Matte Black: The Hottest Home Design Trend For 2023 (2024)

When it comes to choosing colors for your home, be it paint, accessories, fixtures or even appliances, choosing to go with matte black may not be your first instinct. However, it’s a fun, on-trend way to add texture and dimension to any space, while still keeping it otherwise neutral.

Representatives from Minneapolis-based design-build firm, Alma Homes, told Forbes Home how matte black can be used to elevate a space: “Matte black has become a mainstay in home design finishes over the last few years. It’s a classic finish that brings a clean feel to spaces and works well with a variety of color palettes. While it normally trends a bit more modern, based on the style of the fixture, it can work with just about any style. It pairs well with white oak, which has also been a huge trend as of late.”

Beyond its striking look, matte black is versatile enough to work with almost any decor style, and durable enough to withstand all types of lifestyles. According to Rachel Day, Delta Faucet Associate Brand Manager, regardless of how rustic or modern your design taste is, matte black can have a place in your space.

“Matte Black is a versatile finish that works well with almost any design style, whether your space is modern and edgy or warm and Boho! It pairs well with various wood tones, warm and cool color palettes, and even mixed metals,” Day told Forbes Home. “It’s also extremely practical as it hides smudges and watermarks well, making it a great finish for high-traffic areas.”

Beyond its stunning appearance, there are many other reasons why matte black may be exactly what your home is in need of. According to Heather Shannon, Director of Brand Marketing and Perlick, matte black is the perfect combination of fashion and function.

“Matte black doesn’t smudge or show fingerprints, and is easy to clean. In a post COVID world, homeowners want everything, including their appliances, to be extremely clean. Eliminating smudges from kids’ fingers is important,” Shannon says. “Second, matte black provides drama to just about any room. Black is a timeless color: it’s elegant and ensures your appliances won’t go out of style, as it’s not ‘the next trend.’ And it adds drama. It’s unexpected. After decades of white and stainless dominating the appliance industry, matte black offers homeowners something different.”

If you’re ready to try out the matte black trend in your own home, but aren’t sure where to start, let these ideas inspire you.

Accessories

Ease into the matte black trend by sprinkling small bits of it throughout your home. Think matte black trash cans, tissue box covers, flatware, side table, mirrors, etc. This will allow you to test out the trend without too much commitment.

Fixtures

For slightly more investment into the trend, try out some matte black fixtures. Swapping out the fixtures in your bathroom (faucets, lights, bath and shower hardware, etc.) is a great option. Especially if your bathroom design is already mostly light in color, matte black fixtures can pack a punch while looking sleek and clean.

According to Michael Cox, Principal of Foley&Cox, “Matte black faucets can add a chic exclamation point to an otherwise understated bathroom. They shift the conversation between brass and nickel and end that debate with the most elegant clarity—matte black may feel like the new kid on the block, but it is simply a new contender in the category of design classics.”

Finishes

If you’re looking to bring the matte black the trend into your home as an attention grabbing focal point, consider upgrading your tile, cabinets or countertops.

Rozit Arditi, Principal of Arditi Design, told Forbes Home how matte black finishes can be especially impactful in the kitchen: “Now that we are seeing the end of the white and gray kitchen trend, there is a lot more color in the kitchens and bathrooms. Matte black, especially on cabinetry and countertops, has its moment [now].” Arditi also told Forbes Home that the Arditi team is currently designing multiple dry bars and bathroom vanities incorporating black in cabinetry and on countertops, along with darker tile options.

“With all the color in these spaces, instead of creating a stark contrast with white, black is more of a unifying color to bring into these spaces,” Arditi continued.

Appliances

If you absolutely love the matte black trend and can’t imagine that love dwindling anytime soon, matte black appliances could be an investment worth making.

“Going with all matte black appliances is a bolder move,” Alicia Cheung and Eva Bradley, Principals of Studio Heimat, told Forbes Home, and it’s so striking that it’s bound to be a conversation starter. Many brands are releasing matte black ranges, refrigerators and dishwashers in 2023, so keep an eye out when you’re in need of a new appliance.

Bottom Line

When it comes to why we love matte black, and why it is trending, Danielle DeBoe Harper, senior creative style manager at Moen, says it best: “In many ways, I think of this finish as a true style chameleon. It seems to adhere to and elevate whatever environment you put it into. It feels at home in a modern, transitional or traditional space.” Harper said the farmhouse trend is another example of versatility and the ability to enliven otherwise white and bland environments.

Harper said she personally is utilizing the matte black trend and simply loves it: “I’ve put it in a room with an elegant wall mural and traditional flourishes and it has a beautiful impact.”

If you’re looking for a surefire way to elevate your space, while keeping it sleek, neutral and timeless, matte black could be exactly what your home needs.