There are several factors that should be considered when deciding which paint color to choose for your interior walls. The best paint colors for indirect lighting are found while keeping your design scheme, lighting, furniture, and the direction that your room faces in mind.
For example, the color you choose for a room with lots of windows and natural light may not look the same when used in a smaller space with no windows. If you want to learn how to select the perfect paint color for every room in your home, no matter what the indirect lighting may be like, read ahead for PaintRite Pros’ complete paint guide.
Best Paint for Indirect Lighting
When a space lacks natural light, it becomes darker as the daylight fades. So what paint colors are best in these situations? The color you choose can either accentuate the dimness or add an element of brightness. Lighter and warmer shades tend to do an excellent job of visually expanding the darker space and inviting in the light.
Light Room Colors
- Benjamin Moore Navajo White OC95-This neutral is a creamy white color with yellow undertones.
- Sherwin Williams Tidewater SW6477- Tidewater is a blue-green color with cool undertones, ideal for bedrooms or dining rooms.
- Behr Silver Mine PPU26- Silvermine is a dusty blue that can appear a cool gray. It looks crisp and bright even with minimal amounts of natural light.
Tips to Brighten a Dark Room
Not all rooms in your home will have copious amounts of natural light. But there are simple things you can do to maximize the light within the space you’re working with. Here are a few tips on how to brighten up a dark or small room:
- Paint the ceiling white. White is known for reflecting light which can help the room appear brighter.
- The furniture and wall decor you choose for any space can really enhance the overall feel of the room. Choose pieces that compliment your wall color but that won’t distract at the same time.
- Go for a bold trim. Bright white baseboards, trim, or crown molding can make any room look crisp and bright.
- Choose a glossy sheen. A glossy finish will reflect the maximum amount of light available. However, too much sheen in your paint and every flaw or imperfection in your wall will be on showcase. Eggshell is always a great choice.
- Lighter paint colors such as creams, whites, and pale yellows reflect natural light and are excellent at livening up any space.
Bright Room Colors
Low ceilings, small windows, and awkward angles are all components that can tend to make a room feel dark. However, choosing the right paint colors can instantly affect your room’s brightness factor. The perfect color can lighten even the dingiest of spaces.
Injecting an element of sunshine is a great way to lighten things up. Yellow paint tones always add warmth to a dull space. A muted terracotta can also add vibrance and warmth. Just be careful not to pair either of these bright tones with too many brown accents. The darker tones of the brown may distract from the sunny vibe.
How Sunlight Affects Color
Sunlight plays an important role in how a paint color looks once on your wall. As sunlight makes its way across the sky, the amount of natural light entering your home changes. Ever notice how your dusty blue bedroom may appear gray once the sun has set? When the angle of the sun changes, your paint color will change right along with it.
Paint Colors for Rooms with Lots of Natural Light
If you’re lucky enough to live in a home drenched in sunshine, you have the chance to experiment with a myriad of paint colors. Whatever direction you decide to take, here is a list of tried and true colors for rooms with an abundance of natural light.
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White
White is a timeless classic and an obvious choice for a room with natural light. But each white shade comes with an undertone that is warm or cool. Consider your flooring, furniture, and wall decor as you determine which shade of white will work best for you.
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Powder Blue
It’s no secret that soft blues are back by popular demand. With its calming vibe, powder blue is rising in popularity for essentially any room in your house. Blue reflects the beauty of nature and welcomes it into your home.
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Purple
Purple, along with other berry and jewel tones are definitely trending this season. Fanciful yet sophisticated, this color can adapt to any room filled with light.
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Beige
You can never go wrong with beige. It works beautifully in an open floor plan and easily pairs with a dash of bold bright color to add personality and depth.
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Orange
Not just everyone is bold enough to use the color orange in their home. However, the right shade in a room with the right lighting can add energy to any space.
Best Paint Color for Western Exposure
Rooms with western exposure tend to get more warmth and light in the evening than in the morning. These rooms can appear drab in the morning but may be flooded with warmth as the sunsets. This abundance of light in the evening can make a yellow-toned color too overpowering. We recommend cooler hues of green or cream to balance out the light. West-facing rooms with a lot of windows will certainly let in light and along with it, heat. Soft green is an excellent choice to allow plenty of exposure without being too dramatic.
In the long run, whether you choose a neutral such as cream or a cooler tone like sage green, you’ll love bringing new life to your western-facing space. Utilizing the right paint shade is by far the most cost-effective way to instantly enhance and transform your room without adding expensive skylights or windows.
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Best Paint Colors for East Facing Rooms
East-facing rooms receive lots of cool morning light. So, ideally, a color that works with the brightness of the morning as equally with the twilight is what you’re looking for. You need a color with warm undertones for additional warmth in the afternoon. An autumn color palette composed of yellows, oranges, and reds are all excellent options. If you want to keep things simple, neutral cream or beige will glow with the remaining sunlight of the day.
Best Colors for South Facing Rooms
A south-facing room has endless possibilities. The light gets warmer closer to the evening hours. They typically enjoy clear natural light so any color you choose will adapt nicely. With that said, shades with cool undertones like purple, green, and blue, are a nice way to offset the intense sunlight streaming in. Your unique space will be the determining factor.
Best Colors for North Facing Rooms
North-facing rooms are unique in that they don’t get any direct sunlight. Because these rooms naturally have cooler undertones due to the lack of natural light, warmer tones are an excellent equalizer. Choose a paint color with the right amount of warm and cool undertones and consider the brightness of the paint color. White, gray, and neutral paint colors are all popular solutions for north-facing rooms.
Don’t Forget the Finish
Some finishes reflect light while others absorb it. Do you want more light or less? Too much light can be distracting and draws people’s attention to any dents, scuffs, or flaws on your wall. Not enough light and your room can look drab and unwelcoming. Steer clear of using high gloss finishes on bright walls as it may be overpowering. Reserve high gloss paint for high traffic areas and trim. A flat matte or eggshell finish provides the right amount of sheen for your basic interior walls.
Best Paint Colors for Indirect Lighting Conclusion
The important thing to remember when deciding on a paint color is to strike a balance between the cool and warm tones. It’s also a good idea to add artificial lighting to areas lacking natural light. This may be especially helpful in darker areas of your home like hallways, basements, and powder rooms. Because no matter how you look at it, the presence or absence of light has an impact on your paint color.
At PaintRite Pros, our experienced team can answer all your painting questions. As the top-rated painter in Elk Grove, we offer a variety of high-quality painting services to people throughout the Sacramento County area. Our experts have more than 25 years of combined painting experience and it shows. We’ll do everything to make sure you’re as thrilled with our work as possible.
We understand the value of what it means every time someone chooses a painting contractor. That’s why we work hard to ensure you’re happy once the project is finished. When you want professional painters at a great price in Sacramento, you need PaintRite Pros.
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Tags: Best Colors for North Facing Rooms, Best Colors for South Facing Rooms, Best Paint Color for Western Exposure, Best Paint Colors for East Facing Rooms, Best Paint Colors for Indirect Lighting