Please talk to me about what colour you painted your north facing room?g

[jacksonlambsregulardisorder]

Good evening all,

I want to start redecorating our spare room office which is north facing. As a result it's not great for light and can feel a bit chilly.

I'd like to go a bit brighter and more interesting than pale colours. Current contenders are Coat's Mr Clifton and Little Greene's Air Force Blue. I'd quite like something that graphic art will pop against. Any recommendations?

Many thanks in advance.

Mine is terracotta. I love it!

Mine is a deep pink , with coloured Tiffany style lamps to boot.

Great thread, something I have been considering, we have a very cold lounge, that needs redecorating. I have decided on a burnt orange in the recesses, a neutral paint on the other walls and a taupe hessian type wallpaper on the wall where the fireplace is, I hope it will make the room appear warmer. Love to read other people’s ideas too.

Deliberated for a good while but opted for Little Greene’s Slaked Lime Dark.
it’s a warm greige, an innocuous neutral but I’m adding lots of green/coral/orange via accessories. Hopefully I’ll love it!

I went for a warm white, although I don’t remember the name. It was a long and dispiriting process. I love it and will be giving it a refresh this summer.

Same, it makes it so much warmer looking!

ours is dark blue with a multi color wallpaper with dark blue background. The wallpaper is very warm and lively. Everything else is off white and balances nicely, received lots of compliments!

Not a north facing room but in our windowless middle room we’ve gone for a rich earthy green and it’s gorgeous. Darker intense colours can look great in a darker room

Thanks everyone for sharing your colour schemes. I think you're right I'm going to have to wobble out of my pastel comfort zone and embrace the dark!

Joining this thread too as I also need colour inspiration for a very dark north facing dining room with only one large window. Old Georgian farmhouse and would originally have been the main living room - currently painted the most awful shade of red I’ve ever seen.

We had one custom mixed at B and Q, like Coates East for Trees. We have chocolate brown sofas and it is relaxed and cosy.

Dulux Gentle Fawn with one wall Soft Truffle. I loved it so much in my north facing dining room that I repainted my sitting room that same colours. Both of them have white curtains, one with a leafy pattern and the other with a floral pattern. The paint makes the rooms warm and the curtains brighten.

Ive embraced the darkness in 2 north facing rooms-

F&B - green smoke
Little Greene - mochi

Both are beautiful warm colours that make the rooms really comfortable and cosy.

I had the Soft Truffle that a pp recommended in my last house and that was nice too.

We have something not very far off mumsnet blue. It's surprisingly warm and embraces the darkness

Funnily enough, that's the kind of thing I'm thinking of too.

Pretty much the same here ( same colours different brand). I have white voiles and dark gold, brass bits and bobs. I think it looks cosy and stylish.
However it's been like this for 15 years and I need a change.
I'm loving this thread for inspiration!

Embrace the dark. My north-facing study is Inchyra Blue, and the north-facing bathroom has moss-green tiles to a dado rail and a deep brownish pink called Wild Mink above.

We have Colourtrend colours (I don't know if you get them in the UK?).

We have Bunratty, which is a warm green, and Lowland, which is a grey-pink, it's lovely and soft and warm for a north facing office.

I've used pale pink painted walls with light coloured floral curtains that have a touch of red and green. Carpet also a pale green.

We have Sulking Room Pink in our north-facing living room x

Setting Plaster - I don’t love it in S facing but it works really well in a N facing room

Squid Ink - if you like dark and moody, it’s a deep grey/green/blue. Hague Blue also works

Verte de Terre- this was runner up to Setting Plaster

Chaste - a warm off white

Sand II - a warmer yellower off white. Also try Silent White and its lighter/darker versions

the above are mix of F&B, Paint & Paper Library and Little Greene

I can tell you what colours NOT to paint it! Mine was inchyra blue then peignoir, both from Farrow and Ball. Lovely colours just not in our living room. It always felt cold.

I'm about to paint over the peignoir colour in a warm cream colour. Really hope I like this one as so not have the energy to repaint again. Although this repaint is not because of the colour but because of a water leak and electrical work.

👋🏻 colour consultant here!

although your room is north facing what works in others north facing room doesn’t necessarily mean it will work in yours. Totally depends on the light you receive. For example do you have any buildings outside of your window? A white one would reflect the light back changing warmth of the light you receive. Bushes, trees? Or open space?

secondly I would suggest you use colours without grey undertones in as this will make the colour cooler. Blue is a cooler colour just so you are aware.

definitely move your sample around the room at different times of day, the light will drastically change the colour and artificial lighting more so. This way you can be confident you’ll like the colour throughout. Pay particular attention to the actual times of the day you’ll be using the room.

have you thought about placement? Would you colour drench for a cocooning cosy feel? or paint your woodwork a different colour? This can add interest and break the main colour up a bit.

what colour is your furniture and flooring? If you go for a dark colour and have dark flooring/furniture there’s not going to be much breaking it up. Perfectly fine if that’s what you’re going for but just another point to consider.

finally…. There is no wrong colour…as long as you love it!! Hope this helps 🩷

We have F and B Brassica on a feature wall
and something like Skimming Stone on the others. It was there when we moved in and looks great.

I hate this current trend for dark colours. It will die very soon and then so many people are going to struggle to get rid!

Have a look at Dulux Heritage colours, they’re beautiful. York White is especially nice