Before we even closed on our home, I knew for certain what color I wanted to paint our living room.

BLACK.

My parents thought I was crazy, my coworkers were intrigued and luckily, Anthony was all for it! I’ve always been a fan of dark paint colors. I painted the bathroom of our last apartment a pretty navy color. For our new home, I was inspired by these photos I found on Pinterest of rooms with ultra dark walls.

Source: Genevieve Gorder

Source: Thrifty Decor Chick

Dark walls feel so cozy! They immediately take a large space and make it feel more intimate. It’s commonly thought that dark colors will make space look smaller, but in my experience it has the exact opposite effect. Dark colors recede visually, so they seem further away. This makes the room look even bigger!

I knew I wanted to go further than just a charcoal. I wanted an ultra dark, off-black color. So I got samples of Sherwin Williams Black Fox (a warm black), Iron Ore (a black with blue and green undertones) and Urbanze Bronze (a warm black/brown). Once I had the samples up, it was almost immediate. Iron Ore was the winner! I loved the way the blue and green undertones tied it into the other colors in my Whole House Color Scheme. Now that the living room has been painted for a couple of months, I love it even more. In some light, Iron Ore takes on an almost navy hue. It's such a cozy, relaxing color to be surrounded by. It's the perfect color for our living room!

Have I convinced you to come to do the dark side?? If you are ready to try an ultra dark paint color in your home, here are my top recommendations: 

Do you have a favorite ultra dark paint color? Share it in the comments below!