Best Paint Colors for South-Facing Rooms: Cool, Warm & Bold Picks
If you’ve got South-facing rooms, you already know that they get an abundance of consistent natural light throughout the day, making them one of the most desirable spots to be in a home. This amount of sunlight allows you to use a wider range of paint colors than you might use in north-facing or darker rooms. Below, I’ll share some of the best paint colors for South-facing rooms so you can transform your space into something stunning.
Understanding South-Facing Light
Since South-facing rooms receive the most amount of natural light from morning through the late afternoon, it can intensify paint colors and bring out their undertones. This warm, yellow-toned illumination and consistent brightness mean colors will appear more vibrant and true to their paint swatches. On the flip side, it can also mean that your warm tones may feel overwhelming.
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To avoid this, it’s a good idea to balance the natural warmth with colors that either complement or counteract the extra brightness, depending on the mood you want. The mood color recommendations for southern-facing rooms fall into three strategies:
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Cool Colors to Counterbalance: Use cool blues, greens, and grays to create a fresh and calming environment.
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Warm Colors to Enhance: Enhance the light with warm whites, creams, and neutrals to create a cozy and inviting glow.
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Bold Colors to Embrace the Drama: Use the abundant light to allow deep, saturated colors on the walls without making the room feel too dark.
Cool Colors to Balance the Warmth
Since south-facing rooms already have an abundance of warm light, using cool-toned paints creates a beautiful harmony that is sophisticated and calming, without being overly cold.
Blue and Blue-Gray Undertones
Cool blue hues work excellently in southern light and keep their crispness while benefiting from extra depth and dimension. The warm sunlight prevents these colors from feeling stark or too cold.
Paint Picks:
Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue (HC-144)
This is a top-tier choice for many interior designers who want a soft, sophisticated blue-green that gives a relaxing spa-like elegance. It’s soft enough to use in a bedroom, but still has its own sense of personality to make it stand out and feel special.
Sherwin Williams Rainwashed (SW 6211)
This one is actually recommended as one of the best paints for South-facing rooms by Sherwin Williams. They also like Repose Gray SW 7015, and Upward SW 6239.
Farrow & Ball Borrowed Light (235)
When you want a touch of color without overdoing it, this pale blue-gray provides a soft, luminous glow when paired with natural sunlight. It’s nice for when you want to enhance the light without imposing a strong color personality.
Sherwin-Williams Sea Salt (SW 6204)
Often called a chameleon color because it can shift between green, blue, and gray throughout the day. Its chameleon-like color-changing ability is mesmerizing and can adjust from a soft green to blue and gray depending on the amount of southern light. It creates a very peaceful and ethereal vibe wherever it’s used.
Behr Light French Gray (720E-2)
This is a cool-toned gray with a touch of blue undertones that still stays crisp. It’s often described as a Tiffany Blue for its soft and sophisticated feel.
Green Undertones
Green paint colors can range from a refreshing mint all the way to a more sophisticated sage. You’ll find that South-facing rooms with warm rays give green tones life without making them feel dull.
Paint Picks:
Benjamin Moore Pale Oak (OC-20)
Rather than totally matching the tone of oak, this hue offers a soft, warm greige with some green undertones.
Farrow & Ball Green Ground (206)
This muted sage becomes more luminous in warmer light, bringing out more of its character.
Sherwin-Williams Clary Sage (SW 6178)
This is a nature-inspired green-gray tone that feels organic and calming at the same time. Green is a psychologically calming color, that works great in the bedroom for a grounded and organic feel.
Embracing Warm Tones
Care must be taken with warm tones so you don’t create too much intensity. However, giving warmth to an already warm light is possible with colors that create a cozy, enveloping space.
Soft Whites and Creams
South-facing rooms are ideal for warmer whites that might otherwise feel dingy if used in north-facing spaces. The abundant light makes them feel brighter while their warmth creates a welcoming glow.
Paint Picks:
Benjamin Moore White Dove (OC-17)
This is a soft white with warm undertones that doesn’t make the room feel cold or sterile. The painting pros at Benjamin Moore recommend using whites that have a hint of gray or blue to counteract the amber cast of Southern-lighting.
Farrow & Ball Pointing (2003)
This is a creamy off-white with a little bit of yellow undertone that glows beautifully on the wall.
Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (SW 7008)
This is a warm white that’s lately become a modern classic and is frequently used and recommended by interior designers.
Behr Swiss Coffee (12)
This is a warm white hue that maintains its brightness in a variety of lighting conditions.
Warm Neutrals
Beiges, taupes, and warm grays all are categorized as warm neutrals and create sophisticated backdrops that work well with natural light.
Paint Picks:
Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter (HC-172)
This is a perfect greige that ranges between gray and beige throughout the day. It’s what I’d call a complex neutral that looks different throughout the day, providing subtle interest without overwhelm. It works as a sophisticated backdrop for any style of bedroom furniture you have.
Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige (SW 7036)
This is a warm, versatile neutral that works can pair with virtually any style of decor.
Farrow & Ball Elephant’s Breath (229)
This is a warm, complex gray with some magenta undertones for added depth.
Clare Paint Current Mood
This is a contemporary warm gray with a modern and timeless character.
Bold and Dramatic Choices
Your South-facing rooms can handle deeper, more saturated colors that might overwhelm rooms with less light. Their abundant brightness prevents these saturated colors from feeling oppressive and allows you to really let your own personality shine through.
Rich Blues and Greens
Paint Picks:
Farrow & Ball Hague Blue (30)
This is a deep, dramatic blue that promotes an elegant richness without feeling too dark. Using deep blues is excellent for creating a dramatic, intimate bedroom design. They can offer a very moody, enveloping atmosphere, but the southern light keeps them from feeling like a cave. This is best in a bedroom where you want coziness, but aren’t afraid of color.
Benjamin Moore Hunter Green (2041-10)
This is a classic deep green tone that feels luxurious and grounded.
Sherwin-Williams Naval (SW 6244)
This sophisticated navy hue is elegant and looks true to its form in southern light.
Warm Earth Tones
Paint Picks:
Sherwin-Williams Cavern Clay (SW 7701)
This is a trendy terracotta with a warm, energetic glow that’s not overwhelming. It can feel invigorating and earthy, but for a bedroom, it might be too stimulating for your taste. It’s best for those who want a vibrant, Southwestern-inspired room sanctuary.
Benjamin Moore Soft Chamois (969)
This is a rich, warm yellowish-beige that has a sunny appearance that’s reminiscent of the Mediterranean.
Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster (231)
This is a sophisticated peachy-pink that gives a warm and romantic vibe. It’s a wonderful modern choice for those wanting a touch of warmth and romance. The peachy-pink hue glows beautifully in the afternoon sun to create an inviting atmosphere.
Tips for Painting Success
Here are a few tried-and-true painting techniques for South-facing rooms to achieve the best results.
Test Before Committing: Even with bright south-facing rooms, you’ll still want to paint large swatches of at least 2×2 feet and check them at different times of day to get a feel for how they respond to your light conditions. Take a look at how the morning light differs from the afternoon sun.
Consider the paint’s LRV: The LRV, or light reflectance value, is shown on the manufacturer’s paint swatch and tells you how much light is reflected back. The higher the score, the more the reflectance. With sunny rooms, you can go with lower LRV paints due to the overall brightness.
Consider the View: If your windows face out onto greenery, your interior colors with green undertones will be enhanced. On the other hand, more urban views with a lot of concrete might benefit from using warmer tones.
Mind Your Undertones: The warm light will amp up any warm undertones in your paint. If you want a cool gray, choose one with a blue or green undertone rather than going with beige or purple.
Don’t Fear Dark Colors: Rooms with tons of natural light are your opportunity to go bold. The sunlight will prevent deep colors from making the space feel small or dim.
Balance with Furnishings: If you choose a cooler paint color, adding warm wood furniture and textiles can add coziness. Alternatively, cool furnishings can balance out warm wall colors.
Sheen Matters: In a bedroom, you almost always want to go with a low-sheen finish. Eggshell is the most popular choice for bedrooms as it is durable, washable, and has little reflectivity, making it softer on the eyes. Matte or Flat finishes are even less reflective, hide wall imperfections, and have a soft look.
Your Personal Sleep Sanctuary: Ultimately, a bedroom is deeply personal to the individual. You should also consider what makes you feel good and relaxed. Do you find cool, gray tones calming, or do they feel cold and depressing? Do you feel upbeat and happy in a bright, sunny, yellow-toned room, or does it feel overstimulating? Your personal color psychology is the most important factor of all your choices.
Getting The Right Mood:
- For a calm, serene, spa-like retreat: Go for cool colors like blues, blue-greens, and soft sages.
- For a warm, cozy, inviting retreat: Go for warm whites, creams, and greiges.
- For a dramatic, intimate, and stylish design: Consider using deep and saturated colors that make an impression.
South-facing rooms are a gift for anyone who loves a lot of natural light and wants more flexibility in their color choices. The secret is working with the light and your own preferences to create a space that feels inviting and harmonious throughout the day. For more like this article, visit our North-facing room paint picks here.
