I get it…

You really want to paint your North facing room, but you’re hesitant because you’ve heard about how difficult it is to find the right colours for “cold, dark and dull” rooms with Northern exposure. If they’re so notoriously difficult to paint, where do you even start?! The truth is it’s really not as tricky as it’s often made out to be - you’ll feel much more confident once you’ve read this handy mini-guide to the best colours for North facing rooms. So put down that emergency tin of brilliant white paint, because you won’t be needing it!

Enter Team DCO!

We’re here to debunk all those myths of “bad light” and “bad colours”. It’s true that North facing rooms require a little more thought when it comes to making your colour choices, however once you understand the why’s, the how’s become much easier. 

North facing rooms tend to appear darker and colder because, even if they have large windows that get a lot of natural light, they don’t receive any direct bright sunlight. This lack of warmth in the natural light translates into the space, so colours with cooler undertones such as true greys, blues and lilacs are best avoided if you don’t want the room to appear too cold or flat. The same can also be said for brilliant white - it’s often used as a go-to colour for North facing rooms, however because it doesn’t contain any warm pigments to provide that much needed dimension, it has the opposite effect to what is intended.

We’re all for expressing personality in decorating so we’re not keen on paint colour “rules”; however we do have two handy hints to give you a little more direction:

• Opt for light shades with warm undertones (such as yellow, green, brown, pink, red) to brighten the space by bouncing light and adding dimension. Think neutral, off-white, beige, greige and taupe!
• Or, embrace the dark side and run with nature by choosing a deep, enveloping shade that’s rich in pigments to bring a whole new level of cosiness to the room. Blue or red based off-blacks and deep teals & greens work beautifully!

Once you’ve decided on whether you want to lift & brighten the room or wrap it in a blanket of colour, you can get to the fun part - choosing that perfect shade!

 

Our top 5 colours for North facing rooms

 

Mineral White

Mineral White is an organic, neutral white with a soft warmth. This versatile shade brightens and warms its surroundings to give the appearance of space and a feeling of calmness. This stony off white is an ideal alternative to brilliant white as it doesn’t have those stark undertones that could be drawn out by the cool natural light.

 

@inspired_byclaire has used Chalk White in her bedroom for a minimalist aesthetic - this soft, chalky white has no other undertones, making it a perfect standalone colour, or complementary colour, in any room! 

 

 

 

Morning Sun

This muted mid-tone rusty orange has a warming copper undertone that we feel brings the feeling of morning sun inside - what more could you want for your North facing room?! With a beautiful softness, Morning Sun creates a stunning backdrop as a feature wall, or equally would look just as impactful displayed throughout an entire room for a truly rustic aesthetic. If you’d like something a little different, use this understated rust orange as a striking colour block shade against stony white walls (we recommend Mineral White or Flat White)!

 

@fundamentallyagoodhome have created this stunning scallop colour block effect on their ceiling using our colour match NTB64 - a warm & earthy light terracotta shade. They’ve used our colour match NTB2008 - a pale, red based taupe - on the rest of the walls to neutralise cool light and keep the room from feeling too closed in.

 

 

Greyish Beige

More warmth than grey, but more depth than beige… That's greige! Get the best of both with this light, warm grey beige that reminds us of slowly setting plaster. It has an ambient yet grounded feel and its earthy undertones are perfect for counteracting that cool, North facing light.

 

I love how @overatcharlies have created extra depth & dimension in their living room by using two colour matches with similar undertones: Pebble White - a soothing neutral based white with a delicate drop of grey, and NTB275 - a midtone, neutral stony grey. 

 

 

Dried Pampas

Dried Pampas is a mid-tone, neutral camo yellow paint colour, inspired by what is undeniably still one of the most popular interior decor trends! Olive undertones keep its yellow hues grounded, making it the perfect earthy neutral beige paint colour for any North facing room.

 

Neutral paint colours with deep yellow undertones like @ourhome_upnorth’s colour match “LG Clay Deep” give North facing spaces dimension by knocking back the cold tones of the natural light and taking on a modern, ashen beige tone.

 

 

Sweet Liquorice

Embrace the dark side with this delicious, moody charcoal grey! Sweet Liquorice may be softer than pure black, but it still has buckets of character. Whether you’re aiming to create a bold feature wall, or you want to drench your room in mystery, this soft black paint colour has the perfect balance of drama and chilled vibes to transform your North facing space.

 

@mrsgregsie fully embraces the natural light in her home and creates beautifully dramatic spaces just bursting with character! She’s used our colour match NTB222 - a gorgeous, deep aubergine purple, paired with soft matt black shades for a truly enveloping, cosy space.

 

Ready to roll?

We always recommend testing your paint colours - you can order your tester pot here, or grab one of our tester pot bundles here!

Pop decent sized swatches on all walls that you plan to paint and allow them to dry (for true colour reference, do two coats!), then monitor them over a 24 minimum period to see how the colour adjusts in natural light, as well as artificial light.

You can read more about finding your room orientation, as well as how to choose colours for North facing rooms, East facing rooms, South facing rooms and West facing rooms in our comprehensive guide. You can also learn more about which paint finish is best for your room in our handy interior paint finish guide.