The Truth About White Walls
It’s a common misconception that white walls will make any room appear lighter. Did you know that white paint in a dark room doesn’t actually make the room brighter? The reason being there has to actually be sunlight to bounce light around on white walls.
I see this time and time again, where a client will show me a white from a magazine and expect it to look the same in their gigantic room with one small window. Keep in mind, these photos do not always depict reality. How whites are captured through the lens has so much to do with camera settings and post editing.
3 no-fail white paint colors for north-facing rooms
In this south facing room, the sunlight pours in for a good chunk of the day, so the room could actually stand up to a white with no undertones at all: AKA primer white, the brightest white there is. This does not work in most rooms!
Can you use primer white on walls with nothing over it?
So what happens when a dark room is painted a stark white? So, if the room is naturally dark, like in the case of an east facing room, where there is little sunlight, white will not make the room appear brighter and lighter. It’s actually one of the worst paint colors you can select for a room lacking natural light. Which I know…goes against everything that feels intuitive, right? Without adequate lighting, the wall color can appear drab…dull…and a reads more of a cool gray, and even green if there’s a lot of greenery just outside your windows. Maybe you like that, which is totally fine! But it’s important to know what to expect and to like the undertones of the white paint you select! And not only to like them, but ensure they will work with the rest of what’s already in the room.
Will artificial light make the room brighter? Yes, of course, but the effect is much warmer. It’s not the same way you see with natural light where the walls and corners are washed out and super bright. That said, lighting - not just overhead - but wall and surface lighting, is critical for a dark room. There is nothing that can replace this.
white paint color in a east facing room
Does dark paint make a sunlit (south-facing) room appear darker? Not necessarily, as the same amount of light is coming into the room. However since darker colors absorb the light, if there aren’t plenty of reflective surfaces, it can appear darker. Mirrors, polished finishes, white ceilings and white furnishings can do a ton to bounce light around in a room with dark walls. Yet, even with these things, it’s important to note: As you age, every 7 years, it takes twice as much light to see. This is why I emphasize how wall color influences light in a room, depends not only on what’s in the room, but it’s occupants. I rarely use very dark colors for clients who are over 60, because it almost always appears black to them, no matter what the color is. My parents thought my red kitchen was black at first! Even though they viewed it when the sun was pouring in, and bouncing around my white floors and ceilings. Dark colors can be extremely frustrating for aging people as depth perception becomes confused, and things light outlets can be difficult to find. In my experience - with the vision I have in my 30s - this room does appear more shadowy in areas, but it doesn’t actually feel much darker to me overall than when it was all white. I would say more than anything, the mood has changed, which really has to do with how colors make us feel rather than the amount of light it reflects/absorbs. So don’t be afraid to go darker on the walls if the color speaks to how you want to feel in the space -whether north or south facing. Just make sure you have plenty of artificial lighting and reflective surfaces if natural sunlight is limited.
does a dark paint color make a room appear darker? Hausmatter Interiors kitchen
My best recommendation for a north facing room, is to select a light neutral that has more depth, like I did in this living room…
best neutral paint color for a dark room | Hausmatter Interiors
If you do decide to go for white in a dimly light room, it can be done! To ensure a white is chosen that can hold it’s depth, it’s critical to select a white with the undertones to support that lack of warmth the sun provides. You are already going to have the gray tones down, just naturally in a north-facing room (think: the color of a shadow), so best to counter-balance this with an off-white that has a good dose of a yellow or pink undertone. And remember, nothing will make up for not having enough artificial light in the room! In rooms lacking natural light, I often tell my clients you can almost never have too many artificial lighting options!
My 3 Favorite Whites for North Facing Rooms
This is a creamy, warm white but bright enough that it doesn’t fall so much into the off-white family.
my 3 favorite whites for north facing rooms
2. Benjamin Moore: Swiss coffee
This has a yellow/gray undertone and is a popular choice for kitchen cabinets. Be careful pairing this alongside rooms that are heavy with wood-stained trim or beige carpet as it doesn’t play well with other warm tones.
best white for north facing rooms image source
3. Sherwin Williams Oyster White
This is a light griege, so it’s the coolest of the whites on this list but without feeling dull. It contrasts beautifully with white trim. Watch it change from beige to gray throughout the day.
3 warm whites for north facing rooms Image via Emily Henderson
Katherine Thewlis, Interior Designer
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