18 transitional design ways to accent black bedroom walls in your home

Black bedroom walls are having a moment, and it’s not difficult to see why. Along with creating a bold but sophisticated backdrop for a space, black paint can make a bedroom feel cozy, moody, and perfect for catching Zs. It’s certainly a different vibe than the one you’d get from, say, a bright, cheery pink bedroom or a calming, zen-like blue bedroom. 

To prove our point, we scoured our house tours and rounded up the most beautiful black bedrooms we could find. From ebony walls to dark floating shelves and beyond, here are 18 black bedroom ideas to that will have you reconsidering what was once considered a tricky-to-work-with hue.

1. Dress it up with lively curtains.

This dark-hued Maine bedroom looks anything but dreary thanks to the bright, floral-patterned curtains hanging on the room’s many windows. Light-colored bedding and carpeting helps, too.

2. Black and white and beautiful all over.

A regal white fireplace, airy white curtains and white bedding keep this black bedroom in NYC looking elegant rather than dark and depressing. We’re in love with the unique light fixture that brings the different elements together. 

3. Combine it with mustard yellow.

Black and mustard yellow are two colors that vibe so well together, so it’s only natural that they combine for an amazing result in the bedroom of this Atlanta, Georgia shipping container. The owners painted the bottom of their Murphy bed black to create a peaceful prayer spot when the bed isn’t in use.

4. Add a patterned bedspread.

Wondering how to add visual interest to a black bedroom? Add a patterned bedspread, of course! We love the one shown in this New Orleans bedroom.

5. Liven it up with some greenery.

Houseplants are an easy way to breathe life (literally) into a black bedroom. We love how this Nashville bedroom incorporates plants beautifully for a balanced look. 

6. Offset neutral bedding.

Deep black walls provide a rich contrast to light, earth-toned textiles, just like we saw in Allison and Matt’s New York City bedroom, painted in an alluring shade of Black Ink by Benjamin Moore.  Because the wall color is so dramatic, especially in contrast to the linens, you often don’t even artwork or extra accessories in your bedroom when you paint the walls in an ebony hue.

7. Fake a built-in.

No budget for built-ins in your bedroom? No problem. Clean-lined black bookcases seamlessly blend into the Benjamin Moore Onyx-colored walls in Angie Teater’s New York City studio, where the shelving unit looks as if it had been there all along. Black furniture paired with black walls can give you that custom look, and the whole apartment still feels light and bright because of all the natural light pouring in through that large window.

8. Play up lighter furnishings.

Take a design cue from Kit’s Australian oasis and outfit a black bedroom with stark white furniture and unbleached wood accents for a truly stunning display. Black walls are often dramatic enough on their own without artwork, but they’re also a great backdrop for colorful pieces like the vintage map above.

9. Hang your shelves. 

Simple black floating shelves dissolve into deep black bedroom walls to forge a truly ethereal display, which we spotted in artist Shyama Golden’s Brooklyn rental. The eclectic mix of art and decorative objects definitely helps to create visual interest as well. 

10. Energize navy upholstery.

Who says you can’t pair black with navy? Not this London bedroom! A sophisticated shade of bluish-black paint—think Black Blue by Farrow & Ball—plays up a navy upholstered headboard in style, as proven by Charlotte and Tom’s setup. Nightstands topped with a mirror and a gold lamp add an element of glam to the moody composition. 

11. Let colorful decor shine. 

Black walls provide a dark but dapper backdrop for warm, earth-toned textiles, like the rug and throw blanket we spotted in Lauren and Kevin’s Chicago master bedroom. Again, light-colored bedding offsets the darkness of the walls, adding balance to the room’s overall scheme. Don’t be afraid to put a bed in front of a window either. Sometimes this unconventional move can create a show-stopping focal point.

12.  Show off natural textiles. 

Employ a glossy shade of black paint, like Dark Kettle Black by Valspar, to bring out the natural fibers in cool, woven wall hangings, like TaLaya and Kerrick did in their Charlotte, North Carolina bedroom. We love how the black mudcloth draped over the headboard echoes the wall color.

13. Think high contrast.

You can’t go wrong with a black-and-white color scheme, especially if you’re committed to seeing the combo through your entire room, from walls and bedding to artwork and accessories. In this charming Portland home, the duo inspires a classic-meets-modern scheme that’s simple, yet refined. 

14. String some lights. 

A set or two of twinkling string lights does more than just brighten up the moody greenish-black walls of Jordan and Ryan’s master suite in Nashville. The bulbs also serve as a prominent source of ambient lighting and add a bit of atmosphere to their sleep space.

15. Liven up grays.

A black accent wall can pleasantly offset a gray bedroom without straying too far from a bolder color palette, as proven by Emily’s bedroom in Rochester, New York. If you hopped on the gray decor trend that’s been going strong for a few years now, know that black is a perfect color pairing for anything from lighter dove gray, as seen here, to deeper charcoals.

16. Make a statement.

Paint the wall behind your bed a commanding shade of charcoal—Ebony Field by Valspar, to be exact—to make an artful statement, just like Erin and Creighton did in their Charleston, South Carolina, master suite. Showing restraint with just a black accent wall helps guarantee that your room won’t feel too dark or cave-like.

17. Layer up. 

Add a sense of depth and dimension to a bedroom by loading up on a black wall paint— Tomcat by Valspar seen here—and decor painted to match. In Tanika and Brian’s New York City home, the black-on-black woven wall-hanging and intricate headboard are layered to perfection. 

18. Light things up.

A neon sign, like the one in Kendra’s Phoenix, Arizona, home, instantly brightens up a black bedroom wall while doubling as a focal point for the space. Plus, it brings a whimsical dose of style to the room, too.