Decorating & Design
Color Crush: Soot Is A Softer & More Livable Alternative To Black
Updated on December 22, 2021
H&H’s Style Director/West Coast Editor Emma Reddington shares which hue she’s crushing on right now.
Sleek and sophisticated, soot conjures elements of stone and metal seen in classic industrial and Scandinavian design. This softer, more textured relative of deep black contrasts without clashing, making black rooms a charismatic addition to bright and eclectic living spaces. An incredibly versatile shade, sooty black on velvet upholstery is an elevated touch for a home office armchair or, alternatively, a smaller decorative accent in the shade pairs fabulously with rosy undertones or warmer whites for a more subtle look.
Scroll down to see how to use this dramatic hue!
Soft: Off-Black (57), Farrow & Ball
Deep: Ebony King (2132-20), Benjamin Moore
Pair It With: India Yellow (66), Farrow & Ball
Pair It With: Tempe Star (SW 6229), Sherwin-Williams
For the kitchen of late-night show host Seth Meyers, designer Ashe Leandro combined surface textures in shades of soot for eye-catching dimension. Smooth cabinets, ribbed shiplap walls and black stone counters create the perfect backdrop for accents that have a pop of color.
This living room uses dark-hued floors and wall paneling to add even more depth to soot-colored walls. Using textural fabrics like a creamy bouclé on sculptural chairs adds contrast.
Emma Reddington’s own dining room, with its dark gray walls and moody painting, has been the scene of some great dinner parties.
White bathroom fixtures and patterned tile pop against the soot walls in this bathroom designed by Vancouver-based designer Sophie Burke.
“The black wallpaper and custom metalwork makes it feel like you’re in a restaurant or hotel,” says Shirley Miesels of this soot-colored cloakroom.
The soot black stool and fluted dressing table in the principal ensuite are a perfect match.
A blackboard paint wall creates a dramatic backdrop to highlight a new light fixture in this dining room. A red credenza was a lucky Kijiji find.
French inlayed slate floors are strong enough to withstand the wear and tear of daily traffic in this olive green kitchen.
To keep slate from feeling too stark, fold in some buttery, wood tones. If you’re going for a Scandi look, choose a pale wood like white oak as seen in this space by Calgary-based designer Nam Dang-Mitchell.
A wall of soot hexagonal tile creates drama in this bathroom by designer Shirley Meisels.
“Don’t tell my kids, but the east wall of the kitchen has a coat of chalkboard paint,” says Emma Reddington. “It has a depth and flatness to it that’s hard to achieve with traditional paint.”
House & Home December 2021
Produced by Emma Reddington