How sunlight affects paint colour choices
North Facing Rooms
Northern light tends to omit a blue light and can make lighter shades feel a lot cooler. A grey painted in a Northern room can feel blue or purple depending on its undertone. Paint the same colour in a Southern room and it may feel like a simple mid grey.
North facing rooms tend to have reflected light, rather than natural direct light. The light that comes through the window is often affected by whats outside the window. If your window is surrounded by bricks or stone then the colour will be more of a warm toned hue (purple or red). If your window is surrounded by plants and trees then the colour will be more of a cooler hue (green or blue).
If your choosing a lighter tone, avoid anything with a grey base. Yellow, pink or gold based colours that are often referred to as “Warm Neutrals” in the painting industry work well in North facing rooms as they help bounce light in the room.
If you do want a grey, blue or green North Facing room, then opt for a darker hue to create a cosy and snug feeling in the room. The more saturated colours absorb the light and can look quite striking with a blue, green or purple undertone.
Add plenty of ambient lighting utilising a mix of low level lighting in table and floor lamps, and wall lights as apposed to ceiling fixed lights. Ceiling lights should use a bright white bulb to help illuminate the ceiling, whilst lamps should use a warmer bulb to help create a cosy ambient feel in the space.
Maximise the light by fixing roman blinds above the window instead of the recess. If choosing curtains, opt for Silent Gliss ceiling fixed tracks and allow for floor to ceiling curtains to fall with plenty of space next to the window opening for the curtain stack back.
Use mirrors in the darkest corners of the room. The ideal position is opposite a window or patio doors, they will bounce the light and visuals from outside and reflect any patterns found in wallpaper or the curtains nearby.
Add indoor plants such as ferns, peace lilies and Kentia palms to the space for extra vibrancy. Using wallpaper or patterned tiles will create texture and interest in the space. Opting for a mural or subtle pattern on a lighter wallpaper will create a local point that will help to detract away from the lack of light in the space.
East Facing Room
Embrace the morning sunshine, and feel energised throughout the morning by working with the nature and choosing green. These tones have a soothing and calming effect and tend to pair well with all colours. Green is the colour of nature, and sits beautifully against rusty orange, ochre yellow, midnight blue, dusky pink and coral.
East Facing rooms are quite possibly the worse rooms to work with, as they can feel grey and flat. They do however have the benefit of clarity. Colours in the morning feel pure and clean. As the sun rises you get long shadows which creates drama in the room, the light feels soft but not warm. Come noon when the sun is high in the sky, the room will start to fall into shade.
As above, determine what time of day you are likely to spend in this room. If its a bedroom or a kitchen, and you mostly use the room in the morning then opt for warmer colours as these are less likely to change throughout the day.
If you really want a grey, go for a warm grey with a red or purple undertone, or a taupe.
If you really want a blue, go for a teal as the touch of green will help them to feel a bit softer and more inviting.
If you want a green then opt for one with undertones of yellow to help it feel a bit more vibrant even on the gloomiest of days.
If however, you use the room in the afternoon (i.e a living room or dining room) then it is advised to steer clear of all cool paint colours. Warmer colours can balance the grey, flat shaded tones in an east facing room in the afternoon. Avoid overly muted neutral tones with a beige base as these can look flat and grey.
South Facing Room
During the summer months when the sun is higher in the sky, South Facing rooms can be quite intense spaces to be in, especially if the windows are large and there aren’t many trees outside your property to diffuse the light.
Full on direct sunlight can drain the colour from the richest of decorating schemes and highlight every flaw on the surface. With sun, comes shadows. Shadows create their own natural contrasts which means any colour you choose will change throughout the day as the light changes.
They are of course, the easiest of rooms to choose colours for as they get the most light. This said however, choosing colours that are too white or yellow in these rooms can be quite dazzling and can omit a feeling of restlessness. The trick is to filter out the glare and soften the high contrast found between the light and shadow.
South facing rooms benefit from strong clear natural light so all colours work well. Blue, green and purple balance the intensity of the light. Greys and cooler tones of off whites also look great and help to balance the “hot” feeling of the room. Combine colours and textures that blend in a harmonious colour palette.
If you love a dark and moody interior, then the best place to play with these colours is in a south facing room because the intensity of the sun light contrast will balance with the deeper saturation of colour. Overall, southern light is warm and yellow toned so by adding a cooler colour such as blue, grey or green helps to balance it out.
Choose blackout window dressings by doubling up blinds with curtains in bedrooms. The blind should be fixed outside the architrave to ensure light doesn’t show around the edges, then choose a light weight curtain to add softness and drama without being too heavy. If you need more privacy during the day, go for a double track system using a voile to obscure the view, and a thermal lined blackout curtain to block out the morning sun. If you want to keep the room light, opt for a sheer ‘relaxed’ roman blind and curtains without any lining.
West Facing Room
If you’re a bit of a night owl, and love a lie in then West Facing bedrooms are great. They do however omit a cooler feeling in the morning due to the lack of sunshine. In the afternoon however, these rooms benefit from a wonderful warm feeling with the sun being low in the sky.
Embrace the warm feeling with hues of pink, red, coral or warm neutrals that have a yellow undertone. These colours are supportive and make you feel at home. They make the cooler mornings feel warmer, and will glow in the afternoon when the sun is setting.
Determine how much time you spend in this room, if its a kitchen or living room do you use it in the morning or in the afternoon? If you use it mostly in the morning then you may want to choose warmer tones to help warm the space in the morning and create a glow in the afternoon. Be mindful that these warmer hues, can feel hot in the afternoon in the middle of the summer. If you’re a bit of a hot person and love the tropical feeling this can create then choosing warmer hues of colour shouldn’t be a problem!
If you mostly use the space in the afternoon, then it doesn’t matter too much about making it feel warmer in the morning as you won’t really be using it. If you dislike warm neutrals and tend to be a “blue” or a “green” person and the room is your living room that you use in the afternoon / evening then don’t be afraid of choosing it for this room. These cooler hues can help balance the intensity of the afternoon sun, and if you’re not much of a hot person you may prefer this.
NORTH FACING ROOM: Pink walls in “Calamine” paired with teal colour blocks either end of the room. White ceiling to bounce the light.
Add warm wood tones to the floor to brighten the space and add warmth.
Add reflective surfaces in handles, taps, lights and mirrors help to bounce the light around the room.
Still feeling confused?
Have you lost confidence in what you are trying to achieve with the room and feel like its becoming an uphill battle or indecision?
Spruce Interiors offers a colour design service for £150 and will give you a colour palette for walls, woodwork and wallpaper if you so wish. Click here to enquire.