Paint colours for north-facing rooms

‘What colour should I paint a north-facing room?’ It’s the design question you often ask us.

If you don’t already know, rooms that face North on the compass lack warm natural light. That’s because the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. The result is that little direct light enters spaces orientated in a northerly direction, making them tricky to decorate as they are darker, calmer and cooler than those that face South.

‘Understanding orientation is important when it comes to home decorating,’ says interior designer Rebecca Constable of @rebeccaconstable.design from North London. ‘The direction your window faces is going to affect the light coming in during the day. Knowing the orientation helps you understand the amount of light you get, at what time and, therefore, the colours you need to choose to lift and enhance the space.’

Here we take a quick dip into how to activate the character in a northerly aspect home and the power paint colours to help warm it up…

‘People often give north-facing rooms a bad rap,’ says Rebecca Constable. ‘They have a poor reputation because they don’t get much light during the day. They tend to be darker and everything will read slightly darker in tone.’ As a result, cooler colours like greys and blues can feel quite cold and unappealing. ‘It doesn’t mean you can’t use those colours, you’ll just need to choose ones with a warm undertone,’ she adds. North-facing rooms can also bring out the green in a colour so if your paint colour has a green undertone and you don’t like green then avoid it.

On the plus side, because you don’t get direct sunlight, you get a much softer light, less glare and less stark shadows. ‘It’s a great opportunity to embrace a moodier and softer feeling and go for homely hues with plenty of warmth,’ says Rebecca Constable. In a north-facing room, also consider the quality of the paint, advises interior designer and decorator, Emma Buchan, from Constance Interiors based in Kent. ‘You can’t go wrong with paints that are high in colour pigments,’ she says. The Pure Edit’s Matt Emulsion is environmentally-friendly, pigment-rich and water-based with a soft matt effect for walls and ceilings.

A paint’s finish is also important for boosting low light levels. A soft sheen effect eggshell (as shown above in River Otter Eggshell), high gloss or a lacquered surface on joinery, trims and furniture will bounce much-needed light around. The Pure Edit’s Eggshell is a durable and modern water-based version of a classic eggshell finish with a low subtle sheen.

Finally, lighting is a key consideration as you are more likely to switch it on during the daylight hours in a north-facing room. Multiple sources of illumination at different levels – ceiling pendants, wall lights and table lamps – will ensure easy-to-live-with lighting that works for your varying daily tasks.

Bold colours are the sure-fire way to maximise the attributes of a north-facing room. It’s a chance to experiment a little. ‘I’d recommend deep rich tones, such as purples, browns, reds and mustard yellows,’ says Rebecca Constable. ‘If you prefer something lighter like a neutral or a white, go for one with a yellow or a red undertone. Avoid one with a blue or grey undertone that will feel clinical and not very homely,’ she says.

Mocha brown, such as Sable Island Paint (shown), is the go-to for super-stylish and grounding north-facing living rooms, home offices and snugs. Inherently cocooning and absorbing of cold light, a chocolatey taupe will inject an extra layer of colour comfort in a neutral scheme. @lottiebownhome used it to up the haven factor in her bijou-sized living room. ‘There’s a myth that a small dark room should be painted a light colour, in order to bring in more light,’ says Lottie Bown. ‘I believe in embracing that little dark room and making it richer in colour.’

Rebecca Constable also adds that brown walls form a beautiful backdrop for artwork. ‘Paintings and pictures look so animated on a beautiful brown base,’ she says. She also suggests an earthy hue on kitchen cabinetry with, say, a quartzite or marble countertop for a country luxe look.

Ochre yellow is a cheerful thumbs up for a north-facing aspect. ‘I really like decorating north-facing rooms as you can turn up the colour dial and make them as amazing as they can be,’ says Emma Buchan, who recommends Indian-style yellows as a way to add a buoyant vibe to a space. ‘The darker yellows are more intense and will appear deeper in colour in a north-facing room,’ says Emma who recently used it in a kitchen pantry area with little light.

Seek out an optimistic golden yellow, such as Bee Pollen Paint. With its warm, evocative and uplifting character, you can apply it in upstairs and downstairs rooms alike. For a modern edge, sit it alongside an accent like Black Obsidian or dial it down with a mid-tone mellow yellow like Panama Hat.

Pinks with a red or yellow undertone are gloriously gentle and work hard to create charm in a north-facing living space. ‘Plaster pink is really popular right now for good reason - it is both feminine and luxurious,’ says Rebecca Constable. ‘It feels soft and lively during the day, but warm in the evening.’ The powdery hue of Marmarino Paint (shown) displays delicate peach undertones and is rather like luminous polished plaster.

In a dual aspect children’s room – north and south facing – Emma Buchan drenched the room in a dusky pink including an awkward ceiling. ‘When it's a cloudy day and there's little light from the south, it looks like a really deep and lovely colour.’ Note to self… avoid pastel pinks as they will look too cool and sickly in a northerly room.

Sophisticated purples will bring a little va va voom to a north-facing aspect. Head to the plum, mulberry and fig end of the scale for a grown up atmosphere that feels glamorous and intimate.

Emma Buchan recently decorated a living room where the client’s brief was a ‘space for the adults’. ‘For the walls, I chose a deep shade of purple with an aubergine tone complimented by a pink on the ceiling,’ says Emma. ‘This colourway really enhanced their antique furniture too.’ Check out Spiced Fig Paint that pairs beautifully with a blush pink, such as Silk Petal Paint, or a gentle clay like Palissandro Paint.

We all want our homes to feel homely so we hope that this short article has given you an insight into how to approach a north-facing aspect. Finding the right paint colour for a north-facing room isn’t an exact science so make time to consider colour swatches, order tester samples and apply paint patches before ordering. Take a look at our paint collection that comprises 50 stylish shades in matt emulsion and eggshell. Mixed to order in the UK, The Pure Edit’s water-based paints are easy to apply, low in VOCs, and are child and pet-friendly.