The Best Behr Black Paint Colours & Tips for Choosing One

Black paint can be tricky as there are various shades and finishes to choose from. Lucky for you, Behr has a range of black paint colors that will suit your taste. I’ve picked the best Behr black paint colours and also provided some tips to help you choose the perfect one for your home.

Why paint your room black?

Black is a bold choice for home exteriors or interiors. It can be extremely demanding and can make a room feel smaller if not applied correctly. So why choose black paint? A black painted room can make you feel more grounded, and it can also make you feel more secure and cozy. That makes it a great choice for a bedroom. Consider painting your trim black too for the ultimate colour drenching effect. If you’re feeling a little wary of using a dark black paint, you could also consider using a shade of black like a dark grey. We used a beautiful warm dark grey paint called Behr Barnwood in my daughter’s teen bedroom makeover and the result is stunning. Black is also a wonderful choice for a front door exterior paint color. It’s a classic look that goes with almost any colour of siding.

Let’s talk Undertones

Some black paints have a slight undertone. This means black paints can have a tiny hint of blue, purple or green which makes them appear more colourful when compared to true black.

The best way to find a black paint colour’s undertone using Behr’s truest black paint colour chip (Behr BLACK) in natural light. Go outside an hour before sunset, or go near a window inside. You can see your black paint’s undertone by placing the paint chip beside the Behr BLACK paint chip. You’ll see the subtle differences between the paint colour and the Behr BLACK paint chip that will make all those undertones pop out at you!

The Behr black paint colours I’m featuring in this block post are all quite neutral and don’t read too warm or cool to me. However, if you want to try a gorgeous off-black my favourite one is Behr Black Evergreen. It’s a deep green that looks black in some lighting, and I used it in our RV bedroom and most recently on our front door exterior.

Let’s talk LRV (Light Reflectance Value)

How do you know if a color will make your room feel cozy or brighter? The Light Reflectance Value (LRV) measures the amount of light that reflects from (or absorbs into) painted surfaces. Colors with higher LRVs are lighter mostly used in natural settings while those with lower values are darker and provide an environment where people can really relax. It’s important to consider both factors when deciding on paint colors for different areas within our home!

My favourite Behr black paint colours

Here are my absolute favourite, best Behr black paint colours that I’ve used or that my blogging friends have used in our homes. I’m listing these popular black paint colors from the lightest (highest LRV) to the darkest (lowest LRV). Please note that many things can affect how you see these black paint colours in the photos below such as the room’s lighting and your computer/phone’s screen. Make sure to read my notes at the end of this blog post to ensure you’re picking the right black paint for YOUR space!

Behr Shades On

Behr Shades On T17-10
LRV: 12 R: 96 G: 95 B: 95

Behr Shades On is a deep charcoal grey colour that reads neither too cool or too warm. It’s a lovely neutral, soft black paint color. I have this one on the upper third of the wall in our living room, and I love how much coziness it adds to our space. Because we don’t have a lot of natural light in our living room, it reads quite dark and looks almost black. I’m a huge lover of white paint, so I paired Shades On with a lot of white trim work beneath it (Behr Whisper White). You can find all of my favourite Behr White paint colours and how to choose one right here.

Behr Carbon Copy

Behr Carbon Copy PPU25-01
LRV:9 R: 84 G: 85 B: 84

Carbon Copy is deep black-grey and creates a subdued sophistication in any setting. It’s another softer black that’s a great choice if you don’t have a lot of natural light in your space. You can see this gorgeous deep grey color on the island in Love & Renovations’ kitchen. I think Carbon Copy is an excellent choice for kitchen cabinets, and it’s another black that doesn’t read too cool (no blue undertones) or too warm (no green undertones).

Behr Cracked Pepper

Behr Cracked Pepper PPU18-01
LRV: 8 R: 79 G: 81 B: 82

Behr Cracked Pepper is Behr’s 2024 colour of the year. It’s another versatile soft black that isn’t too harsh or too deep. I love how Tamara of Citrine Living used this colour in her dining room on the top portion of the wall. It looks stunning against white trim work and it makes this dining space look sophisticated and classy.

Behr Broadway

Behr Broadway PPU18-20
LRV: 6 R: 67 G: 68 B: 66

Broadway is a stunning and velvety deep black with a modern, sleek look. It’s a lot deeper than the grey-blacks I’ve shared above, and it looks bold and beautiful in Colleen of Lemon Thistle’s bedroom. Even though I’m a “dark accent wall” kind of gal, I love how Colleen went all in and painted her entire bedroom in this dramatic shade. It creates a cozy, enveloping space for a calming sleep experience while looking modern and chic.

Behr Limousine Leather

Behr Limousine Leather MQ5-05
LRV: 4 R: 59 G: 60 B: 59

Limousine Leather is a rich, beautiful black that exudes style, ease, and luxury. As the darkest black paint featured here, it’s not one for the faint of heart! I love it as an accent colour, like on Caitlin Marie Design’s front door as shown here. It’s a dramatic look when paired with white paint and trim, and it would also be a stunning choice for a modern cabinetry colour in a kitchen or living room built-in.

How to choose the best Behr black paint colour for your home

I never advise anyone to choose a paint colour based off of solely seeing it online. You may love how it looks in a photo on Pinterest on on Behr’s website, but in real life IN YOUR HOME, it will probably look different. You also shouldn’t pick a colour based on the small paint swatch you see at the paint store. It will look a lot different on a wall in your home!

My favourite way to choose any paint colour is to purchase a few sample pots of paint in a few different whites you want to try. At Home Depot Canada right now, Behr sample paint pots are around $5. This can end up saving you a lot of money in the long run – it’s expensive to completely re-paint after choosing the wrong colour for your space!

Next, paint large swatches of the colours either directly on your wall, on a large poster board, or on a scrap piece of drywall. The swatches should be at least 1 x 1 ft, or up to 3 x 3 feet large is even better!

Then, place the swatches in the room you want to paint and look at them throughout the day. Make sure to see how they look in the morning, afternoon, and evening and how they look in natural light and at night when your interior lights are on.

After this, you should know which black paint colour you like most that suits your room. It’s surprising how different paint can look when it’s in your home and painted in a larger swatch!

Let’s talk paint sheen

As far as the sheen of paint you choose goes, my preference is an eggshell for walls and a satin for doors and trim. Why? Eggshell is slightly shinier than flat paint, so it’s a little easier to clean. Satin is even easier to clean, and I love the contrast of the two sheens in a room. Some people like to paint trim and doors in semi-gloss paint, but I don’t prefer it.

What’s the best black paint color?!

So, what’s the best black paint colour for your home? It depends on the feeling you’re looking for as well as the lighting in your space. For something softer, choose Cracked Pepper. For something bolder, go for Limousine Leather. With so many beautiful Behr blacks to choose from, it can be hard to pick just one! But I hope this blog post has helped narrow down your choices and given you some ideas for painting your next project.

Other brands of black paint I love

Behr paint is my favourite paint brand for its price vs performance, but I also love Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams paints. They’re pricier, but beautiful and high-quality paint colours. Some other black paints I love:

• Benjamin Moore’s Wrought Iron
• Benjamin Moore Onyx
• Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black
• Sherwin Williams Peppercorn
• Sherwin Williams Iron Ore
• Sherwin Williams Black Fox

Which of these black paint colours do you like the best? Let me know in the comments below.