Our Guide to North, South, East and West Facing Rooms

The amount of natural light a space receives greatly affects the overall look, feel and mood of a room. When it comes to choosing the colour of a room it's essential to know which direction the room is facing. When choosing the right shade, some elements to consider are the quality of light in the area, how much or how little light the room receives, the time of day you spend the most time in the space, and even the time of year you are painting. The colour can vary throughout the day depending on how much natural light your room receives. Although you have little influence over how the light is directed in your home, you can choose the perfect shade to create the mood you want. This guide will help you understand the effects of light in your home and which colours can benefit different types of rooms. 

Colour: Esker Ridge

 

South Facing Rooms

Let's start with the easier rooms to decorate, south-facing rooms. South-facing rooms can be filled with bright, warm natural light throughout the day, making choosing a colour scheme a relatively straightforward decision. Most colours will work well in a south-facing room. The more sunlight a colour gets the brighter it will shine, boasting each pigment that makes up the beautiful shade. It's important to truly understand a colour's undertones when deciding on your colour scheme, as they will be more apparent in south-facing rooms. 

Our Recommendations:

Both cool and warm-toned shades will work well in these rooms as they will receive an abundance of warm, natural light throughout the day. This provides you with a fantastic opportunity to be creative and add some personality to your home. To strengthen the warmth and cheerful feel of south-facing rooms, try a red undertoned neutral such as Foraging or an earthy toned neutral like Covert Feather. Think of soft blues and greens if you wish to create a lighter and more tranquil environment. Ormond Wash, Greengage and Silk Seal would give a cool, stillness to the room. 

 

North Facing Rooms

Choosing a colour for a room with a north orientation may require extra thought. North-facing rooms typically rank among the darkest rooms in a home because the light they receive is often soft and indirect. Choosing a colour that will give your room a warm and welcoming feeling is important because, with little natural light, the space may sometimes feel darker and colder. But not to worry, there are plenty of ways to warm up a north-facing room. 

Our Recommendations:

Even in a room with minimal natural light, utilising yellow or pink hues can help reflect light around the room. Colours such as Alabaster White, Bali Sand and Lowland will create an inviting and bright environment. If a cosy, cocooning atmosphere is what you crave, consider embracing the dark ambience of the room and opt for deep, saturated colours such as Genesis, Four Arches, and Templar Grey. On these dark evenings, these hues will make you want to curl up next to a fire.

 

  Colours (L-R): Alabaster White, Bali Sand, Lowland, Four Arches, Genesis, Templar Grey

  

East & West Facing Rooms

East is where the sun rises, and west is where it sets. As a result, rooms facing east will have warmer, brighter natural light in the morning and cooler, darker light in the evening. West-facing rooms are the opposite, though. Therefore, it's important to understand when you'll be using the space the most.

Our Recommendations: 

If you use an area of your home at a time when natural light is restricted, look for colours that retain warmth in darkened spaces. Spring’s Call, Juniper Whorl, and Minimalwill make your home incredibly cosy.

If you spend the most time in a room during the natural daylight hours, consider using colours that will balance the sunlight such as Chestnut Pink and City Dusk. 

 

 

Remember: This guide is only to help you get the most from your room’s orientation. It's your room, choose a colour that you will love and cherish. 

Get In Touch With Us

Continue to discover inspiration by visiting our other blogs, which are available here. We are always ready to help you with any colour or product queries, you can reach us via our live chat on our website,  through our social channels @colourtrendpaints or drop us an email at hello@colourtrend.ie.