Paint Colors for Rooms with Lots of Natural Light 

Natural light from the sun, its direction and the amount of it can greatly affect the look of a paint color. We all have rooms in our homes that are flooded with sunlight for a majority of the day while other rooms that take on cooler tones because they receive less light. As the amount and angle of the sun changes, so will your room colors. What colors should you consider for rooms that receive lots of natural light throughout the day? 

Last month we examined color palettes to consider for low light rooms. This month we are shifting our focus to rooms that get lots of natural sunlight, what that light does to certain hues and what you might like on your wall surfaces. 

A Word on Natural Lighting 

Here, in the Northern hemisphere, the sun is always to our South. That means that whichever wall is facing South will receive the most sunlight. Southern exposures are bathed in sunlight for more hours of the day than Northern Exposure rooms. Northern facing rooms get the cool tones and soft glow of sunset, while the Southern exposures get the most direct, and sometimes harshest light of the day. 

Southern Exposures & Color Choices 

Many designers find the direct sunlight of a Southern exposure a bit too intense. In order to offset this harshness, many choose deeper colors that can almost glow in the direct light of day. Softer colors and lighter pigments can get washed out with direct sunlight. 

Paint colors for Southern rooms can be fun since you can often get out of your comfort zone of choosing typical whites or neutrals. Sunlight can reveal the warm undertones of a color without washing it out. 

Since Southern-facing rooms get so much light (and can almost glow at certain points of the day) you may want to avoid yellows, oranges, and gold-tinted colors that can make a room look too bright and warm. Instead, many designers like the deeper blues, greens, and medium grays that can handle the bright light while taking on warm tones as the angle of the sun shifts throughout the day. 

Tips to Make Your Choice

Choosing the right color for a full-sun room can be difficult. Try painting a few of your favorite shades on the walls in different locations. Then use those shades to go deeper, darker, or with varying undertones in complimentary color palettes. 

For example, if you are searching for a blue, start with a medium shade of your favorite blue, then step up one level to a slightly lighter version of that color and then a slightly darker version. You may be surprised what the light does and how you may be willing to take a chance on a color that can withstand the direct force of the sun. 

Talk to our color specialists who can help you with your choice and get you started on a free estimate today. 

Categorised in: Design, Interior painting, Jerry Enos