Black and charcoal paint colors

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.