Decorating
Spotted! Matt-Black Fittings That Add Definition to Decor
Why go back to black with your metals this year? For one thing, it’s a look that works well beyond just the bathroom
When it comes to choosing hardware – think handles, knobs, showerheads, pipework, light fittings – it should not come as a surprise that matt black is popular. Versatile, modern yet timeless, this colour works wonders in all the usual places.
It works with many colours
Although white may dominate in many kitchens and bathrooms, you still can’t go wrong with black fixtures and fittings alongside any colour, such as the teal tiles seen here. This is because unpolished black is black in the extreme – essentially the absence of colour or light – so it does two jobs: it is the perfect complement to any other colour as well as being the perfect foil, preventing any scheme from becoming too much.
Colour Me Happy: Beautiful Interiors From the Dulux Colour Awards
Although white may dominate in many kitchens and bathrooms, you still can’t go wrong with black fixtures and fittings alongside any colour, such as the teal tiles seen here. This is because unpolished black is black in the extreme – essentially the absence of colour or light – so it does two jobs: it is the perfect complement to any other colour as well as being the perfect foil, preventing any scheme from becoming too much.
Colour Me Happy: Beautiful Interiors From the Dulux Colour Awards
And it’s great paired with cast-iron
If you are fortunate enough to have any cast-iron details in your home, then adding matt black creates a great vintage vibe. Here, the iron pipework beautifully offsets an elegantly curved showerhead and hose.
If you are fortunate enough to have any cast-iron details in your home, then adding matt black creates a great vintage vibe. Here, the iron pipework beautifully offsets an elegantly curved showerhead and hose.
Matt black adds depth to a minimalist setting
If a more contemporary, minimalist look is for you, the bold simplicity of matt black means that, with all other plumbing hidden, you can let fixtures become the heroes of your scheme.
If a more contemporary, minimalist look is for you, the bold simplicity of matt black means that, with all other plumbing hidden, you can let fixtures become the heroes of your scheme.
If you think understated could mean underwhelming, consider how much room for indulgence that sparse display of plumbing leaves elsewhere, such as in this black roll-top bath and these gorgeous Moorish-style tiles.
Matt black lets the smallest touches make a statement
A small change, like swapping to a matt-black light switch or power point socket, can make all the difference and is a budget-friendly option for anyone who can’t afford to change up their metal work elsewhere.
With its retro shape, this bathroom light switch looks good against classic subway tiles, but it could work equally well in any room.
A small change, like swapping to a matt-black light switch or power point socket, can make all the difference and is a budget-friendly option for anyone who can’t afford to change up their metal work elsewhere.
With its retro shape, this bathroom light switch looks good against classic subway tiles, but it could work equally well in any room.
It complements mid-century style
Beyond the kitchen and bathroom, this classic spotlight adds the ultimate finishing touch to a mid-century scheme. Muted black works so well here because it exemplifies the clean, unfussy feel that’s key to this era.
Beyond the kitchen and bathroom, this classic spotlight adds the ultimate finishing touch to a mid-century scheme. Muted black works so well here because it exemplifies the clean, unfussy feel that’s key to this era.
There’s no doubt a four-poster bed offers a visually arresting element to a room, yet in simple matt black, against the otherwise ethereal whites and naturals of this room, the look stops well short of being ostentatious.
Find a home stylist near you
Find a home stylist near you
It quickly adds an up-to-date element
Matt black also helps bring a more current edge to mid-century style and classic design staples.
Matt black also helps bring a more current edge to mid-century style and classic design staples.
Here’s another wall-mounted example…
It looks fantastic in the bedroom
An old-world aesthetic is just as charming when evoked with a lamp such as this one. In this case it sits among a vintage scheme, though again the beauty of classic matt black is that it works in just about any room.
An old-world aesthetic is just as charming when evoked with a lamp such as this one. In this case it sits among a vintage scheme, though again the beauty of classic matt black is that it works in just about any room.
Old-school beds have never looked better
The versatility of this metal finish allows it to look charming in vintage pieces such as these twin hospital bedframes.
The versatility of this metal finish allows it to look charming in vintage pieces such as these twin hospital bedframes.
It adds the right touch of industrial style
The utilitarian look of matt black is what makes it such an integral part of many industrial schemes. Here, it works by bringing a hint of that feel to this otherwise mid-century side table in a pared-down room…
The utilitarian look of matt black is what makes it such an integral part of many industrial schemes. Here, it works by bringing a hint of that feel to this otherwise mid-century side table in a pared-down room…
…Or, for those who prefer to go all-in with the industrial aesthetic, there’s no denying the classic fusion of matt black and exposed brickwork – as seen here in the lamp and barstools – adds instant class.
So Your Style Is… Industrial
So Your Style Is… Industrial
It’s fantastic in fans
An elegant black ceiling fan looks lovely on its own, but when paired with Crittall-style windows and black paintwork, the combination is so sophisticated.
An elegant black ceiling fan looks lovely on its own, but when paired with Crittall-style windows and black paintwork, the combination is so sophisticated.
It works well in a fireplace
Remember how cast iron worked its matt-black magic earlier? Here it looks no less charming in this traditional fireplace, where the unpolished surface is both authentic to the original style and repeated across smaller features, such as the lamp.
Remember how cast iron worked its matt-black magic earlier? Here it looks no less charming in this traditional fireplace, where the unpolished surface is both authentic to the original style and repeated across smaller features, such as the lamp.
It adds style to an entrance
Let’s not forget the most hard-working piece of hardware: the door handle. See how this one brings just the right amount of contrast to the pastel colour way here, making a lasting statement at both entry and exit?
Let’s not forget the most hard-working piece of hardware: the door handle. See how this one brings just the right amount of contrast to the pastel colour way here, making a lasting statement at both entry and exit?
Basically, it looks great wherever you place it
If you haven’t been convinced by now, this image says it all: matt black is so simple and refined that it can be used as much or as little as you like within any scheme for just the touch you need.
Here the chunky lines of the window frames, repeated within the ceiling and beams, are balanced with both the curves of the pendant lamps and the cobweb-like fineness of the dining table legs.
Tell us
Have you found even more uses for matt black in your home than what’s listed here? Tell us in the Comments, save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Find an interior designer to help modernise your home
If you haven’t been convinced by now, this image says it all: matt black is so simple and refined that it can be used as much or as little as you like within any scheme for just the touch you need.
Here the chunky lines of the window frames, repeated within the ceiling and beams, are balanced with both the curves of the pendant lamps and the cobweb-like fineness of the dining table legs.
Tell us
Have you found even more uses for matt black in your home than what’s listed here? Tell us in the Comments, save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Find an interior designer to help modernise your home
Though I intend to show its multiple uses, it would be a shame to overlook one of the most well-known spaces for matt black: the kitchen.
As seen here, its stark simplicity brings a contemporary look to a space – in this case in the elegant arc of the tap, mirrored in the black domes of the pendants overhead, against the white linear aesthetic elsewhere.