I want to take a moment to thank those of you sent such kind words of support regarding Mr. B. I shared the comments with Mr. B. and he said I must have very nice blog friends! {I do!}
I can’t be certain of when I first saw a blog post on painting interior doors and/or window panes black (or charcoal), but I was immediately smitten with the look, the contrast seems to enliven a room. I really love the look and have toyed with the idea [on paper and in my mind] for years, maybe next house(?)
I’m still not ready to pull the trigger, so to speak, but it gives a room an unexpected “wow” factor.
These bathroom doors appear to be vintage. I would definitely go for the dark trim if I had a similar pair.
Melaine, of My Sweet Savannah, recently addressed this topic and it gave me pause. Here’s what she had to say,
You see, like Melaine, I have pets and lots of dust. Mr. B. believes the dust is due in part to the fact that we have the doors and windows open 3/4 of the year due to the warmer weather we experience here in sunny Southern California. Add the fact that the dogs pretty much have free reign of the house—they are in and out a lot. So maybe it’s like owning a black car. Pretty, but high(er) maintenance.
Still, I love the look and will continue to give it serious consideration. What do you think?
Don’t you love this shower? Dark panes mirror the dark grout on the subway tile and the added drama of the black and white tile floor of the shower is a design win in my book.
The foyer (below) manages the dark doors with grace; the extra black in the bannister and furniture makes me happy. 🙂
I like this pair of doors. I think the reason this works so well is the trim remains fresh in shades of white, while the doors stand out.
The use of black on these french doors is surprisingly understated in this neutral room. Chairs in black are so pretty.
Black enamel dutch doors, so pretty. {our front door is a dutch door, this is very tempting.
Have you been tempted? I love the color of this door with it’s brass hardware.
Have a great Wednesday!
♥ Karen
Garden, Home & Party 
Phyllis Higgerson, Henhurst Interiors said:
I really like the look, especially on French doors. These are gorgeous examples.
Karen B. said:
Phyllis, I wish you lived closer, I need a designer to assess and advise me. I always second guess this type (dark vs light paint on doors) of decision! 🙂 It shouldn’t be difficult because I love some of the examples. xo, Karen
On Wed, Mar 4, 2015 at 5:08 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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beggingforattentiondebra @ 5th and state said:
go for it karen! after enjoying these images i want everything black, dust and dogs…….worth it. now if only i could convince mr. p!
while you decide, there is another benefit, they make the garden appear to be more one with the interior vs the “stop” of white or wood trim
keep us posted!
debra
Karen B. said:
Ha,ha,ha. Maybe I should have mentioned…I didn’t run this by Mr. B. I am virtually certain he’d look at me like I was nuts! 🙂 Also, if you go with the black trimmed French doors, do you then have to be consistent and paint all of the french doors black?
Karen
Victoria • Restoring our Victorian said:
I love it! It’s a very dramatic look… and it feels very polished. I’m kind of surprised they are a maintenance issue though (although maybe I shouldn’t be– we have black kitchen counters and they show EVERYTHING. You even have to dry them or see water streaks.)
We have white painted doors. And all of the trim. And cat hair tumbleweeds. I bought an extra upholstery-brush attachment for the vacuum that I use for the molding and the doors. It works really well.
We had all natural wood doors/molding at our old house and I have to say – you didn’t see ANY dirt. Given the option to choose, I’d have unpainted wood again. (Although a lot of that has to do with me being the person who has to repaint miles of trim when it needs a fresh coat.)
Karen B. said:
This is my issue (ease of upkeep) too…although next house (or if we ever had to remodel this kitchen again, which is doubtful) I want black counter tops with white cabinets, dust and water streaks be dammed.
The other issue for me painting my french doors is that the paint job would need to be flawless, otherwise I think you’d see every brush stroke, much easier than white paint.
hahaha, cat hair tumbleweeds…we have dog fur the size of small rabbits during the spring months!
On Wed, Mar 4, 2015 at 6:03 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Jayne on Weed Street said:
I have a lot of black in my kitchen/family room – black chairs, black and white needlepoint cushions, black hanging lantern for light, and your post naked me think the room could handle black trim – but I’m not brave enough! There is something about it that harkens back to those black painted casement windows of the 50’s, and I have to dismiss that to be able to fully enjoy the idea. The gorgeous rooms you’ve shown have gone a long way to do so!!! Wonderful post!
Karen B. said:
Hi Jayne,
I don’t remember the painted casement windows of the 50’s and it’s not because I wasn’t born yet. 🙂 I haven’t pulled the trigger for the same reason, I think with the black I currently have in our home, it might be overkill. In addition, our home is small and I worry it could be too busy. Still, when I see an image with that particular detailing, it’s tempting. Not sure Mr. B. would see the logic in that design decision. Ha.
xo,
Karen
Taylor Greenwalt said:
I love the look and I love how they hung those lights above the kitchen table…very clever…
Yes, dark floors show everything!
Karen B. said:
Julie, You’re a designer, do you think dark doors and windows will be terribly dated in a few years? Our dark wood floors are swiffered almost daily, especially during shedding season with the doggies. Karen
On Wed, Mar 4, 2015 at 6:37 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Vicki said:
Every room needs a touch of black, but I think it depends on the architecture and if the room needs that strong punctuation. Sometimes the black framed windows stop the eye instead of drawing it outside. Just my two cents. This does make me want to play with an online paint tool and prove myself wrong, though. 🙂
Karen B. said:
Vicki, That’s a great idea. I registered with Benjamin Moore some time ago to use their tool and haven’t returned. Let me know how it looks, if you try them out for your own home. Karen
On Wed, Mar 4, 2015 at 8:44 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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leslie harris said:
I painted my French doors black in my other home and honestly regretted it even though I love the look of black doors. It just changed the feeling in my entry too much. But here I am getting ready to paint all my regular doors black in this old home. I’m definitely seeking some instant style around here and I think the black doors will do it–and we have a dog that sheds too. Oh well. Also I didn’t know you had a Dutch door Karen, I do too. Are you thinking about painting it black? Would you do both sides black or just the outside?
Karen B. said:
Leslie,
I’m happy to read your input on painted doors…there’s certain images I think are fabulous, but I’m never sure of the end result in my own home. Visualizing is one thing, but actual results sometimes surprise me.
Yes, we would have painted our dutch door right when we ordered it but we bought it from “Fine Finish” and it came pre-painted…black wasn’t an option. I believe I would paint both sides black. We keep the top of our door open a lot in the summer and I think it would bug me to have the top showing black with the inside bottom white. I would keep the side lights white, I think. [???]
xo,
Karen
Chronica Domus said:
Lovely, lovely, lovely! I do enjoy the look of darker doors as they add a punctuation mark to any room (in fact, a little black accessory here and there will do the same thing). I’ve painted all of my exterior doors on my house a dark blue/purple shade and I’ve had many compliments on those over the years. I don’t think dark doors would work with my interior woodwork but the look is beautiful, particularly in the photographs you’ve illustrated your post with.
Even with lighter painted wood, I find myself cleaning/dusting doors and skirting boards once a week so if you opt for black I’m sure the upkeep will be about the same (I have a teenager who loves to leave prints everywhere, as well as a dog).
Karen B. said:
CD, Your dark blue/purple painted exterior doors sound wonderful. I love your classic style and know your home is a show stopper, inside and out. I agree, even with an empty nest, aside from those fur balls of joy, cleaning and dusting goes on. It’s been interesting to read what some of my reader’s experience has been with dark doors. If we tackle it, it will most probably be the dutch door on the front. That door is flanked by sidelights and my question will be whether I leave the side lights white or paint them black as well? I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Maybe I should start a file with exterior doors and the way they’re detailed. 🙂
Thanks for your input. xo, Karen
On Wed, Mar 4, 2015 at 2:10 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Judy M. said:
Just finished painting all my interior doors semi gloss black. Love them! They were builders white 6 panel doors. We have three hairy dogs that are in and out. The black is easier to keep clean than the white. They also reflect the light better than white and do not darken the rooms at all. Kept the white trim and have lots of gray walls. Mr said go ahead, it is only paint! Would do it again in a split second!
Karen B. said:
Judy,
This is good input, thank you. I’ll save your response and, like the little kid, tell Mr. B. everyone is doing it! 🙂 I do think I’d like it. I have so many saved images of the look. I may have to start with the front dutch door. It’s also good to know that the black doors don’t make the rooms dark. I did imagine I’d keep the trim white. I really appreciate your joining in the conversation.
xo,
Karen
D'Arcy H said:
I love this look, too, and I think you should be brave and go for it on your Dutch door! I noticed a few things in the photos: the rooms are very neutral, with pale or white walls, and often it’s only one focal piece that’s painted black, while the rest of the windows and doors remain white or other colors, so the black becomes a focused accent, which keeps it from being oppressive. I think I’d paint the door AND the sidelights, but keep the trim white, as you said.
Oh, and tell me about furballs … one dog and 7 cats … sheesh. –D’Arcy
Karen B. said:
D’Arcy, Good point. I think we’ll pull the trigger on the front dutch door first. We’ve got a long painting list for spring and summer so that should be easy. I say, what’s a little fur among friends. The volume of love and entertainment we receive from our pets is a small price to pay for unconditional love! 🙂 xo, Karen
On Wed, Mar 4, 2015 at 5:25 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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kristywharvey said:
I’m with you on this, Karen. I love the look, but I can’t quite pull the trigger on it. I think I’m such a “bright” interior person that that’s what holds me back, but, somehow, I don’t think this look makes a room feel dark. Only gives it better contrast. So, maybe next house for me too! Love to you and Mr. B!! xo Kristy
Karen B. said:
I heard from a new (to me) reader who said she had painted the doors black in her home and loved it. She said it didn’t make the rooms dark. That said, I thought maybe when our front door (dutch door) needs paint, I’d start with that one and see how it felt to me. Like you, I ‘m nervous it would make our room feel less light. Thank you for the good wishes. I’m loving your book! xo, Karen
On Thu, Mar 5, 2015 at 7:33 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Linda Coble said:
Karen,
I love the look of dark doors and window frames and I think your home would look stunning with them. It’s sunny enough where you live so that you wouldn’t have to worry about darkening the rooms very much. For me, it would be impossible because it’s too dark and shady on our lot.
I think the first place I saw the dark door and window treatments was the Vignette Design blog. I’m definitely a fan!
Karen B. said:
Linda, I think the front door is the most likely candidate for black, maybe later this year. I’ll keep you posted. xo, Karen
On Thu, Mar 5, 2015 at 11:49 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Leslie @Pretty Petals said:
Hi Karen,
Wonderful post filled with inspiration! I personally love this look and have painted doors black and also my kitchen island which is has lots of detailed cabinetry (perfect place for dust to settle). I chose black accents to offset all the white in the house and it creates a dramatic effect as seen by you beautiful photos;) I will agree though that the darker colors are lots of work. The chips show and they need to be dusted. I’ve painted a small powder room a dark navy color and the dust and water marks show .. I still love it though.
xxL
Karen B. said:
Leslie, I have a black piece in my kitchen as well, I dust it daily but like you said, I love it so it’s okay by me. 🙂 I’ve always wanted a navy blue room, with crisp white trim. We have to dust anyway, right? 🙂 xo, Karen
On Sat, Mar 7, 2015 at 8:46 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Gretchen said:
Karen, I’ve been trying to talk Mr. G. into painting our front door black for years. So far no luck. I think the black accents you have in your house add wonderful contrast to your wood floors and white trim. I could certainly see the doors in your house painted black with the casements remaining white. I don’t think it would be too much. Starting with your Dutch door sounds like a good way to ease Mr. B. Into the new look.
Karen B. said:
Gretchen, that is perfect. Mr. B. somehow seems to think if you, Gretchen/Designer thinks its a good idea, it’s good! hahaha. xo, Karen
On Sun, Mar 8, 2015 at 8:18 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Karena said:
Karen, there is something so dramatic and striking about black doors and windows. I haven’t done it yet either, I do love the look though!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Karen B. said:
Karena, I might start with the front door to our house, which is a dutch door…it will be needing some paint in the not too distant future. I do like the look in some of the images you see of that process. I’m too cautious sometimes! 🙂 xo, Karen
On Tue, Mar 10, 2015 at 8:25 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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