Black paint colors
Top picks for black
6 editor's picksEditor's picks + the named black every designer roundup features. Each card links to a single-color reference or full brand guide.
More black shades
4 variantsDrill into shade variants — modifier-specific bands (light, deep, muted) and named in-between shades each link to their own hub with cross-brand matches.
Black at every US brand
10 brands · 5 picks each5 picks per brand spread across the LRV range, drawn from each brand's full black lineup. Tap any swatch for its single-color spec; tap the brand title for the brand's complete deck.
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
PPG / Glidden
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Backdrop
Clare
Top Kompozit black
14 in deckKompozit's deck has 14 colors that match the black band. The 5 below are spread across the LRV range — pick a darkness, hit Amazon for the can.
Black in real rooms
8 roomsCurated picks per room with cross-brand matches at every major US brand.
About black
True black on a wall almost always looks heavier than you expected. The picks below — the "designer blacks" — sit just shy of pure black, with subtle blue, brown, or green undertones that keep them from reading like a void.
Tricorn Black is the most-spec'd true black from Sherwin-Williams; Wrought Iron is the warmer-leaning Benjamin Moore equivalent. Below LRV 6, you're in near-black territory; 6–12 is deep charcoal; above 12 starts to feel grey rather than black. Use one accent wall, the trim, the front door, or the cabinetry — rarely all of them at once.