Usher's elegant black dressing room proves that this bold color choice can create a truly sophisticated scheme

Black paint can be polarizing, but Usher's home shows that this controversial color can also be a highly adaptable and stylish shade to decorate with

Usher
(Image credit: Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

Certain paint colors are crowd-pleasers, while others can cause quite a divide. Black paint falls into the latter category. Despite its versatility and omnipresence as an accent, decorating with black can be intimidating for some. However, with the right shade selection and styling, black room ideas can create a chic and even calming effect in the home.

We're taking cues from Usher on this front. The "Yeah!" singer, whose latest album came out in February, recently shared a clip of his home on his TikTok page, and we were taken by his black dressing room ideas.

@usher

♬ original sound - ☆icm_triplets☆

Black paint has been used across the walls and for the ceiling paint ideas to create a contemporary and cocooning effect. Finished with sleek gold accents, white countertops, and warming wooden flooring, the design feels wonderfully elegant.

When exploring how to use black paint, Hebe Hatton, head of interiors at Homes & Gardens says, 'For many people, black paint is never an obvious choice for room color ideas in the home. However, it can actually have a remarkably grounding effect, helping to make a room feel more calm and restful. Dark colors can, surprisingly, also help to make a small room look bigger, helping to distract the eye from the true size of the space, so being bold with black is perfect for smaller spaces such as dressing rooms and powder rooms.'

Interior designer Nicole Lanteri adds, 'Decorating with black can make any space feel very fresh and clean, and it is a shade that can effortlessly integrate into both traditional and modern homes.'

She continues, 'It can also easily make an outdated space feel more current. Simply painting the walls black against a set of wood cabinets can make the space feel more updated without doing anything else. Painting the walls black in a small space can also make the room feel larger by making the corners of the room imperceptible.'

If you don't want to be as brave as Usher and paint a whole room black, Nicole suggests. 'Add in a black chair or rug to the room, they can help to add an edge and a striking sense of contrast that no other color can effectively do.'

Office

(Image credit: Studio McGee)

Finally, black can also help to create a wonderfully glamorous and decadent feel, perfect if Art Deco decor is more your style.

Similar to how Usher has created contrast in his dressing room with wood and white accents, this black living room, designed by Studio McGee champions an elegant blend of warm and cool, dark and light to create a truly luxurious space.

Remember, when decorating with dark shades such as black, creating moments of light, and uplifting contrast is always key.


If you've been inspired by Usher's sleek black dressing room but are wondering where to start with choosing the best black paint, Benjamin Moore has an extensive range of shades to choose from, we've included one of our favorites below.

Hannah Ziegler
News Editor

Hannah is Homes & Gardens’ News Editor, with a focus on celebrity style and entertainment content. She got her start in media as a digital editorial assistant at ELLE Canada, and has since written about lifestyle and culture for publications such as Nylon and i-D.

Her love of film is rivalled only by one with a great soundtrack, and she hopes to someday decorate a Nancy Meyers-worthy kitchen.