There's simply no shade on the color wheel with more power to draw the eye, up the ante, and pack the punches. Lately, decorators are rediscovering black, using its oomph in a different way, dotting it around interiors and pairing it with soft or unconventional colors to create sophistication.

"If you have a fabulous color, and you put it against black, it will look amazing," says designer Anthony P. Browne. He recently used black touches on chairs, picture frames, vases, and fabrics in a bright Venetian orange sitting room in Georgetown, giving what could be an over-the-top shade some visual discipline. It also underscores the primary tenet: Black goes with everything, and there are no hard-and-fast rules. Even designers have different takes on using the color. Some prefer pure black paint, while others temper it with various undertones. As far as finishes go, both matte and shiny have their place.

"It's like photography. You need pure black and pure white so other colors show up well," says designer Mary Anne Smiley. "Every room needs a touch of black to sharpen everything else."

That sharpening effect also boosts the glamour quotient, which brings us to the second tenet: There's an indelibly urbane quality to black. "Chanel didn't choose black for the classic little dress for nothing," says Smiley.

When feminine fabrics threatened to overwhelm a den she designed in Highland Park, Smiley introduced black in the form of black-and-white printed fabrics. "It was necessary to keep the red-and-white toiles from getting too sweet. Otherwise all the French accents would have become too feminine," she says. It also gave her freedom to pull in other fanciful elements, such as pink Venetian glass and custom red cabinets.

But think about the shade of black you choose, which introduces the third tenet: With black, it's all about the shade and finish. Browne tempers his blacks with other colors. "I never use pure black," says the designer, who adds aubergine to an interior black paint color, and green to a black that will be used outdoors. "You don't want anything to look like a lump of coal." Even brown and gray undertones can soften a harsh black. Browne is also an advocate of sheen, advising a gloss or semigloss finish for paint and textured or luminescent weaves for fabrics.

For other designers, shine often determines the level of formality, and too much can be a bad thing. "With paint, you want a pearl-smooth finish for the effect of pure color, so it naturally has a little sheen," says Smiley. "But too much glare is offensive." The fourth and final tenet: Go with the look that suits your taste because black is always a classic.

RESOURCES: Anthony P. Browne, 202/333-1903; Mary Anne Smiley, Mary Anne Smiley Interiors, 214/522-0705, www.maryannesmiley.com; Mark Maresca, Maresca & Associates, Architects, 843/727-2555, www.markmaresca.com; Glant (T); Cowtan & Tout (T).