The 5 Best White or Off-White Paint Colours for a North-Facing Room
Are you feeling frustrated with your north-facing room? Does your northern exposure leave you feeling gloomy and depressed, under a gray (with a hint of blue) cloud? If so, then THIS is the blog post for you!
North-facing rooms can be a total bugger to paint and decorate – ESPECIALLY if you’re wanting a light, bright, and inviting look. However, once you understand what your north-facing room needs, you’ll find it a lot easier to create a welcoming and well-balanced space.
(Partner post to the 8 Best Paint Colours for a North-Facing Room)
Between the paint colour and the carpet, this room was screamin’ for mercy.
In previous posts, we’ve talked about the best paint colours for north-facing rooms – or for ANY exposure, really. So, today we’re going to focus on a question I’m asked A LOT in my Online Consulting…
What IS exposure?
Well, there’s indecent exposure (which is me on Friday nights after three glasses of wine) and there is the type of exposure that is outside your windows (also me on Friday nights after three glasses of wine). Exposure refers to the direction that the natural light is coming from as it comes through your window – north, south, east, west, or a mix of those.
This is a great example of a north-facing room with a warm white paint colour, and really it should be good – it’s my house!
North-facing rooms have a considerably cooler source of natural light compared to warmer, south-facing rooms. This northern light casts a cool gray light into the room, creating an unwelcoming and cold look if it’s paired with the wrong paint colour and décor.
But how do you know what is right and wrong? What’s the difference between a good white and a bad white? And why does it matter – isn’t WHITE WHITE?
Don’t paint your room just ‘any’ white
White is the most reflective colour, which means that in the world of LRV, it reflects a lot of light back into the room and because of that, it also picks up a LOT of reflection from the environment.
Examples of white’s reflective nature:
- It can pick up the green reflection from your grass and landscaping
- It can reflect the slight pink tones from your neighbours’ red siding or your cherry toned cabinets
- It can bounce-back the warmth of your golden oak flooring
And…it can ALSO pick up the cool gray light coming from your northern exposure.
Stark clean whites in north-facing rooms
If you choose a stark, clean white or a slightly cool-toned white, you risk giving your room a double-whammy – cold on cold. Your clean white paint colour will take that cool gray light coming in and RUN with it, giggling all the way, leaving you with a chilly space that is neither balanced nor inviting – you’ll need to do a lot of work with texture and accents to bring things back.
Stark whites tend to be pretty darned white, whereas cool whites can have a whisper (or more) of blue, green or purple in them.
North-facing light can also enhance cool colours, so you can expect a slightly cool-toned paint to look slightly cooler in a room with northern exposure. Now, if you have the right amount of lighting (including interior) to support this, you could be okay, but it’s usually best to play it safe by choosing what I call a ‘glorified white’ – a white with a touch of warmth to help balance out the cold gray light coming in, rather than compounding it with a cold white (that was a long sentence).
Read more: Sherwin Williams 4 Best White Paint Colours
Read more: The 8 BEST Benjamin Moore White Paint Colours
So does this mean you should avoid ALL whites?
No. If you really really want a cool, icy look, you might love a white with a hint of blue in it. And in fact, there is the odd duck who LOVES this look – that cool combination of northern exposure and stark white paint that gives an icy, edge look (I hear Elsa is a big fan). However, I’ve found that when I have clients who’re looking for a nice white for their north-facing room, they’re usually looking to lighten and brighten. They want to add life without adding colour, coldness OR overwhelming warmth. And the BEST way to do this is with…WHITE!
Are you confused yet? Have another glass.
The 4 Best White Paint Colours for a North-Facing Room
Long story short, while there are the certainly the wrong whites for a north-facing room, there are also the right whites, and I’m here to show you a few of my faves…
1. Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17
White Dove is fantastic. It’s a warm soft white, so it’s not stark or harsh, but it’s ALSO not overly creamy. You may find that your northern light takes most of the warmth out, without leaving the walls overly cold looking.
White Dove has an LRV of 85, so it’s well into the white range, although it does have a beautiful softness to it.
2. Benjamin Moore Simply White OC 117
Benjamin Moore Simply White is a bright, fresh, warm white. It has a wink of yellow in it – not enough to be obnoxious (unless it’s a south-facing room), but just enough to help balance out some of that gray light coming in, creating an overall ‘soft neutral’ effect.
The LRV of Simply White is 90 – meaning it’s pretty darned bright. If you don’t know about LRV, you should read this… Paint Colours and LRV: The Ultimate Guide You Need to Read
Click HERE or on the above image to see available packages
3. Benjamin Moore Timid White OC 39
Timid White, a beautiful off-white with a warm yellow base, is a great way to counteract the cool gray-blue northern light – as long as you’re okay with a yellow undertone. In a south-facing room, the yellow in Timid White can come up stronger, but in a north-facing space, I’ve found the gray-toned light to be nicely subdued by Timid White, without leaving TOO much yellow on the table (or on the walls would be more the point).
With an LRV of 82, you’ll see that this is certainly a light, bright, reflective colour, but has a bit more body than a traditional white, making it more of an off-white.
Let’s take a quick break to talk about paint samples…
Undoubtedly, you’ll be heading out in the near future to grab paint samples – stop right there! I want you to check out SAMPLIZE. Samplize offers peel and stick paint samples that are more AFFORDABLE, EASIER and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots. Here are just a FEW reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients…
- Samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1-3 business days, depending on location
- At $6.99, they’re more affordable than the samples pots/rollers/foam boards that are needing for traditional paint sampling
- If you keep the samples on their white paper, you can move them around the room
Visit the SAMPLIZE website HERE
4. Sherwin Williams Creamy SW 7012
Personally, this is one of my fave warm off-whites. Creamy has a yellow (cream) base that is grounded with neutral undertones so it isn’t overly ‘colourful’ – just soft and warm.
With an LRV of 81, Creamy really is more of an off-white than a white and will shift its commitment to cream based on your exposure.
5. Sherwin Williams Pure White SW 7005
Pure White is one of the best ways to get a white look, without choosing a standard, off-the-shelf white or going into the cool end of things. Pure White DOES have some softness to it, but that softness serves to balance out some of that cool light coming in. Your walls will STILL look a touch cool on a gray day or in a lower-light room, but not nearly as harsh as they would with a cooler white.
The exception…(because there’s ALWAYS an exception)
If you have a north-facing room that has very little natural light, I would not paint it white – any white. Why? Well, colour will not come to life without light, so not only will you be fighting the gray of your limited exposure, you’ll be fighting the gray of the shade created due to the lack of natural light. If you have an awesome interior lighting plan, then fill ‘yer boots, but be sure that your space is well-lit before you commit to any type of light colour.
So there you have it! Now, of course, there are MANY more awesome colours to check out, but hopefully, these whites get you pointed in the right direction.
Not sure which white is best for you?
Check out my Online Color Consulting packages – I’d love to help!
Chat soon,
Read more
- The 8 Best Benjamin Moore White Paint Colours
- Colour Review: Benjamin Moore Simply White
- The 3 Best White Paint Colours for Cabinets
- The Best Paint Colours for East Facing Rooms
Originally written in 2017, updated in 2019
Kylie – Your posts are always full of interesting information – not just paint colors, but light intensity and gradiations as well. Since I am currently furnishing a small North-facing bedroom with odds and ends to fashion it into a mix of boho and Mark Twain, I will soon be calling on you for the 3 pain color for $45 offer. Every time I see that offer I get so excited, yet I’m not ready to send you pictures. At this point, the room might be too masculine for me and I need to solve that problem before I proceed. I have walls covered with framed art, burgundy leather chairs, a large open secretary-desk, a navy twin mahogany bed, and MORE framed art. Boho pillows and plants soften the look. My birthday is the end of May and I think this will be my present to myself.
Please keep putting out your fascinating newsletters concerning light directions and its effect on paint colors.
Hi Ellen – you have a lot going on there! I’m looking forward to hearing from you when ‘paint time’ arrives! Thank you taking time to brighten my day!
Chat soon,
~Kylie
Kylie –
The burgundy leather chairs are going ,going ,gone! A friend is buying them for her hubby’s “man cave” and I am on the look-out for 2 chairs to replace them. I need to find a comfy chair for myself and one more if a friend visit. It’s odd that its both a bedroom and a sitting room, but all my friends enjoy the intimacy, music, and the art.. Pictures will be forthcoming.
I love your recent post!
Ellen
Wahoo – peace-out to the leather burgundy chairs! You know, Pier 1 has some fantastic chairs. AND they have a few fabrics to choose from and you get the chair a week later! I find the scale of them to be ‘just right’.
And of course there is Wayfair, but you don’t get to sit in the chairs beforehand…
Can’t wait to see some photos!
~Kylie
When we moved into our current home, the owners had painted a room with a big bay (north-facing) window a pale aqua blue color. We quickly learned that that very pretty aqua blue turned electric blue as the day wore on! We have since repainted with BM’s Winds Breath and have lots of whites and warm taupes in the room with some navy accents and it works well. There’s still a bit of a blueish/green cast right at dusk nut not during the rest of the day. If I decide to repaint in the future, I like the idea of the vanilla/creamy paint by SW. Thanks!
Hi Charlotte, it sounds like you’ve had a bit of a challenge! I’m glad you’ve found some colours that work for you! If you need help down the road don’t hesitate to drop me a note!
Chat soon,
~Kylie
Great information, Kylie. It is a challenge to make darker rooms come to life with paint. Good principles to work with, however!
Thanks Beth, that’s always good to hear!
Chat soon,
~Kylie
This post was very helpful – thanks. So, if Benjamin Moore Simply White is good for a north facing room, does that mean that it is too reflective for a room that faces south?
Hi Tom, if only it were that easy! Rather than make a blanket statement, for a one room consultation ($45) I can assess your room, lighting, etc and help you come up with exactly the right colour for your home/lighting situation. I will attach the link for you: https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/product/single-room-paint-colour-up-to-3-rooms/
Chat soon,
~Kylie
I feel like you wrote this just for me LOL. I picked up swatches of all the colors you suggested in my consultation. I like them all! I’m going to give timid white a shot in my north facing room – I am so excited to brighten it up in there 🙂 Now I’m kicking around the idea of yanking the chair rail and going timid white all the way, or if I want to accent with the green.
Thanks Nina – It’s always good to hear when you’ve ‘hit the spot’ for someone! I think accenting with the green is the way to go! Don’t forget to send pics!
I stumbled on your website through Pinterest and love your articles about how to make north facing basements less dark and dreary. Thanks so much for such great information. I’m glad to see that you like Simply white, which I used on the ceiling and trim upstairs in my house. I’m probably going to use the same downstairs. Our house was previously owned by someone who loved pink, not light pink, but middle of the card pink/mauve. The ceilings, trim, doors, walls, grout, etc. were all painted this pink and we are slowly painting over it.
Hello Kylie. Do you have any posts on what colours to paint North facing rooms. I have a sliding door and window across one wall and that’s all the light that comes into my lr/dr. I wanted to paint a greige. Was thinking perhaps Revere Pewter or Mindful gray but I don’t want my place to be dark and dreary. My furniture is white and couches beige. Do you have any posts on this. I saw the one on which white to use but I want something with a bit more personality than just white. Thanks!
Hi Rakel, sorry for the delayed reply! I DO have a blog post re: North facing rooms – right here! I hope it helps 🙂 https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-best-most-popular-benjamin-moore-paint-colours-north-facing-northern-exposure-rooms/
Kylie, I love your posts – so much information and great to know you’re available for in-depth consulting work! I’m about to paint my bedroom in Silver Satin – was happy to see it mentioned here! Do you have a go-to trim for Silver Satin? Rest of the house is White Dove trim, so I’m hoping that will work…we’ll see. Thanks for all the inspiration!
Hi Barbara, I think that White Dove could be a great choice. Short of that, good old BM White (PM 2) is a nice clean and simple choice too!
Kylie,,
I love your posts, and have been referencing them for the past week as I choose paint colors for a newly finished basement. Can you recommend a nice white for our basement bedroom, which has a small window but will be well lit with two recessed lights (bright white, 650 lumens each)? I already chose my bathroom and rec room colors (based on your suggestions). Thanks!
Hi Carolyn, thank you for the note, I’m glad you have found my blog handy! I do try and give as much info as I can on my site for free, but I also have a business that supports my family doing colour consulting! So, if you can’t find the info you need, maybe you’d like to give it a try? It’s fun and affordable 🙂 https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
I just read your advice about what colours of white to use in a north facing room. What happens to BM Palladian Blue in a north facing room? I know it looks great all day long in a south facing room and I don’t think it will look great in a north facing room but I can’t explain why to myself.
I will be in touch to hire you. I need help in finding a condo sized coffee table (less than 40″ wide) for a great room where I want to create a specific look which I believe depends mostly on the coffee table.
Just found this blog tonight. Are your prices in CAD$? Looking forward to working with you. Thanks.
Heather
Hi Heather! So I’ve found that with cool colours, when you put them in a north facing room – which has a cool gray with a tint of blue light coming in, that it can enhance the cool tones. So, Palladian Blue is likely to look a bit more blue and chilly and will lose a bit of that nice balance that it has.
As for shopping online, I don’t do too much of that anymore and am more focused on paint colours, but I’d be happy to take a look at your room! And yes, if you decided to buy a package, you would just let me know which one and I would invoice you in CDN!
~Kylei
Hi Kylie,
I love the dark accent wall in the girly room with Simply White. May I ask what color that is? Simply White is such beautiful color. I think I’m going to ask you where it can work in my home when I consult you next time.
Hi Julie! I think that was Benjamin Moore Black 2123-10 (they got really creative with the naming of that one 😉 I did it in eggshell finish, but I wish I’d done flat or matte. Even eggshell in dark colours can be a bit abrasive looking.
What about a room with THREE exposures? My combo living/dining/kitchen has great windows up to the 12′ ceilings.
1) one overlooks a parking lot and nice brick buildings (north)
2) the biggest overlook a nice park (east, southeast)
3) and the third overlooks some of the trees, some street and some buildings (southeast and south).
How do I treat a big room like this? Thank you!
Hi Amy! Sounds like you’re lucky and have a nice range to balance things off a bit. I can’t say that I would base it on one exposure at all and would just in general, find a colour that suits YOU and your interior products. It will naturally shift from wall to wall, and as the day progresses, so you might find a more neutral colour easier to manage than a colour.
Hope that helps, if not, I do have affordable e-design! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
Hi Julie
What paint finish do you generally recommend for a bedroom. I usually do an eggshell finish but curious what you think. On my “honey-do” list is the task of painting a bedroom that only gets northern light so I’m leaning towards one of the white tones you have suggested but not 100% sure if I should stay with eggshell finish. Love the site and the info you offer.
Hi David – Eggshell all the way!!!
I really enjoyed this post and learned a lot. We are getting ready to lighten up our north facing living room, and the photo of your house (SW Creamy?) inspired me. I also really like the accent wall shown under the SW Creamy section. Can you please tell me the color? Thanks again for sharing your expertise. I have never enjoyed selecting paint colors, but with my newfound knowledge, it will not be so painful 🙂
Hi Shelly, I’m so glad! That’s actually Benjamin Moore Steel Wool – if you look in my portfolio under my kitchen/entryway you’ll see it there too – it’s one of my FAAAVES. It’s a gray with a kind of blue/purple undertone that is vague and OOOOH so pretty.
~Kylie
Hi Kylie! I live in a north facing mountain home on a north facing slope. We initially did a remodel on our upstairs and I painted everything Benjamin Moore Silver Satin. It looked amazing in the south and east facing rooms, but horrible in my master bedroom which is north/ west facing. I decided to revisit this blog post and in a last minute decision while remodeling our living room we decided to go with Benjamin Moore Simply White. We put in white stacked stone over the fireplace and used Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron on the wall behind the fireplace and put an Edison/ Sputnik style chandelier on the ceiling. It looks AMAZING!!! Thank you, thank you for sharing about LRV and different shades of white that can work in north facing rooms. I don’t regret the white at all and people comment on how beautiful it is all the time. I plan to repaint my master bedroom and upstairs hallways with the same Benjamin Moore Simply White, as well. Thank you for your advice and information. It was invaluable and made for great results! I would be more than happy to send you a before/ after picture, just let me know 🙂
Wow Valeriane, thank you for that note, that is GOOD news and I would ABSOLUUUUTELY love to see your before and afters – please! I can’t wait to see it 😉 you can send the photos along to [email protected]
Chat soon!
~Kylie
HI Kylie! Could you share what color you used in the photo that you said was your own house? It’s exactly what I’m looking for in my north facing living room! Thank you so much!!
Hi Samantha, that is actually SW Creamy! And it is a chameleon. You’ll find that it will soften and cream up in the evening, which is really nice (of course depending on the bulbs you use) and then it goes back to that more bright, soft warm neutral white in the daytime. I have mad love for it…
I live in an 1850s Greek revival home with the orginonal wallboards in our northern exposure family room. It’s a large room with two original windows that are 9 Feet tall. The ceilings are over 10. Feet. I made a mistake on a color when we remodeled and I am trying to get it straight now. I used SW NEUTRAL GROUND. Want to cozy this room up. All the trim is velvet white. Can you provide some direction? The floor are all hardwood with sea grass rug.
Hi Linda, your home sounds lovely! Now without seeing photos of your furnishings and the tone of your wood floor, I’d entirely be guessing. So while I could suggest something like SW Malabar, that is a TOTAL guess, simply because it’s a colour that is warmer! If you’d like me to look at photos of your room and spend some time with it, I do have an affordable and fun e-design service! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/product-category/interior-paint-palettes/
~Kylie
Hi Kyle, what is your opinion about SW Marshmallow, or SW Pearly White for a North facing room with not much natural light?
Personally, I’d find them a bit flat…
Hi Kylie,
I love your website and information! I recently bought a sample pot of Alabaster White. I painted some bristol boards and put them in different areas of my condo. I noticed that it has a cool, grey undertone and goes blue in areas of lower light. When I compare it to the paint card from the store, the paint card is a lot warmer and creamer. Online reviews say Alabaster is warm and creamy. Is it normal that my paint sample is cold and is different from the paint swatch?
That is weird Barbara as yes, Alabaster is soft and creamy! Now in a northern space it can certainly pick up a bit of the lighting coming in, but the swatch would do the same thing. I’m thinking that perhaps it wasn’t a good sampling…which I have had happen.
We have painted our master bedroom 3 times now, please tell me I’m not the only one!? It is north facing with not a lot of light. Currently it’s painted agreeable gray, with the dresser and night stands painted urbane bronze. Everything looks so dark, no contrast 🙁 Thinking alabaster. What are your thoughts? Any other suggestions?
Hi Cesilee, yes north facing rooms can be hard, particularly ones without a lot of light so i’m not surprised to hear that Agreeable is falling flat! NOw without knowing any of your decor or anything, I can say that Alabaster will likely be a GREAT improvement to brighten things up! I also love BM White Dove for a slightly more ‘white’ look, so it does depend on your room/decor for sure…you might also find this blog post here handy! https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-best-light-paint-colours-for-a-dark-room-basement/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwjN9dG_67zaAhUMFnwKHbo7CO0QFggOMAM&client=internal-uds-cse&cx=partner-pub-5050475103619299:2713416047&usg=AOvVaw1OYQCH_-BG336jnM7LKrwI
Hi Kylie,
I really appreciate your blog, advice, & style of writing! I have a north facing dining room with a lot of deep, natural wood trim (built in 1930s) and I tried a couple of swatches of Silver Satin around the room, and while it does “brighten” the room it comes off kind of dingy (not the look I want for a dining room where we eat everyday). I’ve noticed on other post about adding 4 oz of white pigment to different colors to counter act the dingy factor, do you think that could work with Silver Satin?
Thank you!
Rebekah
Hi Rebekah, yes, adding 4 ounces can just slightly clean up colours! Will it be enough to help in a north facing room? Probably not. It might be more about your northern light and less about the colour… 🙂 Have you thought about going a bit warmer, ie: White Dove?
Hi Kylie,
Thank you so much for all the helpful information. I am currently painting my entire home and wondering if you think BM white dove will look good on walls, ceiling and trim? My home gets mostly north facing light with some indirect south facing light in my dining room which is a bit open concept. Also is SW creamy brighter than white dove? I just love the color of your walls and want something like that. Or would simply white be a better option? Ugh so confused
Hi Gina! If you want a slightly softer, not ‘bright’ white look, then White Dove would certainly do the trick! Creamy however, is more of an off-white that has more yellow/creamy body to it and I wouldn’t do it everywhere. Something slightly warmer/softer than White Dove would be SW Alabaster… 🙂 If you do need help I have my E-design services so that I can look at photos of your home!
Hi Kylie, I just recently discovered your blog and have learned so much. Thank you for all your great advice. We are building a new home that has an open concept. The house faces due north so many of the main rooms will be north facing so I have been working on researching colors that might work in north facing rooms over the course of the past few months. I (stupidly) assumed we would be using Benjamin Moore paints but I just found out that my builder only uses Sherwin Williams paints. Is there a way to cross reference colors that I like in Benjamin Moore to find out what the nearest match would be in Sherwin Williams? Thanks for your help!
Hi Jenn! Well, rest easy knowing that SW has fabulous paint. I’m a big fan of BM Regal or Ben (lines of paint) or SW Cashmere (Opulence in Canada). Now there ISN’T an easy way to cross-reference as there are very few colours that are the same. Hmm. You know what, if it’s a short list (ie: approx 5 colours), send me an email and I’ll let you know the ‘closest comparables’ in SW – knowing that they won’t be the same, but will hopefully do a ‘similar thing’. My email is [email protected] Now I do get TONS of emails and generally don’t answer questions via email (it’s hard even to get to this comment section!), so be sure to label the subject line ‘You said you’d compare colours for me’, that way I won’t miss it 😉
I hope that helps!
~Kylie
Kylie I have a north facing kitchen and I’ have black counter tops and had grey cabinets which made the kitchen look gloomy and dark especially at night. I have back splash tiles spark white with black grout. I want to paint my cabinets white to give it some uplift to make it look spacious open and bright.
Should I use SW pure white or whitetail? Also shd the window tr and pantry door be painted the same?
Kylie,
I have a huge north facing window in my living room and a smaller south facing window in the attached dining room. Could you comment between Valspar’s Wispy White and Olympic Winter Mood (which in my space seems to be a bit less yellow than SW Creamy). PS: I’m in Canada.
Thank YOU!!
Hi Wanda, thank you for your note! I actually only consult with BM and SW paint colours and aren’t familiar enough with those brands to give you good advice! And glad to hear from a fellow Canadian!
Hello – I am so happy to stumble upon this blog off of Veranda, I think. I have a 1350 square foot condo in WPB and it is south facing, but as it faces towards another building (across quite an expansive garden), it only gets sun light in the first few feet of the condo, the rest does not get direct light. I have trim and doors that I have to live with that are a creamy beige white and want the paint the entire condo in a white that is not yellow at all, so will punch off the molding/trim/doors and make the home bright. My painter suggested All White, and others have suggested White Dove…what would you suggest, please?
Diana
Oh Diana, it’s SO hard to know without knowing what the trim colour is! A creamy beige white can look quite different if partnered with the WRONG white colour. I would start with White Dove, and go from there. White Dove could look a bit too warm/yellow compared to the trim or maybe too neutral! Sample sample sample and then adjust from there if needed :). Sometimes what we want and what our home NEEDS are two different things ;).
Hi Kylie, Your color information is so helpful! Quick question in choosing a wall paint color for my north facing marble (with gray veining) master bathroom that is pretty much all white. In one post you say don’t go with warm undertones with marble, but this post says go with warm undertones or the room will seem extra cold. I was thinking SW On the Rocks or Crushed Ice at 25% lighter OR SW Pure White on the walls to match the trim. But now I’m confused. I would really appreciate your thoughts.
Oooo, both of those could be really pretty! AS for the temperature thing, it’s hard, sometimes something has to give and for me, I’d be willing to give up a warm colour for a slightly softer gray like those – absolutely!
Thanks so much for the response! What do you think of BM Wickham Gray on the walls in this space? I really don’t want a gray bathroom and I think Wickham Gray could bring our more color from the undertones. Not sure that is a good thing or bad thing with northern exposure. Is there a comparable BM color to SW Pure White? Kim