THE ONE THING YOU MUST DO BEFORE CHOOSING A PAINT COLOR

I’ve spent more hours than I’d like to admit spiraling over paint colors over the years. If you’ve been around a while, you’ve probably watched this unfold first hand – project by project. So if you’re like me and you’ve ever painted a swatch that you loved on the wall at 10 am but hated it by 6 pm, you can probably relate a little to why I am the way I am

But here’s the most important piece of advice I can share with you after spending years of spiraling:

Don’t choose a paint color until you know which direction your room faces.

This will help you avoid colors that turn dingy, cold, or overly warm once they’re actually on your walls.

You just need the compass app on your phone.

Stand in the center of your room
Face the wall with the largest window
Open your compass app, and note the direction that window faces

That’s it! Now you know if you’re working with north, south, east, or west light…and that light will dramatically affect how paint looks.

Here’s why it matters…

North Facing Rooms:

Cool, dim, bluish tones all day. Colors can look more muted or darker

Best paint approach: Warm colors to counteract the cool light

Warm whites: Benjamin Moore White Dove, Sherwin Williams Alabaster

Creamy neutrals: BM Simply White, SW Creamy, Farrow and Ball White Tie (the color of my living room)

Soft warm tones: Pale terracotta, blush beige, muted gold

Avoid: Cool grays, icy blues (can feel cold and flat)

South facing rooms:

Warm, golden light most of the day

Best paint approach: Cool colors to balance the warmth or dark, rich colors for *moodiness*

Cool whites: BM Chantilly Lace, SW Extra White

Soft cool tones: Sage green, dusty blue, muted gray (my bedroom is BM Antique Jade)

Deep shades: Navy, charcoal, forest green

Avoid: Overly warm yellows or reds

East facing rooms:

Warm/yellow in morning, cool/blue in afternoon

Best paint approach: Colors that still look good in cooler afternoon light

Soft pastels: Warm pink, buttery yellow, gentle peach

Mid-tone greens/blues: Seafoam, aqua, muted teal

Avoid: Super cool grays

West facing rooms:

Cool/blue in morning, warm/orange in late afternoon

Best paint approach: Colors that won’t turn too warm in evening light

Fresh whites: BM Simply White, SW Pure White

Earthy neutrals: Taupe, mushroom, warm greige

Soft blues/greens: Sage, dusty aqua, misty blue

Avoid: Strong reds/oranges

Before you buy that gallon of paint (or worse, paint the whole room) take like, 5 seconds to check your room’s direction. It will save you hours of frustration and probably a lot of money

If you’ve been struggling with colors that just don’t look right, it’s probably not the paint…it’s the light.