COAT have recently launched over 30 new paint shades to help with moody British light, so it’s got even easier to choose adaptable, warm paint shades from their collection that are perfect for dark, north facing rooms.
North facing rooms have always been tricky to tackle from a decorating perspective, colours naturally look different here, and whilst you can’t do anything about the light the room receives, you can choose colours with the right undertones that will help to balance the coolness associated with a north facing room.
Always look for paints with a warm yellow, pink or red undertone, they’ll make a north facing room feel instantly warmer, and more welcoming. Having recently renovated our property with a lot of COAT paint, I’m sharing some of my favourite paint colours for north facing rooms.
Best COAT paint shades For North Facing Rooms
There are two ways you can tackle a north facing room, and you really need to understand how the room is used in order to make this decision.
The most popular way to decorate is with a paint with a red, yellow or pink (sometimes green) based undertone that will counteract the blue light associated with the light that north facing room receives. This creates a much warmer and welcoming space, this approach is best for rooms that you use a lot throughout the day, such as living rooms, offices, bedrooms, hallways and kitchen spaces.
Alternatively, you can choose to lean into the darkness and go for a sultry, moody feel in the space. Your options aren’t so limited with this approach, and it can work effectively in spaces such as cinema rooms or cosy nooks. Just be mindful that dark colours will look even darker in the darkest corners of your room, great for moody cinema rooms, but starts to feel uncomfortable and oppressive if the room takes on a different purpose during the course of a day.
Safe Play
This is my all time favourite sandy off-white from COAT, we have this throughout our kitchen and entryway and it’s the softest white with a hint of yellow which creates such a warm, welcoming feel.
It’s ideal for dual aspect rooms too, I always recommend leaning into the more dominant orientation when choosing your paint colours. Plus, as COAT have peel and stick samples, you can test and move them around the space to see how they react with light throughout the day.
Naptime
Naptime is one of COAT’s newest paint shades, perfectly adaptable to the cool demands of moody British light. If you’re looking for the most beautiful warm beige, this might just be it.
Its sophisticated and calming at the same time and whilst virtually any colour will pair will with it, it’s so well suited to a Scandinavian or Japandi inspired interior.
Duvet Day
A truly gorgeous sandy beige, it’s slightly earthy yet has a touch of grey to the undertone. This is a warm modern neutral that will elevate any north facing room.
I adore this in an earthy bedroom scheme, the perfect foundation for building in greens, stones and reds for a really tactile and warm colour scheme.
Weekender
I have Weekender in our north facing, very dark spare room and it has completely transformed how it feels. Whilst it’s described as a light plaster pink, it certainly has a metamorphic quality to it in the light that our room recieves.
It does have a definite pink undertone to it, but it also has a kind of sandy, milky coffee kind of shade to it when the light is slightly warmer, and I love it!
Don’t let the thought of pink undertones put you off using it, it’s not ‘girly’ in anyway and actually sits perfectly as a grounding, earthy neutral.
Kimchee Fan
It’s not all about off-whites, you can lean into those pink undertones and add some beautiful plaster pink tones to your walls too.
COAT have a selection of plaster pinks worth perusing, but Kimchee Fan is one of the most understated, subtle shades of plaster pink which feels that little bit more polished than traditional plastered walls.
It’s a warm plaster shade that feels grown up, it’s not a sickly shade of pink – ideal for grounding an earthy interior scheme.
Felt Cute
Felt Cute is a brighter plaster pink to Kimchee Fan. Classed as a modern take on plaster, this adaptable shade of plaster is warm, welcoming and will sit perfectly in the midst of a cool north facing room.
The power of paint is crazy, and if you have a small box room to decorate, I recommend colour drenching the full space for a softer feel that will make the room feel cosier, warmer and more intimate.
Pablo
If you really don’t like paints with a pink undertone, although unusual, paints with a lilac undertone bring a different nuance to walls, whilst still bringing warmth and light to a paint shade.
Some of the more budget friendly paint brands such as Dulux don’t do off-whites that well in my opinion as they typically only have a yellow or pink/red undertone available.
Pablo is described as a pale putty with subtle lilac undertones for a different edge. A versatile neutral that’s warm and inspiring.
Jojo’s White
COAT do paint collaborations really well, and they have a fab paint collection with interior designer JoJo Barr of House Nine. Jojo’s White is another adaptable paint shade for north facing rooms, and another shade that we have in our dual aspect living room.
It’s described as a warm grey off-white, but it definitely holds a small amount of yellow pigment as it appears like a very creamy white in the light our living room receives. If you want an off-white which isn’t too far off a standard bright white but is warmer and more subtle, this is a great all rounder.
Cat’s Cradle
A soft plaster white, Cat’s Cradle, this off-white is perhaps one of the most versatile and easy to work with shades.
Off-whites with a yellow undertone can often get a bad rap as people immediately think of ‘magnolia’, a tasteful pink undertone like this is an ideal alternative that will balance the coolness of blue light.
Yard Party
Leaning into paints with a green undertone can sometimes work in a cool north facing room, but it totally depends on the light your room receives as greens can often be considered cool too.
If you’re considering a comfortable green, lean into a soft, muted sage of green that’s comfortable on the eyes and soothing to be around. Yard Party is their lightest grey green and it virtually goes well with any colour.
In a north facing room pair warm creams, reds and earthy accents with it for a grounding scheme.
COAT also have some handy north facing room packs of samples for more inspiration, however, bear in mind that any darker shades will make your room feel even darker.
Grab a few testers of your favourite shades, and move them around the space throughout the course of the day so you can see how they react with the light your room receives. PLUS, you want to test them on both a bright, and dark day to get a true gauge on how the colours feel.
If you have any questions or are looking for more advice on using COAT paint colours, please leave me a comment below and I’ll come straight back!
