paint colour for shaded south facing room

6 years ago

Dear houzzers, I need your sound advice again on the paint colour. Our tree-shaded south-facing living room is dark and cold in winter. It is a good-sized room: 4 x 6m with around 2m on either side of the chimney breast. We will have spot lights around the ceiling and a pendant light in the middle of the room. But natural light is pretty limited. A The picture was taken on a bright sunny day!
What paint colour would you choose? I am also thinking having the chimney breast and the opposite wall feature walls. I am also thinkg F and B paint if our budget allows. Thank you in advance .

Featured Answer

Juliet Docherty

6 years ago

I have a room that is very similar to this and I have finally got it the way I wanted it. I found that by painting the two walls that are behind our sofas a very strong saturated warm colour it created a cocooning effect but we weren't actually facing it. I used Shaded White on two walls (Chimney breast wall and window wall) and a very unusual colour on the other two walls (Muga by Paint and Paper Library). All woodwork is Shadow White, ceiling are Timeless as I don't use pure white. I wanted a slight retro vibe and I have specific artwork that required a specific colour. What is the floor, furniture etc and what type of colours do you like?

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Comments (20)

A B
6 years ago
Our south facing back bedroom was very dark when we moved in, especially the morning. Dulux just walnut is a warm pale grey/dark white and has really lifted it.
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vsmama
Original Author
6 years ago
I have never thought of painting the chimney breast and window wall in the same colour! Thank you for the helpful suggestions/questions, colourhappy.

We will be having rustic oak floor. I like modern traditional look. For example

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We are getting Laura Ashely Chatsworth Sofa (white-ish colour).

I have not decided on the furniture but most likely going for a sideboard in this picture. It also comes in steel gray, which I like as well.
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Casa Colori
6 years ago
Dear Vsmama, beautiful space.

Before choosing the colour of your walls you should choose your furniture, then selecting the most suitable paint for it and then splash them on the walls and decide which one you like the most. It would be also useful to know which flooring you will go for. Wooden. laminate reflects more light than the carpet does. Without knowing this details I would go for light green/yellow, blue off white colour Cabbage White (FB) or if you fell experimental a pastel pink would blend well with the garden. I hope it helps
vsmama
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks Casa Colori. The only thing I have decided was the floor: definitely solid oak wooden floor like this one.
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Casa Colori
6 years ago
You are welcome Vsmama. Your floor is perfect, it will reflect a lot of light. I hope I didn't confused you with my previous comment. I asked about the flooring because it is the floor that reflect the majority of natural light. This wooden floor will blend in with many paints. I would go for colour that compliment the garden, light green, light yellow, pink or a cream colour.
PRO
Culina
6 years ago
Loving the style choices you've picked. If you like F&B you could look at a neutral like Ammonite and complement it with a deep blue Stiffkey blue behind the sofa or Carnforth white and Oval Room Blue behind your sofa as an alternative which is my fav. Do I see a wood burner?
vsmama
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you Casa Colori. That's a really good point that the colour should compliment the garden. After all, it is one of the biggest 'furniture'.
vsmama
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you Jen P. I agree I think the room like this really needs a warm colour.
vsmama
Original Author
6 years ago
Hi Culina, Oval Room Blue is charming. From the FB's paint chart, it looks green. But it looks blue judging from on-line pictures. Does oval room blue appear to be a darken blue when there is not enough natural light. Notice the top left corner of this picture from FB website:

Yes, you are right. There is a wood burner in the room. Any suggestions are welcome.
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Culina
6 years ago
I think any colour will deepen or darken where light falls away and shadows increase, a flash has probably been used to take this photograph, you can see obvious shadows behind the bed and on the floor, however I do think you can use ORB on a feature wall behind the sofa and a complementing lighter wall colour opposite which leaves you with a canvas on which to decorate with furniture and other art works etc.

Heres the colour used on the same wall as the wood burner and window best of luck with your project and looking forward to seeing your final choices.
Juliet Docherty
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
If you have a warm wood floor, it will balance any coolness from Oval Room Blue to a certain extent. If it is too overpoweringly cool then you can use it selectively, perhaps on one or two walls. Colours change dramatically depending on weather, aspect and time of day.
vsmama
Original Author
6 years ago
Hi colourhappy, very interesting and insightful points. Again, I have never thought of floor colour and wall colour! Combing all the advice above, the optimal combination seems

1) Oval room blue on one wall + walnut colour wooden floor + white-ish colour sofa + dark blue armchair + dark-colour side board

2) Dulux just walnut or Ammonite + rustic light colour wooden floor + dark colour side board + white-ish sofa + purple armchair

Do you girls think 1) will make the room feel 'heavy' as I envisage this living room to be a place to relax and social.

Additionally, I assume light-colour wooden flooring will reflect more natural light than walnut colour flooring? Looking at the pictures again, it seems the sunlight only goes to the floor, which leads to 2).
minnie101
6 years ago
Hi. Is this a new house? Just wondering if you’d thought about cutting back some of the trees if possible? You might also be able to add something reflective in the garden ie water feature, mirror, light stone (can’t work out if you have decking down). I can’t say for sure but I’m not sure the colour of the wood makes any difference to the amount of light it bounces. I’ve got a walnut floor which bounces loads of light, I also inherited a really dark granite worktop in an east facing room but because it has a glossy finish it doesn’t darken the room at all. I’d get some floor samples in the room and see how reflective they are. Personally I might also choose the paint last (and after the floor is fitted) as there are thousands of paint colours and it’s relatively cheap compared to furniture. You could also consider adding a really large mirror on the long left hand wall. Also look at other reflective surfaces maybe a glass and brass coffee table, metal and glass for lighting etc. Are the curtains new?
minnie101
6 years ago
Sorry just realised I repeated some of what casa colori said :(
Juliet Docherty
6 years ago
I would make sure the floor is something you love as it won't be changed. Don't rule out a shiny finish, it can bounce loads of light around. I have used Bona Traffic satin on my lounge floor and it makes it so light and sunny (I used a white primer first). I would paint the ceiling and prime the walls, then look again at wall colours.
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Culina
6 years ago
Agree with colorhappy
vsmama
Original Author
6 years ago
indeed sound insight. Thank so much girls.

I am considering this one for the back living room

It would be darker than the flooring in the picture above. Would it feel busy if one room is this colour but hall way and the front living room use a lighter wooden floor and yet the kitchen is black tiles?
minnie101
6 years ago
It gives a greater feel of continuity and space if the flooring is the same throughout or similar in tone. I might consider the same wood flooring personally but obviously leave the black tiles if they’re in! Is it a 30’s house?
vsmama
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks minnie101. Yes, it is indeed a 30's semi. We inherited the black tiles and extended kitchen from the previous owners.