceiling, and add a few light sources at different heights. A bedside lamp, a wall sconce and a light rug all help the room read as dark and calm instead of heavy. A black room suits people who mostly use the bedroom in the evening.
How do you test black paint samples?
Paint a sample board at least two feet square, with two coats. Do not paint a small patch straight onto your current wall, because the old color will change how the black looks. Move the board around the room instead.
Look at it on the wall behind the bed and on the window wall. Check it in the morning, in the afternoon and at night under your own lamps. Black samples change more than light colors do, and the undertone often shows only in certain light.
Place the sample next to your trim color, your caramel furniture or wood, and your bedding. If you are choosing one of the blacks with no close commercial match, ask the paint store for a custom match and compare their sample to a printed chip, since screen colors vary. Pick the black that still looks good at the time of day you use the room most.
FAQ
What is the best black paint for a bedroom?
It depends on the undertone you want. The warm red-orange black (#36261F) has the closest commercial matches, Sherwin-Williams SW 6006 Black Bean and Behr 780B-7 Bison Brown. The neutral black (#15110F) is the safest for a fully black room.
Should I paint one wall black or the whole bedroom?
A black accent wall behind the bed is the easier start, and it works in a master bedroom too. Paint the other walls #E8E8E8 or a similar light color to keep the room bright. Go fully black only if you like a dark, cocoon-like room and have good lamps.
Can I do a black ceiling with white walls in a bedroom?
Yes. Use the neutral black (#15110F) on the ceiling and a light neutral like #E8E8E8 on the walls. It works best in a room with a taller ceiling, because black makes a low ceiling feel lower.
What trim color goes with black bedroom walls?
A clean light neutral is the simplest choice. #E8E8E8 has an LRV of 81, and its closest matches include Sherwin-Williams SW 6252 Ice Cube and Behr PR-W8 Ambience White. Use it on baseboards, door casings and window frames.
Will black walls make my bedroom look smaller?
They can, because an LRV of 1 or 2 reflects almost no light and the walls recede less clearly. Add light trim, a pale rug, and lamps at different heights. A black accent wall keeps most of the room light.
Save these colors
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Painting images: The Art Institute of Chicago, public domain (CC0).
Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
From Self-Portrait, Walter Shirlaw
