The 18 Best Paint Colors for East-Facing Rooms
WHICH PAINT COLORS SUIT EASTERN EXPOSURE?
I’ve received MANY questions from readers wondering which paint colors were best for their east and west-facing rooms. The main comment was, ‘There seems to be a lot of info out there for north and south-facing rooms, but nothing for east and west-facing rooms!’
Do you want to know why? Because they are a total and complete bugger. I curse them and throw a quarter in the jar every time (the jar is now full).
So, I have strapped on my big girl undies and pulled ALL of my thoughts together for you (scary), combined them with my 17 years of color experience, and finally made some sense of it all. However, it’s a lot of info, so today, we’re focusing on EAST-facing rooms only (west will come later on a broomstick).
EAST-FACING LIGHT & PAINT COLORS
When discussing the best paint colors for north and south-facing rooms, it’s easy to peg down some good color options as the light is more predictable throughout the day. However, with east-facing rooms having split personalities, it isn’t so clear-cut, and there IS no exact recipe.
Rooms with an east-facing morning light get a gentle, slightly clean dose of warm sunshine in the early morning (but not the same as the more intense golden warmth you’ll get in a west-facing afternoon), but as the sun rises, you’ll also notice a lot of shadows.
As we move towards noon, the light will slowly get brighter and whiter, and the chances of being judged for day drinking (which you may be doing shortly) will be greatly reduced. This bright light can start to wash out colors and lighten their appearance.
For example, in the above photo, check out the walls facing you; they’re a bit shadowed, but the paint color on the wall with the TP holder is completely washed out as it’s getting a direct hit of Eastern light.
In the afternoon, an east-facing room will look progressively grayer and flatter with fewer shadows (the room is slightly shadowed). I can hear the crickets chirping now- oh wait, that’s my phone with a message – which I’ll never check.
Notice how the same paint color (Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White) changes on each wall
WARM PAINT COLORS: MORNING
Warm paint colors can be slightly enhanced in eastern morning light without picking up a glow, but they can also glow in the west-facing afternoon sun. If you choose colors with a wink more ‘color’ and less gray, you may find that the increased color helps fight the shaded look of the afternoon light while still looking beautiful in the morning hours.
WARM COLORS INCLUDE SHADES OF YELLOW, ORANGE, RED, RUST
WARM PAINT COLORS: AFTERNOON
Warm colors can help balance the more shaded, slightly dull look of east-facing afternoon light. The more neutral the colors, the more dirty they can look, so choose wisely. If you choose a cool color with a bit more ‘color’ and less gray, you may find it holds better in the afternoon.
COOL PAINT COLORS: MORNING
If you paint your east-facing room a cool shade, it could feel refreshing and clean. A cool shade will not look much warmer than normal, nor will it look any colder in this morning light.
- You might find that blues with a green touch feel a bit softer and more inviting.
- Green-yellow, more so than green blues, can offer a soft warmth to an eastern room. However, ensure they’re not too neutral, or they could look murky in the afternoon.
- Purples that lean slightly to the pink side (taupe) rather than the blue (cool) side can help balance things off a bit if you’re worried about the gray afternoon light
COOL COLORS INCLUDE SHADES OF BLUE, GREEN, VIOLET
COOL PAINT COLORS: AFTERNOON
Cooler shades can look more subdued and grayed out and come across as even cooler-toned and flatter than normal. If you go for cool paint colors or gray neutrals, you may want to add warm accents and texture to your room for balance and visual warmth.
Don’t expect a paint color to save you and your room – help it out by giving it LIGHT!
NEUTRAL PAINT COLORS: MORNING
Cool neutrals with cool undertones will be welcoming in the morning, as the natural light won’t cast an icy cold or gray light on them. Warm neutrals with warm undertones will do what they do and be as warm as usual.
ALL of the above will start looking washed out as you get closer to noon, especially if you get good sunlight on your walls.
NEUTRAL PAINT COLORS INCLUDE GRAY, GREIGE, TAUPE, CREAM, WHITE, BROWN
NEUTRAL PAINT COLORS: AFTERNOON
Neutral paint colors can be challenging in eastern afternoon light, so your interior lighting is SO important. Many neutrals look dingy, dirty, and dull in a room with eastern afternoon light. Again, this isn’t to say NOT to choose a neutral, but you might consider one with a bit more color/undertone AND improve your interior lighting.
I’ve found that my clients can often live with paint colors that make a room feel a bit too warm vs. paint colors that make a room feel a bit too cold, something to consider if you use your east-facing room in the afternoon.
EAST-FACING ROOMS & GRAY
Not everyone wants color, and most of my Online Paint Color Consulting clients want neutrals on their walls – regardless of their exposures. Which brings me to another question that I’m often asked…
‘Do I HAVE to paint my east or west-facing room a color? Can’t I paint it gray, beige, or gray?’
Of course, you can; you can do whatever the heck ya want! Just keep in mind the more neutral your paint colour is (the less ‘color’ it has in it and the more beige-gray it looks), the drabber it might look at the ‘shaded’ time of day.
- I recommend looking for neutrals that have at least a WEEEE willy wink (super technical term) of noticeable color/undertone in them to offset those shadows a bit.
- Consider neutrals with LRVs above 60. Especially as it relates to warm gray, greige, and taupe, the darker they are, the muddier they can look in Eastern light (especially low light).
- You’ll also want to ensure that your interior lighting conditions help balance the lack of COLOR on your walls.
STEP 1: IT’S ALL IN THE TIMING
I know, this is a TON of info – it’s like verbal diarrhea on my end, so I can’t imagine how it’s being received on yours. So, you can take that all into consideration OR take a deep breath, totally ignore me (Tim has an uncanny knack for this), and start sampling paint colors.
But before you do that, take a quick second to answer these two questions…
- Do I use my room more in the morning or the afternoon?
- Am I more comfortable in warmer colors or cooler colors?
If you can’t find a color you love at BOTH times of day and can’t adjust your interior lighting (I bet you can), decide whether you naturally lean toward warm or cool colors (and decide which temperature your room best suits). Then, choose the color you like the most during the time of day you’re in the room.
Does this mean you completely ignore the other half of the day?
No, you just don’t give it priority. And while you may LOVE a color in the morning light, but not the afternoon, as long as it’s ‘okay’ and doesn’t go against your religious beliefs, it might just be a good choice.
‘But what if I’m in the room in the morning AND the afternoon?’
Well, then we move on to STEP 2.
STEP 2: LIGHTING IS YOUR FRIEND
For the time of day when your room is at its darkest and most shaded (which is the afternoon for eastern rooms), use interior lighting as a supplement. This can put an ENTIRELY new face on your paint color and make it more liveable during the shaded hours. Taking the time to improve the lighting in your room will make ALL of the difference in the world as it relates to your paint colors.
In this next photo, look at how much the different light bulbs change the look of the paint color (Sherwin Williams Shoji White)…
How the Kelvins of Light Bulbs Affect Paint Colors
While they say that ‘daylight’ bulbs best mimic natural daylight, I find that they only mimic sunlight at its peak – so at its whitest, this isn’t always a ‘liveable light’ compared to what we’re used to with our old-school bulbs. I would opt for a slightly warmer light (lower Kelvins) over a daylight bulb in a shaded space.
So, what is a girl (or guy) to do now? DRINK UP BUTTERCUP! That’s right, you might need to call in the reinforcements (Mr. Pinot and Ms. Merlot) when choosing the best paint color for your east-facing room. So, grab that sippy cup, and let’s get started.
This is where the fun starts!
WARM PAINT COLORS FOR EAST-FACING ROOMS
When choosing a color for an east-facing room, you might also be considering a secondary exposure. The combos can be north-east, south-east, and east-west. I do have a blog post geared towards rooms with TWO EXPOSURES, however, the following colors are still worth considering, especially if the eastern light comes from the largest window.
Remember, you might not find a color you love at ALL times of the day, which is why your interior lighting plan is so important! Be patient with your paint color; it’s likely doing its best, given the drastic shift in natural light!
I mention afternoon light a LOT in the comments below. This is because it’s harder to accommodate, whereas east-facing morning light is much more flexible!
1. SHERWIN WILLIAMS CASA BLANCA SW 7571
Casa Blanca is a slightly brighter shade of cream (compared to Gentle Cream). It offers a gentle, slightly cheerful warmth to an east-facing room, making it a beautiful color to wake up to and a warm and inviting one in the afternoon light.
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Casa Blanca
2. BENJAMIN MOORE CLOUD WHITE OC-130
Cloud White is a white paint color with a creamy backdrop. With this bit of yellow, Cloud White has the warmth to stand up to a flat eastern afternoon while looking soft and subtle in the morning hours.
FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Cloud White
If you’re considering white for your east-facing rooms, focus on warm whites (yellow undertones) and ones that are perhaps a bit BRIGHTER than the softer, creamier end.
- Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Sherwin Williams Cheviot
- Sherwin Williams Greek Villa
3. SHERWIN WILLIAMS NATURAL LINEN
Natural Linen is a light shade of beige. Like ANY color, it will lose some of its luster in the afternoon light, however, it’s still a beautiful, muted, warm neutral. If you want warmth on your walls without too much gold, Natural Linen can be a great fit.
Remember, this is the WARM color section – keep reading to get to the COOL colors!
If you like the look of Natural LInen but want a lighter shade, here are a few to explore…
- Sherwin Williams Moderate White
- Sherwin Williams Divine White
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Natural Linen
4. BENJAMIN MOORE MUSLIN
Muslin is similar to Natural Linen but has more undertone (orange). So, if you find that Natural Linen is a bit flat for your space, Muslin offers a similar degree of warmth with just a bit more backbone to stand up to those gray hours.
Look at the difference from the left wall to the right – all thanks to natural light!
FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Muslin
5. BENJAMIN MOORE NATURAL WICKER OC-1
I LOVE Natural Wicker for an east-facing room. Some homeowners love a heavy cream but get nervous about too much yellow. The great thing about Natural Wicker is that it’s a REAL cream-beige hybrid. Compared to Gentle Cream, you’ll see it has a similar yellow-orange blend, but Natural Wicker has a bit more gray, calming it down. Add a bit of warm interior lighting, and you’ve got one gorgeous east-facing room!
If the above colors are still too flat and lifeless in your afternoon eastern sun, I’ve got a few more for you to explore. Remember, you can’t change the fact that colors WILL fall more flat in the afternoon. If you want to avoid that, you need to choose a color with a LOT of life and color to it – it will still fall flat in the afternoon, but the more COLOR it has, the better it will hold up.
Just remember, it has to suit your interior finishes, AND you have to live with it at ALL hours of the day!
Alternatively, choose a color you and your room love and improve your interior lighting (I know, I’m like a broken record). If you don’t have enough lighting, Amazon sells battery-operated wall-mount sconces!
6. SHERWIN WILLIAMS KILIM BEIGE SWW 6141
Kilim Beige has a lot more meat on its bones than the more modern beige world. With an LRV of 57, Kilim Beige is darker than Natural Linen and Muslin. While it has the same intention – to be a warm beige, it has more depth and noticeable undertones.
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Kilim Beige
7. BENJAMIN MOORE FERNWOOD GREEN 2145-40
Maybe you want to leave the neutral world entirely and embrace some COLOR in your life! Color is a great way to battle those afternoon Eastern blahs.
Fernwood Green is a charming shade of leafy green. Being a warm green (green-yellow), it will sit strong in the flat afternoon light while not being completely obnoxious in the morning hours.
Sure, I could go wild and crazy and suggest dark shades of green or some beautiful medium-toned blues to you, but these colors are intended to appeal to the masses and the AVERAGE home – not a particular set of personal tastes! I have an awesome Online Paint Color Consulting service if you want something fine-tuned for you and your home.
8. BENJAMIN MOORE TAWNY ROSE 2173-20
For this one, I thought I’d have a little fun! Tawny Rose is a darker, rust, cinnamon-inspired shade with a gorgeous red-orange-brown blend. If you want to warm up your east-facing room and add some personality, a color like Tawny Rose will do the trick.
Benjamin Moore Tawny Rose with Gentle Cream
What’s awesome is that it’s not only a ‘whole room’ paint color but also a great accent wall color. This is a great way to add personality to your room without overwhelming it.
BEFORE WE MOVE TO COOL COLORS…
I want you to check out SAMPLIZE peel-and-stick paint samples.
- Samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1 DAY, depending on the location
- They’re more affordable than the sample pots/rollers/foam boards that are needed for traditional paint sampling
- THEY USE THE ACTUAL PAINT FROM EACH BRAND!
Visit the SAMPLIZE website HERE
COOL PAINT COLORS FOR EAST-FACING ROOMS
Again, these colors aren’t limited to east-facing rooms. If you have an east-facing room that’s more northeast or southeast or has a mix of east and west, these colors might work for these spaces, too! If not, check out this: HOW TO CHOOSE PAINT COLORS FOR ROOMS WITH TWO EXPOSURES.
9. SHERWIN WILLIAMS RAINWASHED SW 6211
Rainwashed is a beautiful blue-green-gray blend. In the morning, Rainwashed is a beautiful shade of light blue with a whisper of green and gray. In the afternoon, while it will naturally gray out a bit, the degree of color it has in it (chroma) will still rise above the flatness better than a neutral shade.
In this next image, notice how Rainwashed has less gray and more color than Smoky Green and Comfort Gray…
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Rainwashed
10. SHERWIN WILLIAMS SEA SALT
If you like the idea of Rainwashed, but it’s a bit colorful for your tastes, check out Sea Salt. Sea Salt is a muted green-gray. And while its roots suggest it might ALWAYS look green-gray, this color ninja is well-known for leaning into blue. However, overall, it has a more toned-down approach compared to Rainwashed.
Sea Salt can look as green as it does in this dining room…
Or as blue as it is in this bathroom…
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Sea Salt
11. BENJAMIN MOORE WOODLAWN BLUE HC 147
If you’re in the mood for blue, it’s hard to beat the comforting look of Woodlawn Blue. Woodlawn Blue is a light shade of blue with a good gray undertone to calm it down and a bit of green for balance, making it a blue-green paint color.
In this next photo, Woodlawn Blue looks a bit softer and warmer compared to Sherwin Williams Rain. This is thanks to the green in it…
What is the Best Blue Paint Color for Your Walls?
Again, I’d love to show you the wild and wonderful end of color, but that would appeal to the minority. Instead, I’ve selected colors with a BETTER chance of working in the average home. If you want color suggestions personalized to you and your home, check out my ONLINE PAINT COLOR CONSULTING – I’d love to help!
12. SHERWIN WILLIAMS CONTENTED
Contented is a light-medium depth shade of green. Warm greens are green-yellow, cool greens are green-blue – Contented is slightly green-blue while still committing wholeheartedly to green. However, it does have some gray to calm it down, leaving you with a softened, more muted approach to a light evergreen color. Remember, it will lose a bit of its glory in the afternoon eastern sun, so get those interior lights going!
Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF CONTENTED
13. SHERWIN WILLIAMS MOODY BLUE SW 6221
I want to show you the more FUN end of cool colors, as we did with Tawny Rose in the warm section. I am a BIG fan of Moody Blue. It’s a medium-toned mix of blue-green with a touch of gray to calm it down. It adds richness and warmth to a room just via its depth.
And it’s not just for accent walls. At this saturation, you can cover an entire room in Moody Blue’s glorious blue-green hue!
The 13 Best MEDIUM DEPTH Blue Paint Colors
You might look at the above suggestions and think, ‘Hmmm, where are all the grays?‘ HERE THEY ARE! But first (that’s a BIG but – a Kardashian-sized one), let’s have a little chat.
GRAY, GREIGE & TAUPE COLORS FOR EAST-FACING ROOMS
If you want to paint your east-facing room gray, greige, or taupe, I won’t stop you…but I’m sure as heck gonna try!
Why?
While some shades of warm or stormy gray are okay in the morning, many will look dirty, dull, and uninspiring in the afternoon. Cool grays often fare better, as they don’t have brown in them (brown is what makes a color dirty), and their undertones can pop a bit more. However, the average home doesn’t suit many cool grays (in the lighter range), as many popular finishes need at least a little (or a lot) more warmth.
As for greige and taupe, it’s not that they can’t look lovely…in the morning. But these same gorgeous shades can look muddy and drab in the afternoon.
HOWEVER, much of this can be solved with lighting. Neutrals like these might still look a wee bit flat or dirty in the afternoon, but they’ll improve somewhat with quality light.
- If your eastern windows are LARGE and you don’t have landscaping or an overhang blocking them, you can probably get away with a gray, greige, or taupe.
- If your windows are small, but you compensate for this lack of natural light with GOOD interior lighting conditions, these colors can work.
Just don’t expect a paint color to save your room all on its own.
So, if you’re not scared off, let’s look at some neutrals worth exploring.
14. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ON THE ROCKS
On the Rocks is a gray that hovers between the warm and cool gray worlds. Warmer grays have a bit more brown, which CAN get flat/dingy in afternoon light. Cool grays don’t suit as many interior finishes. And sometimes, On the Rocks settles RIGHT in the middle!
This next photo is as warm as On the Rocks EVER looks…
This room gets great light from the window and skylight
Cool grays don’t look as dirty, but they can look DARN COLD! The great thing about On the Rocks is that it doesn’t commit hard either way and can be easily supplemented with warm interior lighting and thoughtful accents.
It’s definitely moody in a lower-light space!
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams On the Rocks
15. BENJAMIN MOORE CLASSIC GRAY
Classic Gray is a gentle, off-white, warm shade of gray (also perceived as taupe). A warm gray like this can look flat in a room without enough light, but its gentle softness can help offset any dull light in a reasonably well-lit room.
FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
Will Classic Gray look dingy or dirty?
It can. Any warm shade of gray, greige, or taupe can look dirty in certain lights – it’s the nature of the beast, as these types of neutrals have brown in them! It comes down to a) whether your room SUITS dirty colors (many/most do) and b) whether it’s a color you love, regardless of whether it’s dirty or not. Personally, I LOVE dirty colors!
16. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ANCIENT MARBLE SW 6162
Ancient Marble is an interesting approach to green and greige. Some of us love a good shade of greige but struggle to find the right fit in our eastern room. However, we might not be ready to dive head-first into the GREEN world. This is where a color like Ancient Marble comes in. Whereas some more neutral shades of greige can fall flat in afternoon eastern light, a greige with a LOT of green has a better chance of standing strong in this muted light.
Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF ANCIENT MARBLE HERE
Ancient Marble is more green than greige, but it’s toned down to the point that it’s an earth-toned paint color and a soft, organic look for an east-facing room.
17. BENJAMIN MOORE BALBOA MIST
Balboa Mist is similar to Classic Gray but has a bit more depth and more UNDERTONE. And while they’re both warm grays, Classic Gray can look taupe at times, whereas Balboa Mist is pretty committed to being a warm shade of gray.
The undertones in Balboa Mist are violet-pink. If you don’t love these undertones, you might want to be careful, as while they’re subtle…they ain’t THAT subtle. However, you might be surprised to know that MANY interior finishes – ones you might be having difficulty coordinating with – suit these types of undertones!
FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist
18. SHERWIN WILLIAMS GOSSAMER VEIL
I do recommend this one LIGHTLY. Well, truth be told, I recommend ALL the grays, greiges, and taupes lightly. Again, in the afternoon light, they do lose some luster, especially warm grays and greiges with green undertones.
You’ll also want to be careful with your Kelvins as SUPER low Kelvin light bulbs could have a gray-green look that’s a touch murky at times. Now, murky isn’t always a bad thing, depending on your tastes. A color like this can give you a muted, warm, slightly organic vibe – it depends on your style!
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Gossamer Veil
COORDINATING WITH INTERIOR FINISHES
Oh, you don’t get off that easy – there’s a whole ‘NOTHER side to choosing the best color for your room – your interior finishings.
The interior of your room adds a whole DIFFERENT set of rules, but there is only SO much I can do with a blog post! If you don’t know which paint color is best for your exposure, countertops, flooring, furniture, personal tastes, etc… you might want to check out my E-Design.
READ MORE
The Best WHOLE HOME Gray & Greige Paint Colors
The Best Paint Colors for a West-Facing Room
The Best Colors for a North-Facing Room
The Best Colors for a South-Facing Room
The 8 Best Blue and Green Paint Colors
NEED HELP?
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Chat soon,
Written in 2017, updated in 2023
My master bedroom faces west on the golf course in sunny Las Vegas. I need a tan/beige/timeless color that really doesn’t pull any definite undertones. What would you suggest?
Hi Kymber! There are SO many other things to consider, like furnishings, flooring, the amount of light coming in! Without seeing photos I’m totally just guessing, but will say that one of my fave tans is SW Canvas Tan…
If you’d like me to take a look at your room, I do have affordable (and fun) E-design! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
Hi Kylie,
I happened upon your very informative website and I glad to see Grant Beige on the list for a south facing room. I am actually trying to find a close math to Grant Beige in Behr Marquee paints. We are painting a very large room with high walls, and know my husband would appreciate the benefit of the one coat coverage. Behr doesn’t guarantee this coverage in other brands of paint. Thanks.
Well Andrea, I’m a big sceptic of the 1 coat coverage paints. It has to be the right colour and the right application (thickness). I’ve yet to see one that I’m 100% happy with, where the original colour doesn’t flash through – but maybe I haven’t seen the right one yet! I’ve found that some painters use the ‘good from 4 feet’ rule – if it looks good from 4 feet away, then it’s fine. I’ve found to get the true colour, that 2 coats are best…
Hi Kylie
I have indeed invited Ms.Merlot to join me while I read the information you provided about color. I have learned so much from your wonderful suggestions. I have an east facing open living room , kitchen and dinning room. The space has a lot of natural light. I was hoping you could help me decide between Grey owl or Revere Pewter. I I know they are different but i am open to suggestions. I would love to accentuate with grey and navy furnishings, I have a leather dark brown couch, actually it’s all I have left after hurricane Maria hit the island where I lived. So it’s a clean canvas to work on. Btw i love your sense of humor.
Thank you
Hi Kristy! Oooo, of the 2, I might lean toward Revere Pewter as it has a bit more softness to it. It would look gorgeous with gray and navy as long as the gray isn’t a purple base…I think Gray Owl might be a touch too flat perhaps…
Cheers!
~Kylie
Kylie! You are the best! I just wish I had read this before I painted my dining room. I used BM Windham cream. We have an East facing traditional home. It is fine in there but now so love that Carribean teal. I also was thinking of a gray in the foyer which has been BM Wilmington tan for years…But after reading this, I honestly don’t think it’s a good choice. I think it would be drab at night . I will say the gold holds up well in all lights…But would like a bit of a change… Used as repose gray in a bedroom upstairs and just love it…But the foyer is really tough…And I have a country red kitchen…Still love it . Thanks for your great posts!!!
Hi Kylie
Love your ideas and suggestions for each room of house.
We have an East facing kitchen with no window. Lots of light in morning and gradually decreases throughout the day. We are going to be painting our U-Shaped kitchen cabinets soon and decided not to go with BM Chantilly Lace or BM Decorators White as they are to stark looking, in addition to the fact we have Dunn Edwards Miners Dust on the walls and throughout the living room which the kitchen opens into.
We now have BM Crisp linen on the cabinets and although it is a creamier white (and yes has yellow) it seems to be consistent with the change in lighting throughout the day. Just want to get your thoughts on the cream “white” and gray combination. We originally wanted to do BM Van Coulter Blue on lower cabinets and the creme on top, but not sure now.
Your thoughts appreciated.
Paula
Hi Paula, it is ALLLL in the type of cream and the type of gray. The more yellow you have in the cream, the more it can react with a cooler toned gray or even a warm-toned gray – and unfortunately I’m not familiar with Dunn Edwards colours. My advice – err on the side of caution and try to hit a warm white, but one that isn’t TOOOO obviously warm/yellow toned as that can also be tricky to coordinate with down the road for trim and decor.
Aloha Kylie! I love reading your blog, so informative and funny! I am having my 90’s kitchen raised panel maple cabinets redone soon and I want to have them painted white. I have one east facing window and so the kitchen doesn’t have very much natural light. I have read your blog posts about the best white colors from Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams and have gotten 5 different samples to see how they look. So far, the samples aren’t looking as white as I want, one of my problems is that I need to redo my lighting in the kitchen and right now it’s not sufficient enough to get a true evaluation of the colors. Is there a color that you would recommend so that the cabinets will have the best chance of not looking drab and dingy? My 90’s Corian counter top is in good shape so I am hoping to keep that…so funny, it looks white but now that I have all of my color samples it is really grey with white and “peppered” with black specks. Lol, I never knew picking out a white color would be so difficult! Thanks for taking the time to read this, I really appreciate it.
Aloooooha! Yes, it can be SO hard when you don’t have the lighting in place! If I had to put my money on a non drab/dingy white, it would probably be SW Pure White. It’s pretty white and has just a weeee lil’ wink of warmth in it. Simply White is similar, but can come up a touch TOO warm if your countertop is more gray base…
Other than that, you’d look at more standard whites, like SW High Reflective White…
I hope that helps Janet!
Mahalo Kylie! I think that Pure White looks a little better with my counter tops than the Simply White and is one of the colors that I like a lot. The other color I kind of like is BM Chantilly but just not sure if it’s the right tone. I will go and get a sample of the High Reflective White and see how that looks. I painted my samples on computer cardstock type paper and hung them on the cabinet for comparison. I have such a hard time trying to visualize off that small paper so really appreciate your experience!
Hi Janet,
Which color did you choose and are you happy with it?
Kindly,
Joy
Hi Kylie,
I really like your blog and you are really good with colors. My home faces south east. I had my husband come out here and the living room to check. Our floors are a red gun stock. I’ve noticed you like gentle cream so I thought I would paint our open floor plan with that. Our kitchen cabinets are white dove. Thanks so much for all the info. We live in the Blue Ridge mountains and I was wanting something soft and neutral with no pink.
Hey Kylie..I totally love your blog. I had a few questions regarding our east facing kitchen and living room. My wife and I our trying to pick a light Greige that does not look pink or yellow. I would prefer a color that looks light grey, brown or a little blue. We our planning on a farmhouse theme and putting Navy blue accents with a Steel color couch. Our kitchen cabinets our Espresso color and unfortunately we have a dark black counter top. My wife likes Repose Gray , but I think it’s abit dark. I read that we could possibly lighten up 25%. What do you think about Agreeable Gray? Or possibly Edgecomb Gray or Revere Pewter (these seem to be the most popular) ? Thanks for your input.
Hi Mike, it sounds to me like Agreeable GRay ALL THE WAY! I have clients who want a greige, yet find it a bit too gray/blue (particularly with north facing and you will get ‘similar light’ in the afternoon with east facing’. I would TOTALLY lean toward that more so than Repose, which can be a bit unpredictable…
Kylie makes me laugh outloud. My advise to easy facing living room with a green wonderland outside, don’t use accessible beige. It was really pretty when I moved in. It was winter and no beautiful green grass yet. I have poured over all this advise for hours and am ready to move.
I have a east facing living room and I tend to pull yellows no matter what ….. my recent paint trial was Ben Moore White Down which changes in every room of course. Do you think Gentle Cream or Creamy would pull less yellow than this? Or which white would be nicer to have a clean wall with Extra White Crown molding ?
Trying to just kill the YELLOW!!
Hi Holly, thank you for asking! I actually have an e-design business just for questions like yours – otherwise, I’m guessing as to what your home REALLY looks like with its eastern light/interior finishes/interior lighting, etc… I do try to give as much complimentary, helpful info on my blog as possible, and if that doesn’t work, it just might be time for me to take a look! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
Do you think Creamy or Ballet White is better for a living room area with North and West windows? I was thinking Colonnade Gray but I’m so confused on warm and cold light!!
Hi Heather, well I would lean toward Creamy as it is a bit more of a fresh look, but even it will soften with that gray light!
Hi Kylie,
We are building an East facing lake house with lots of light (basically all windows on east side). Right now we have picked out SW Pure White for trim/doors/cabinets and SW Downing Slate for island color. Agreeable grey is what we are planning on going with for kitchen/living room. Do you feel our choices may work out? (We are no experts, but this color talk is really intriguing – I want to make sure we get it right!)
Hi Meg, it all sounds pretty! Just keep in mind that Agreeable Gray can be unpredictable and often turns out more like a gray-blue than a greige – it’s a funny one! However, that being said, it would still be nice with Downing Slate !
Would you recommend any of these (or anything else) as a ceiling color? I have a sloped ceiling that is currently knotty pine that has yellowed over time. I was the thinking of painting the walls SW Creamy but want to do the ceiling and trim in another (not white) color. My instinct was Light French Gray but I’m worried about it pulling too purple (nice on walls, but maybe not for the ceiling). This room tends to pull very blue/purple – BM moonshine just looks like ice blue. I looked at SW Twilight Gray, Mindful Gray and Useful Gray, but now I’m worried they will be too muddy. Just wondering if the same rules apply to the ceiling as the walls. Thanks for all your help! This post made me realize why I don’t like any of the griege swatches I put up on the wall.
Hi Leslie! Sloped ceilings are tricky. Unlike normal ceilings that tend to look a shade darker than the walls, sloped ceilings often look lighter as the light pans across them! Of course, that depends on how much light they get! But I would expect undertones to be slightly enhanced on a sloped ceiling and am grateful you went away from Light French Gray as the purple really can come up – especially with a warm colour like Creamy!
That’s great info, thank you! I’ve continually returned to your blog while painting my first fixer upper. Your posts and comments are the most practical, logical and helpful of anybody.
Please help :)!!! I’m on my 15th paint sample and still can decide on color. Ugh! South east facing great room with large windows. Open floor plan, so I’m painting family room, kitchen, hallways, entryway and dining room. The 2 colors I’ve narrowed it down to are Edgecomb gray and Wordly Gray. I love Edgecomb gray in most areas but a few places it looks too yellow which I do not want. Wordly Gray looks a little dark in the North west facing rooms. Just can’t decide what to do! Between those 2 colors, what do you recommend?? Thanks!!!
I love this post and your others about N-W-E-and South facing rooms. I painted SW accessible beige in 2 rooms, and it’s a lovely soft ‘zen’ grey . So calming and soothing….really nice!!
THEN! I tried it out in part of our downstairs hall….dull and drab. Thanks to your posts, I understand why! I’m trying some of your rcommendations for EAST facing walls So helpful..thanks Kylie!
Hi Kylie,
First of all, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! Your expertise amazes me.
I recently bought a home and am looking for a neutral color to use in vsrious rooms facing different directions: living room (east)
dining room (west)
master bedroom (east)
guest bedroom (south)
I love the following BM neutrals:
Stonington Grey
Revere Pester
Collington Wood
Balboa Mist
For now, I’m thinking of doing most of the house in 1 color aside from my son’s room and possibly my master bedroom. Which of the 4 BM colors do you recommend?
Thank you so much!
Erin
Hi Erin, thank you for your note! When it comes to personal questions, especially ones that are multi-room, I do refer to my E-design. I try to give away as much complimentary info as i can on my blog and if that doesn’t work, it might be time for a closer look. Otherwise I’m 100% guessing at your flooring/exposures/lighting/countertops/etc… 🙂 https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
Thanks for doing this! I just bought another home I’m fixing up. I had hardwoods put on most of the main level in Jacobean. Dining room & 2 story foyer face west with lots of natural light. Study faces west with very little light. Living room faces east and gets okay light. The only room we didn’t change floors is the kitchen, because the kitchen is brand new! It faces east & gets great light. Light gray tile floors, stark white cabinets, subway tile in varied shades of gray, and moon white granite (white/gray with big specks of plum). I thought repose gray might work throughout but my husband prefers to bring in more color with mindful gray. What are your thoughts? I noticed neither color was suggested . I love purples & we’re not afraid of color but we we’re leaning towards grays because of what’s already in the home. Do you have suggestions for 1-2 colors that might work throughout?
Hi Jae, thank you for your note! I actually have an E-design service just for this! I try to give as much complimentary as I can on my website, but if that doesn’t work you might want to think about sending me photos and doing the questionnaire so that I can spend some time with your home! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
I am so glad I found your site this morning! I was about to make some color choice mistakes! I need to select a kitchen color. My kitchen faces the east and a good bit of my morning light is filtered because of a cluster of trees on the NE side of my back yard. The kitchen has a small breakfast seating area with big windows on the east and south walls. The appliances and sink are opposite of the windows in a U shape configuration with the sink placed in the peninsula facing the windows. I already determined that I need a reflective tile backslash to help make the U shaped area brighter (I ultimately need under cabinet lighting). I have white cabinets and nice crown molding detailing so I was initially thinking of going with a darker color to give the room some contrast between the wall, cabinets and moldings but from what I have read, I need to stay above a LRV of 62 which is a lighter color. I am tempted by gray but perhaps that would make the room drab most of the time because of the filtered light.
What are good kitchen colors for this scenario? I am tempted by all of the shades of gray because they are so popular but I wonder if this is a good choice for my house which faces West in the front (Dining room / Living Room / Foyer) and East in the back (Family Room / Kitchen / Laundry). I have been strongly considering the Benjamin Moore 2019 colors and their color of the year, but again, I wonder now that I have found your site. Those colors are kind of muddy.
Too stressed to paint!!
Janet
Hi Janet, thank you for your note! When it comes to personal questions, especially more detailed ones, I do refer to my E-design, which is my main business. I try to give as much complimentary info on my blog and if that doesn’t work it might be time for me to take a closer look! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
Hi! Great article! But! I am hoping to paint my NE facing master in SW inkwell. Or do I stay away from black on the walls? Maybe put it on the ceiling instead? And if another black is ok what do you recommend? Thank you for our time & knowledge! Cannot wait to hear what you have to say!
Hi Rachel! WELL, ou are talking to the right gal! In our last home I painted my office in SW Iron Ore, which is a soft black and LOOOOVED it because it had a LOT of natural light, even if it wasn’t overly warm/sunny (it was south facing but blocked by a hill). In our current home I chose to do a feature wall as I love the darkness, but my north facing master bedroom has looooow light. I partnered up BM Wrought Iron (another soft black with a hit of blue in it) with BM White Dove on the main walls and DAMN it’s pretty! I think that all black would’ve weighed too much for me – and i love dark colours. SO, for me, it’s more about how much light the room gets as to how much black I will consider!
Hi Kylie,
What about aesthetic white in an eastern facing room with afternoon/evening use ? Seems like it may be good because it has some warmth to it? Was thinking white heron for west facing rooms afternoon/evening use . Trying to go for the lighter look across the house, but not pure white all over.
Thanks!
Did you end up using Aesthetic White? That is what we are thinking for our new build with East facing windows in the Great room and kitchen. I’d love to hear how you like it!