Just like with east facing spaces your west facing rooms see a dramatic change in light throughout the day. This is what makes them beautiful but tricky to decorate. So always start with thinking about what time of day you use your room most.
PAINT COLOURS FOR WEST-FACING ROOMS
GOOD MORNING
Soft pastels can also really help soften the space in the mornings.
And if you love colour then go for zingy brights that are going to make the room feel more uplifting at this gloomy time of day.
PAINT COLOURS FOR WEST-FACING ROOMS
GOOD AFTERNOON
As the sun creeps round in the afternoon your room is going to transform. The room will get lighter, brighter and warmer as the evening comes round. The golden quality of the light can make the room feel magical. The light is low so penetrates deeper into the room and casts atmospheric shadows. This is the time for your room to shine. Use dramatic bold colours with pinky, red, orangey, warm tones. Basically any colour you would see in a sunset is going to look stunning.
PAINT COLOURS FOR WEST FACING ROOMS
AVOID THESE COLOURS!
If your west facing room has loads of glazing, like a big extension with bifold or sliding doors, then the very warm colours we were just talking about may be too overbearing. In the height of summer it could feel stifling if you’ve got very warm colours like yellows, oranges or reds on your walls. So maybe go for more pastel versions of these colours so it’s less intense.
And if you use your west facing room mostly in the morning then watch out for dark blues and greens. These kind of colours can feel oppressive at this shady time of day. Instead go for a more bright and zingy hues.
I hope this has helped you.
If you have any questions then drop me an email. And you can always hire me to help. I can help you with choosing colours for single rooms or for your whole home. Check out my services here.
Happy painting 🖤
Great colour ideas for my living room which is dark in the morning and gets the sun late afternoon. What are your thoughts on painting up to and including picture rail one shade of terracotta for example, then going one shade lighter above to ceiling? Will using the two shades make room look smaller, ceilings lower – I don’t want it to look smaller or lower!
Hi Denise, this sounds like a lovely idea. Painting the ceiling lighter than the walls will make the room feel light and airy and will be much more interesting than painting it boring old white!
Good day
Looking for advise please. I have a toilet room which I am wanting to paint in a yellow, small window which is west facing. Our place is gloomy so I’m really trying to uplift my spirit hahaha. The toilet is white & floor grey
Hi Denise, sounds like a perfect colour for that space. Yellow is great for creating a more uplifting mood and will work really well with the grey and white floor. Happy decorating!
I have very dark brown wood parquet floors and a west facing living room, we use it mostly in the late afternoon/evening and I’m stuck on what colour to use, will your advice above still work with the dark flooring?
Thanks!
Yes, absolutely. You are using the room most at it’s best time of day so the dark wood flooring is no problem. Good luck.
I have a west facing living room. I tried colours with a yellow undertone and they looked muddy and dirty because the light is neutral/cool. It was a magnolia/cream when I moved in which looked grim so I immediately painted it white which looked much better. Ive found its better to work with colours with a blue undertone which are bright like magenta, purple, deep pinks and burgundy and blue. Theyre difficult rooms to find the right paint for and i think ultimately wallpaper with a white background is the best option because you can create warmth without the risk of it turning a weird colour…
Hi Sarah,
We have a small West Facing bedroom and fell totally in love with a Teal colour from Farrow & Ball called ‘Vardo’, but having just read your advice about colours to avoid in West facing rooms (blues and greens!) we are now in a quandary as to what colour to paint it! Do you think we could get away with painting one feature wall behind our bed for example in this teal colour and then paint the remaining walls a warm white?
Hi Hayley, I would go with the Vardo all over. I only say to avoid blues and greens if you use the space mostly in the mornings, but I’m guessing you don’t hang out in your bedroom all morning. And anyway, Vardo is a brighter colour so it wouldn’t be an issue even if you did. Just go with the colour you love would be my advice. Good luck 😀
hi sarah i have a north facing open plan living area living dinning kitchen full sun in the avos until sunset
its a new build and i went with deluxe natural which is a warm white and painted my side board tv side board navy blue with white coffee table and dinning table and chairs , my kitchen is white and floor tiles are a grey i have light grey sheers too it looks very Hampton colour like with i didn’t actually intend to do , i feel that a pop of colour needs adding what do you think on some shades of soft pink and soft yellows ? i have patterns blue tone cushions and feel its not right adding any colour there any help i would love
thank you
kay
Hi Kay, yes yellows as you have suggested will look lovely with blue, soft pinks will also add a feminine touch. I would try faded terracotta-type colours, pinky/reds and oranges to balance with the navy blue. Good luck 😊
Hi Kay. I live in an older ranch with an open space living room, kitchen, and dining room. It has two picture windows, one facing east and one facing west. There are large trees that shade us on both sides. Presently, walls are light blue and trim is cotton white.Floors are wood grain multicolor but mostly medium brown. Furniture is wheat, drapes are wheat with white sheets. I plan to change the walls to a Smokey denim blue. I have too many colors in accessories. sage, black, beige, blues, red/burgundy and whites. I need to pare down. I like a traditional but clean look. Do you have any suggestions?