Paint colours for south-facing rooms

Ask an estate agent why south-facing properties are in demand and they’ll tell you it's because they benefit from the best of natural light at most times during the day. Spaces are light, airy and have an uplifting vibe as a result. But there are also downsides to a southerly aspect from a decorating point of view.

‘You receive plenty of lovely light during the day,’ says London interior designer Rebecca Constable of @rebeccaconstable.design from North London, ‘but the room can also suffer from glare and heat. It can be blindingly bright and you can also get a lot of hard shadows. You can end up with a hot and bright room – not ideal if your room is a kitchen!’

So what paint should you use in a south-facing room? It's one of the most popular questions that you ask us. Read on for the decor advice you need…with a little help from three interior designers with an expert eye for colour.

Before you start a redecoration project, make a point of watching how the sun moves into the room and at what time of the day. Even if your home is south facing you may have a building in front of it that restricts the light or small windows, for instance. Observing will help you not only decide on the right colour for your scheme, but also where you position your furniture and if you need window treatments, such as shutters or blinds, to help reduce dazzle.

You’ll be pleased to know that both warm and cool tones work in a south-facing room. That means, unlike paint colours for north-facing rooms, you should feel free to experiment and play. Note the purpose of the room, the style of your existing furniture and furnishings to spark inspiration for the walls.

‘South facing rooms are on the whole very bright so I would lean into this by using light and bright colours or patterns to keep the space feeling airy,’ says Holly Lamont, creative director at Holla Design, an interior design practice based in Cheshire. If you want the room you are decorating to feel bigger ‘it's really important to allow in as much natural light as possible, so avoid going for anything too dark which closes a room in, removing the natural light.’

Think about the paint finish too. Choose a matt paint in a south-facing room to help absorb harsh light. ‘The general rule of thumb is that the more light you have, the less sheen you want,’ says Rebecca Constable. Go for a matt finish, low subtle sheen, not a gloss.

Cooler colour tones – blue, grey, green – are fail-safe choices for a south-orientated room as they will counteract the intensity of light coming in through the windows. ‘Personally, I'd avoid white walls as they can look stark in bright rooms. If you're nervous of colour this is a really good opportunity to explore pale shades.’ says Holly Lamont.

Bold colours will feel vibrant and warm without feeling too garish. ‘Have some fun, go bright. It will make for a happy and joyful home,’ adds Holly Lamont.

It’s worth noting that the best time to look at paint samples is on a grey, rather than a sunny, day to get a true sense of the colour.

In a space with good natural light, the pale blues are soothing and mindful paint colour choices. ‘I recently used a very pale blue in a south-facing bathroom,’ says Rebecca Constable. ‘It felt bright, fresh and clean. Interestingly, I wouldn’t have used this in a north-facing bathroom as it would have felt really cold and a bit like a doctor’s waiting room!’

Consider a weathered light blue paint that feels effortless and calming, such as Derwent Water Paint (shown). With its subtle aqua and pale green undertones, it's an easy choice to live with and makes a good backdrop for evocative green and blue patterned fabrics and wallpapers, such as Anushka Celadon. Layer with soft greyed-off teal, Pacific Twilight Paint, for an elegant scheme.

If you are drawn to white for a south-facing room, make sure that it has a warm stone undertone, such as Silver Water Paint. ‘A pure white is going to be pretty glary so I would recommend stone (a browny-grey) – it works every time,’ says Emma Buchan, from Constance Interiors based in Kent. ‘Or a paint with a yellow undertone will look golden and warm.’

’I like to head to a colour that’s a few shades darker than a bright white,’ adds Rebecca Constable. ‘It may look taupe or a beige, but when you put it in a south-facing room it will look like a warm white.’

Another design tip for a laid-back luxe look is to add a darker accent tone alongside. Paint wooden cabinetry, doors, skirtings and trims in a mid-brown, such as River Otter Paint(shown), to balance the look and add sophistication.

Dark colours in southerly rooms work to create intimacy. Consider an intense inky blue for a sumptuous bedroom or an evening room where your main aim is to snuggle down. Perissa Paint (shown) has green undertones that feel particularly at home in country settings.

Emma Buchan says she drenched a south-facing kitchen extension in a dark navy with a grey tone, including the ceiling. ‘Due to the light, it doesn’t feel too dark; it just feels right – homely and stylish. There’s no glare because it's so dark and, at night, it gives a cocooning feel. It makes the artwork shine too.’

Being brave on the ceiling is a popular paint trick right now and makes a real impact, thanks to the enormity of the surface. ‘You have to be really sure that it's the right colour,’ advises Emma Buchan, ‘so paint big sample boards (A3 at least) and move the sample around. Be measured in your decision making.’

‘You can never go wrong with a good pink in south-facing rooms,’ says Holly Lamont, whose interiors are full of colour and a happy-go-lucky feel. ‘If you want to keep it light and airy, opt for a paler colour tone.’

Pale pink on walls feels like a chic neutral and makes a good foil for other feel-good colours, especially blue and yellow. In Holly’s own home, she has accented a bedroom’s original cornice and ceiling rose in a mid-blue to draw out their originality. While in her sitting room, sunny yellow-painted cabinets and bookshelves sit alongside pink perfectly.

Seek out a soft pink paint with warm, peachy undertones, such as Harbour Island Paint (shown). Named after the Bahamian island famed for its unusual rose sand, it can't help but make you smile.

We hope this article has given you a starter for ten on how to choose paint for south-facing rooms. Paint samples are key to a redecoration project so head over to the website to order The Pure Edit’s Paint Collection colour card. On it you’ll find the 50 shades of water-based eggshell and matt emulsion that are mixed and sustainably made to order in the UK. Easy to apply, they are low in VOCs, and child and pet-friendly.