Posted on April 14, 2019 by KylieMawdsley
How to Choose Paint Colours for a South-Facing (Southern Exposure) Room
A south-facing room can be one of the most satisfying rooms to choose paint colours for. Unlike a north-facing room, which relies heavily on paint colour and lighting to feel lively, a south-facing room feels warm and inviting all on its own as it gets direct infusions of natural sunlight all day long.
The most important (and complicated) thing to remember about a south-facing room is that the quality of natural sunlight changes throughout the day. Overall, southern light is warm and yellow toned, yet it can wash colours out when the sun is at its peak. So, a colour that looks ‘just perfect’ in the morning and evening, might appear washed-out at noon. A colour that looks perfect in the middle of the day might become too bright in the morning and over-the-top glowing in the late afternoon. So what do you do?
It’s VITAL that you look at your paint colour samples through a full day – or even several days! See which colours hold their own through the hours and which ones wash-out. Which colours make the room feel a bit more balanced and which ones make you feel a bit overheated and off-balance.
Decorating is about balance and it’s important to balance out the warm and cool levels in your room
BTW: I rely 100% on photos from my E-Design clients (thank you all!). I did my best to include photos of south-facing rooms in the examples, but some photos are for colour viewing purposes only (different exposures).
Now on to the fun stuff!
The Two Types of South-Facing Rooms
1. A SOUTH-FACING ROOM WITH A LOT OF WINDOWS
This type of south-facing room has TONS of natural sunlight due to the amount of window space. On hot days, these rooms not only look warm but they ARE warm. Adding a cool colour to a room like this is a great way to lower the visual heat, making it appear more comfortable and balanced.
LIGHT PAINT COLOURS
A well-lit south-facing room can look great with a light paint colour on the walls, but keep in mind, depending on HOW light the colour is, it may appear washed-out in the middle of the day when the sun is at its highest.
MEDIUM-DEPTH PAINT COLOURS
A medium-depth paint colour can also work well in a well-lit room and tends to balance intense light quite nicely.
DARK PAINT COLOURS
A bright room can look awesome painted a dark colour, especially in the cooler range as it would help balance the warm rays coming in the window.
Read more: Learn About Light, Medium and Dark Depth Paint Colours with LRV
2. A SOUTH-FACING ROOM WITH SMALL WINDOWS AND/OR MINIMAL LIGHT
Without the ‘brightness’ that you’d find in a well-lit south-facing room, these low-light rooms can actually feel more suffocating than the southern ones with a lot of natural light streaming in. This reduced natural light can be due to a few reasons:
- Small windows
- Not enough windows for the size of the room
- A deck overhang blocking the light
- A lot of landscaping directly outside the window
- Trees blocking the majority of the sunlight from coming in
A south-facing room with reduced natural light can generally handle light, medium and dark colours.
LIGHT PAINT COLOURS
These work well to visually perk up a low-light room. I particularly like the ones in the softer, stormier cool range (as shown below) rather than the icy cold end of things. Light cool colours add vitality and energy to a space that can sometimes feel a bit heavy with heat. Keep in mind, if the room doesn’t have much light at all (exterior or interior), you might want to read this blog post on dark rooms.
MEDIUM-DEPTH PAINT COLOURS
The medium-toned range can also work well in a south-facing room that doesn’t have a ton of light coming in. I find that just like with well-lit rooms, they balance the light quite nicely, but will create a cosier, more intimate look.
DARK PAINT COLOURS
Dark colours can add personality and interest to a darker south-facing room – grounding the room and adding an intense balance to the effects of the suns rays – however limited they are. But be careful not to go too dark. If you truly have one wee tiny little window, you may not have enough natural light to balance out the weight of a dark colour, especially if you don’t have adequate lighting.
Shown above: BM Pale Oak with Ballet White glazed cabinets
The Best Paint Colors for a South Facing, Southern Exposure Room
1. Benjamin Moore Gray Owl OC 52
Gray Owl is a lovely soft gray that leans to the cool side with its subtle green undertone and also loves to flash into gray-blue. Gray Owl is softer and lighter than Stonington Gray (shown below) and has less of a cold blue undertone (because of the strong green in it).
Read more: Paint Colour Review: Benjamin Moore Gray Owl
The LRV of Gray Owl is 65.0, so it’s going to reflect some decent light back into the room – not tons, but some. It also means that at the peak of a sunny day, it could lose a lot of its beautiful colour, but once the sun shifts it will come right on back. In a low-light south-facing room, it can also be lovely, but definitely more muted and stormier.
Read more: The Ultimate Guide To Choosing a Paint Colour With LRV
2. Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray HC 170
Stonington Gray is a steady light (almost light-medium) gray with a slightly stormy blue undertone. Stonington is a light gray paint colour, but it feels a bit heavier than many of the lighter grays on this page.
Read more: Paint Colour Review of Stonington Gray
The LRV of Stonington Gray is 59.0, so it will add SOME, but not TONS of light to your room. This also means that in a super bright room, it will hold its colour a bit better than a colour with a higher LRV. One thing to consider is because south-facing light is warm (yellowish) and Stonington Gray is cold (blue), sometimes, when they’re mixed together you’ll get a vague hint of green, which is a colour that is tucked WAAAAAAY back in Stonington Gray (and doesn’t usually show up to the party).
Read More: Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray and Gray Owl – What’s the Big Difference?
3. Benjamin Moore Grant Beige HC 83
Grant Beige is undoubtedly one of the more neutral/warm colours on this page, however, it’s not a traditionally warm colour that flashes yellow, orange or red. It has a nice grounded base, which cuts back any golden tendencies and can even pick up a weee tiny wink o’ green. If you have a south-facing room and DON’T like cold paint colours, this could be a way to add a BIT of balance to your room.
The LRV of Grant Beige is 56, meaning it really won’t reflect much light into a room at all. So, in a low-light south-facing room it won’t make the room feel OVERLY heavy, nor any lighter, but you might find it a bit murky looking. In a reasonably well-lit room, it will be at its peak of perfection and offer a nice neutral backdrop to your furnishings.
Click HERE or on the above image to see your available packages
4. Benjamin Moore Ballet White OC 9
Ballet White is one of my FAVE neutrals (right up there with Edgecomb Gray, coming up next). It’s a mix of beige, gray (so greige) and a strong creamy base. The cream and the beige are stronger than the gray, and this comes a bit more into play in a south-facing room, without making things overheat.
Ballet White is one of the lighter neutrals on this page and is great if you’re looking for a versatile, easy choice. However, it WILL wash-out in a WELL-lit south-facing room.
Read more: Paint Colour Review: Benjamin Moore Ballet White
5. Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
Edgecomb Gray is a light depth greige that is balanced QUITE nicely between gray and beige. In a south-facing room, you could expect it to lean a BIT more into its warmer side, without going entirely beige.
Read more: Paint Colour Review: Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
Edgecomb Gray has an LRV of 63, almost BANG on my happy place when it comes to LRV.
6. Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray HC 105
Rockport Gray is a warm gray, almost greige/taupe paint colour. Hiding inside are muddy purple and green undertones which stop this colour from feeling flat, heavy and boring – but they ALSO make it a bit unpredictable!
In a south-facing room, the warm yellow light coming in ‘might’ bring out those subtle undertones (particularly green) just a bit more than usual.
7. Benjamin Moore Antique Pewter 1560
Antique Pewter is a lovely medium-toned gray paint colour with soft green undertones. It has a great visual weight and the green undertone gives it colour and makes it interesting, without being overly dominant. That green is also a nice balance to warm south-facing light.
The LRV of Antique Pewter is 25.0, so it’s a pretty dense colour. If you have a low-light room, it might feel a wee bit flat. In a well-lit south-facing room, it could work to balance out the warm light coming in and may possibly look a wee bit more green as the warm yellow-tinted light comes.
Read more: The Ultimate Guide to LRV – Don’t Pick a Paint Colour Without it!
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
8. Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter HC 172
Revere Pewter is a warm gray with a lovely, earthy green undertone. And while it can lean slightly to the warm side, it doesn’t over-react in a south-facing room and holds itself pretty well as a ‘warm gray with interest’.
The LRV of Revere Pewter is 55 and is a great depth for almost any reasonably well-lit room, however, its green undertone CAN be slightly unpredictable, so be sure to read its colour review.
Read more: Paint Colour Review: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
9. Benjamin Moore Woodlawn Blue HC 147
Whether it’s a living room, kitchen or bedroom, Woodlawn Blue is one of those colours that seems to please everyone! Woodlawn Blue is a cool colour with its blend of blue and green (much more blue than green) with a slightly gray base to calm it down. This blend makes it flexible and slightly susceptible to change throughout the daylight hours.
Kylie M E-Design
With an LRV of 61, it will add some life to a room – not drastically so, but it IS on the lighter side of things. It will hold its own quite well in a WELL-lit south-facing room and won’t get washed out too much at the height of the day.
10. Benjamin Moore Carolina Gull 2138-40
Carolina Gull is one of my all-time fave blue-green paint colours. It has a nice blend of blue, green and gray, leaning slightly more the green-gray than the blue. It has an earth-toned vibe while still holding onto some colour. It’s also great as a feature or accent wall.
The LRV of Carolina Gull is 27.0, so it’s quite low – particularly compared to some of the fresher and brighter colours on this page. In a well-lit room, this won’t be a problem as it will add a nice visual weight to the room. In a low-light room, it will also be very pretty and perhaps just a bit richer looking.
Read more: The 8 Best Blue and Green Paint Colours
11. Benjamin Moore Mountain Air CC 636
Mountain Air is a beautiful, restful green with a slightly warm gray undertone, so it’s not terribly cold feeling. It’s a soft and subtle balance to warm southern light.
Mountain Air will give a light, fresh look, but won’t wash-out too much. With an LRV of 53, it’s a great depth for most rooms that have a reasonable amount of light, and would still look pretty in a dark room as it has enough colour it to combat the shade a bit. Want to learn about more glorious green paint colours? Read this…Benjamin Moore’s Best Green Paint Colours.
And there are TONS of MORE COLOURS to explore, I’m just breaking the ice. Be sure to check out my other blog posts to see more gorgeous colours that could work for you!
Do you have a south-east, south-west or north-south facing room?
While it might seem confusing, having dual exposures aren’t that bad when you’re armed with the right info! Check out this blog post on ‘how to pick paint colours when you have 2 exposures‘.
Do you want to know YOUR 3 best paint colours?
Check out my Online Colour Consulting and E-Design packages!
READ MORE
The Best Gray and Greige Paint Colours
The Best Paint Colours for an East Facing Room
The Best Paint Colours for a West Facing Room
The Best Paint Colours for a Dark Room
KYLIE M INTERIORS E-DESIGN, E-DECOR AND VIRTUAL PAINT COLOUR CONSULTING ADVICE SPECIALIZING IN DIY HOME DECORATING IDEAS AND BENJAMIN MOORE AND SHERWIN WILLIAMS PAINT COLOURS
Originally written in 2017, updated in 2019
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I think I love you. I am in the process of building a home and I just found out that they need paint colours *yesterday.* I have some vague ideas, but nothing definitive (it feels like such a commitment, it’s scary!). I have been googling “Benjamin Moore paint colours” like a mad woman (see my eyes are red & almost cross-eyed) & happened upon your site.
The way you look at decorating and the way you explain it is so helpful to a decorating illiterate like myself. So here’s that glass o’wine you asked for & thank you!
: )
Yay! I’m SO glad I was able to help – drink up my friend 🙂
Hugs, Kylie
I agree! Thanks Kylie!
I am also building a home and the builder will be calling for paint colors very soon. Your website is so very helpful especially since you focus on Benjamin Moore paints which is what my builder uses. I have seen other websites that focus on paint but they throw in all different paint manufacturers making it necessary to match colors, etc. Thank you for saving my sanity and making building our Dream Home fun again!
You are most welcome Sherron, I’m glad you found the information helpful!
~Kylie
I love all your tips on choosing paint colors. I was looking at your best paint colors to pair with brick and south facing rooms….here’s my dilemma, I have a south facing basement with that difficult rare brick color you were describing with salmon, tannish/beige and pink undertones! No blues or greens… Got it! But! With all the windows and natural light I don’t want it to get washed out with a light color.
I was thinking stonington or gray owl before I saw your blog!
I have photos of the brick wall and fireplace, I read you would love to have photos.
Hi Erica! I would lean slightly more to Gray owl than Stonington as the undertones are a bit softer feeling, whereas the blue in Stonington can feel a bit ‘stark’. Gray Owl is DEFINITELY one of my faves! I also love Edgecomb Gray, although compared to your other too it will feel VERY warm (while still being in the gray tones)
And yes, I always love After photos, so when you’re all done, send them along!
~Kylie
Hi Kylie
I’m having a problem choosing the right beige for my very bright living room. It’s for our beach cottage. I like BM Revere Pewter but am afraid it will be washed out with all the natural light. The kitchen is going to be BM Smoke so I’m looking for a color that will work well with that and is not too tan and not too grey. Please help!
Virginia
Hi Virginia! I hear ya. Remember, you can usually lighten/darken colours to adjust them for a room. In your case you might consider darkening Revere Pewter by 1/4 just to give it a bit more oomph when faced with the natural light which CAN wash out a colour. Also check out Sherwin Williams Collonade Gray, you can read about a comparison to the 2 colours right here… https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/collonade-gray-vs-revere-pewter-the-battle-is-over/
Hope that helps!
~Kylie
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this article! Wow! These are my type of color choices! I used the Revere Pewter in two of my kids rooms and the Edgecomb Gray in all of my hallways. I loved Revere Pewter so much I even used that color for my basement. I also painted the inside of my front door with Wedgewood Gray which looks great with those two colors. I know it goes with everything but I just don’t think I can paint anything else Revere Pewter or Edgecomb Gray… even though they are beautiful colors! I am thinking about painting my kitchen, which is currently white, Palladian Blue (or Sea Salt) and the attached family room, that doesn’t have very good lighting Coventry Gray (or Stonington Gray). I built my own 10 person farmhouse table and bench and thought a little color on the kitchen walls would look nicer than the plain white. They are both south facing rooms. I would love your personal thoughts or suggestions on the color choices! Thanks again for the great article!
Hi Lindsay, thanks for loving my writing – yay!
Okay, so I love both the colours you want to use, but here’s a few things to think about…
Palladian Blue with its colourful mix (blue/green/gray) will feel warmer in comparison to Stonington Gray which is a stormy blue based gray and while they don’t look BAD together, I don’t know that I LOVE them together. Now in my home I have one colour that I keep repeating and that’s because it works (BM Gentle Cream). It looks good in my house and I love the colour as it lets me do WHATEVER THE HECK I WANT with regard to accent colours and adjoining rooms (as my rooms are always changing but I NEVER have to change Gentle Cream to accommodate them). It sounds like Revere Pewter might be something to think about repeating. Put it up with Palladian Blue and feel the shift as these 2 colours play with each other – they love each other! And a colour can look so different from one room to the next, particularly Revere Pewter which has been known to pick up a subtle green undertone. So, long story short, if it were me I would think twice about Stonington and the degree of flat gray in it and look to a slightly warmer gray like Revere Pewter.
Hope that helps!
~Kylie
I came across your site and love love the info that your sharing. I am very ilitterate when it comes to choosing color and decor for my home do thank you. We just bought a fixer upper home a few weeks ago and changing everything in it and your blogs are a lifesaver. We painted our dining room SW repose gray and planning on painting the kitchen same color and white kitchen cupboards. But we found SW Repose Gray is a little more on the beige side which we wanted to stay away from. We have our living room painted revere pewetre which is a south facing room and we love it. We are in the process of painting the front entrance and hallways and stair walls going to the second floor Revere Pewetre but I am afraid it might be too dark as there is currently very little natural light coming in those areas. We just finished sanding it and primed it and love how specious it looks with just the primer white. Any ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hey Susan, thank you for asking! You know, if you love Revere Pewter but are worried about it being a bit heavy (which it can feel in a darker hallway/stairwell) you can ask the paint store to lighten it for you! I usually start at 25% lighter, but often need to go to 35% lighter to really see/feel a change. It’s super easy to do, just say ‘I would like Revere Pewter, could you please lighten it by 25% for me?’. If you want to do sample pots before committing it’s more affordable to take the BM colour chip to Home Depot, ask them to colour match and it make a sample that is lightened (super easy for them to do and about 98% accurate). This way it’s only about $4.
Hope that helps!
~Kylie
Your blog and videos are so helpful! I have found that many of the answers to my googled questions have led back to your blog page. My current dilemma – I am down to 2 different color choices in my kitchen – Wythe blue and Heavenly blue. The Wythe blue is a bit dark when it’s dry, but just about perfect while it’s still wet. Have you ever lightened Wythe blue, and if so how did it turn out? Also, do you find that the satin sheen adds some lightness, compared to the flat sample pots?
Thanks!
Thank you Brenda! Now I haven’t personally lightened Wythe Blue, but I have lightened MANY other colours. You’ll find that lightening a colour by 25% doesn’t drastically ‘change’ it, but rather it just tweaks it. I find that when I love a colour but find it just a touch heavy, 25% does the trick. That being said, I would think it comparison to how a colour looks when wet, you’d be closer to 40% lighter.
As for sheen, the shinier a paint is, the more it will enhance the ‘colour’, so Wythe Blue in a shinier paint may appear MORE blue/green than it is. Shinier paints also enhance any flaws in drywall. I would encourage you to play around with lightening, rather than sheen level.
Hope that helps!
~kylie
I’m getting a little frustrated and wine is not helping. Big sunny rooms, tons of southern light. Too the point is washes thing out and turns everything green or amber. I don’t like greens, I don’t like muddy colours. I love fresh and light colours. I’ve painted my daughter’s room Breathe of Fresh Air – loved it! Just not for a living room! I’ve tried Gray Owl: looks almost white and a bit too green. Silver Mist? Almost perfect, I just want it a bit grayer. Winter Solstice and Silver Lake look like dirty mid-tone gray greens. I want light but not white. Gray with a clear blue undertone and no greens. Why is this so hard? Ughie
This article is extremely helpful! Can I ask your advice? We have pine trim and crown moulding that is stained with yellow/orange/red tones (87′ home). In our south facing front room with golden oak/red wood floors I can’t seem to find a color that doesn’t turn either orange or pink or blue! I’ve tried BM Gentle Cream and it looks yellow. BM Muslin looks orange. BM Manchester Tan looks washed out and bland. SW Softer Tan looks orange/yellow. BM Natural Linen looks blue/gray. I’ve actually tried 10+ colors. Im embarrassed to say that and extremely frustrated. What other colors can I try? Our home is a colonial style so the front southern facing room has two windows facing south and a third window from the west. What would you use? Thank you very much!
Thank you Kylie for your great insight, so thankful to have stumbled on your website. We are in the middle of a major remodel and the contractor will need my paint choices soon. I’m severely struggling with the decisions (I have 12 paint samples on my wall right now, and I just read not to paint the sample on the wall but to use white paper!) Looking for paint selections for our combined Living/dining room with a large east facing window, this room connects into a great room which has a combined kitchen(south)/nook(south)/family(east) room. Kitchen: new LED lights, white cabinets, ‘pebble’ color quartz counters, marble herringbone backsplash, dark stained island with marble looking quartz. Rooms have medium oak hardwood. Some colors I sampled are: Hazey Skies: too green and dismal. BM Revere Pewter – certain times of the day I like it, certain times it feels heavy, muddy and too green. BM Swirling Smoke: too grey? – I haven’t heard you mention this color, not a fav? BM Edgecomb Grey? Overgrown by Miller? Some of these colors seem dark, especially in the evening, and I wonder how I would ever choose a sofa and chairs to go with them – dark walls, dark furniture? I actually wanted a warm fresh airy cream/tan/beige but the ones I tried were either too pink, too peachy or too yellow (sounds like Goldilocks!), so I started looking at greige colors, avoiding colors that are too grey.
Thanks for sharing your gift of color selection with everyone!
Author
Hi Julie, I know it can be overwhelming! If you’d like me to look at your home, you should check out my E-design so that I can look at photos and your questionnaire and come up with some options that REALLY work for you and your home! It’s affordable and fun if you’d like to check it out. I do try to give as much good info as I can on my blog and if that doesn’t work, it might be time for a closer look! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
Hy Kylie:
You are amazing!!!
I have never written a post but I fell on yours and it is incredible! All the details of the south facing and north facing light, I had no idea. Before I found this you are right, you stress out about paints (drink some wine) stress out some (drink some wine) . I moved 3 weeks again and I am have been trying to pick colors and losing my mind!!! But then you came along. I have most of my colors picked out for each room. My question is though, both bathrooms have adjoining bathrooms, do I need to paint that them the same color of the bedrooms? They have white tile floor/black grout and white cabinet with gray granite countertop (one is north facing and very dark and the other is south facing and gets some light just at the entrance.
Also I have an open floor plan from kitchen into living room. I chose one of your great colors my question is due I need to have an “accent wall” or can the paint just flow right though both rooms (kitchen on north facing and living room on south facing so I was leaning towards “Gentle Cream”
Thank you for any advise you can provide. You have quite the talent!
Karen
Author
Hi Karen, I’m so glad you found me – and cheers to that! So no, bathrooms definitely DON’T need to be the same as the bedroom and are often better in a softer, lighter version of the bedroom (depending on the bedroom colour of course).
As for the feature wall idea, EVERY home is different. I’ve been in open layouts that SCREAM for a feature wall, but more often than not they don’t…
If you want me to take a look at any of your rooms and advise colours, I do have an afforable e-design service, and then you don’t need to 2nd guess yourself! Either way, I’m glad you found me helpful 😉 https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
I still don’t know what white paint colors are best for tiny, south-facing rooms. I’ve read several of your blogs more than once, but I’m not perfect, so maybe I missed it
Author
Hi Jude, I don’t have a blog post SPECIFIC to that, but I do have a good blog post re: BM’s best white paint colours. It can ALL depend on your interior finishes as well, but I also quite like Sherwin Williams Pure White (which I have a colour review on) as it’s warm, but not as yellow as some whites, given that the southern sun will warm it up for you. BM Oxford White is beautiful too. https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-8-best-benjamin-moore-white-paint-colours-undertones-and-more/
I hope that helps!
My house is open throughout so I need to paint the family room, kitchen and living room the same color. The problem is that one room is a dark north facing room and one is a very bright south facing room. We have been looking at light blue green colors that look washed
Your site is AMAZING. I’d sip wine with you any day. This is my first time building and I really have a hard time envisioning all of my choices. My kitchen cabinets will be white and the island navy blue. They come IN this color. I need to choose an everywhere paint color (just one) but I am nervous because 1. i don’t know what white exactly, the cabinets will be 2. we are southern facing 3. going for a coastal look. Suggestions? I originally chose edgecomb grey but now I am thinking of a softer white. PLUS the builder will be matching my choice as they use a smaller company for paints. Any help???
Author
Oooo, see the problem is, I don’t SIP very well – MOMMA LIKES HER WINE ;). But I’ll still drink it with you! So, that’s TOUGH. It really depends on the white (btw, as long as it’s not too warm/yellow, you’ll want them to colour match it AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE for trim/ceilings/doors. My first thought was something like BM Collingwood, to balance a bit of that southern light or maybe SW AGreeable Gray. But, Collingwood will PROBABLY be easier to colour match. As for a white, without knowing what white the cabinets are, this would be VERY HARD and at the best, you’d want to use the colour match that you’ve got for the trim :).
I have a southern facing kitchen with a LARGE window. I just
had Cambria. Montgomery countertops put in which I love. I have white appliances and want to paint my orange oak cabinets white. I am afraid to paint a pure stark white. Which white would you recommend?
Thanks
Hi Kylie! In your LRV-lovin’ opinion, when does the LRV max out for south facing rooms with good light? I am trying to pick a cool color to balance a ton of medium brown wood with a red undertone in my south facing dining room with windows enough so that we rarely turn on the lights during the day. I want it to look light but not washed out most of the time. Is there an upper threshold for LRV to consider that would be too light for this case?
Author
Oooo, that’s a tough one. I mean, even DARK colours will lighten up. I would think somewhere around 55 makes sense to me, so that it doesn’t go too dark at night either, but even at 55 it will wash out a bit!
Do you have any posts about choosing paint colors based on your existing trim color? We recently bought a house, and the trim is white – but has very obvious red undertones. It actually looks pink in some lighting. We really don’t like it, but don’t have time to paint all the trim and doors in our house, or the money to pay someone else to do it. All the walls are very plain and neutral, and I want to paint – but I want to be sure I choose paint colors for the walls that WON’T bring out the red in the trim even more. If there are are paint colors that would diminish the red in the trim, that’d be ideal. Is that possible? Help!