Let's get this out of the way: The dark exterior for a house is not a trend. While interest in it has surged up almost 1000% since 2014, according to Pinterest's metrics on it alone, it's been around in various cultures for hundreds of years. And when this exterior goes beyond dark to black itself, one might even say it's not so much a trend or a design choice as a way of life. It's at once self-effacing, a gesture toward the void, and the ultimate statement—"LOOK AT ME!" It's house-as-art-installation and a declaration of presence. Paintcoat as paradox. It also just makes sense in some climates.
Whether it's in dark green, dark grey, dark blue, dark brown, or pure black, houses with dark exteriors form elegant foils against which outdoor ornaments, a bold-color front door and/or trim, and the surrounding landscape itself all pop.
Due to the many years of unpopularity-verging-on-unacceptability for black as an exterior color, it's still seen as taboo. And is thus wildly thrilling to do. It's like that "Bring it on" moment in The X Files when Mulder defiantly hammers the pink flamingo into his front yard, but way bigger and without supernatural forces telling you that you can't do it. It's a kiss-off to mediocrity, conformity, and the very idea of settling.
Here's the thing: If there are stories of people who took the plunge and went dark with their exterior, and then regretted it, the internet isn't full of them. Rather, it's those nervous to make the leap, but were so glad they did a few weeks later, that you see on design blogs and in décor articles.
