20+ Best Paint Colors for North-Facing Rooms

Finding the perfect paint colors for north-facing rooms can be overwhelming. This guide makes it simple. Read on for all our top picks for the best colors for rooms with Northern exposure.

Over the years in our paint color consulting business, we’ve learned how to work with north-facing rooms – and the very cool light they get. But if you’re just starting to explore paint colors, it can be tricky to find a hue that works in your space.

We always take the exposure into account when we select paint colors. In fact, we ask about the exposure of the room in our color consulting questionnaire for online consultations. But it’s especially important for certain kinds of light, and Northern light is one of them.

Ready to explore our favorite paint colors for North-facing rooms? Keep reading for our expert tips and a list of 24 hues perfect for those cool-lit spaces in your home.

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Understanding Rooms with Northern Exposure

Of all the directions, North-facing rooms are the most challenging to choose paint for, because of the unexpected cool, blue light. 

Do North-facing rooms have low light?

Not necessarily! North-facing rooms often resemble those with low light because the light from the North is so cool. However, you could have a room with Northern exposure that has lots of huge windows and plenty of natural light. 

This is why it’s so important to always test your paint colors (Article) in the space you plan to use them in and at different times of day. Just because you find a good paint color for North-facing rooms doesn’t mean it will automatically work in your unique space and lighting.

How do I make my North-facing room warmer?

The simplest way to make the cool light of a North-facing room look warmer is by using warm paint. The warmth in the paint color will cut through the dinginess in a room with low light or cool light.

But don’t forget: as important as it is to find paint that works with your lighting, I believe it’s just as critical to pick colors that flow well with your art, furniture, hard finishes and other decor. 

What are the best types of paint colors for North-facing rooms?

There are a few main categories of paint colors that we look to when we’re working with cool northern light. These are:

• Blues with green undertones
• Warm greiges (Article) such as violet greige and green greige
• Beige paint colors (Article) 
• Bright whites with yellow undertones
• Warm greens
• Yellows, peachy colors, and warm reds.  

What colors should I avoid for North-facing rooms?

I don’t recommend using any blue-gray paint colors (Articles) or neutrals with blue undertones in North-facing light unless you really want a light blue paint color. The cool light will make any blue tones even bluer.

Also, when working with darker colors, make sure that they are not too dark. If you want a darker color, make sure that you test in the room. If it looks black when you test it, the color is too dark.

How to Sample Colors for North-Facing Rooms

​​We always recommend that you test paint colors on your home because lighting can change a color completely, both with interiors as well as exteriors.  

In the old days, this meant we painted a large poster board with sample pots and a huge mess.

Now we have a better way to test paint, with Samplize Peel-and-Stick samples! 

• Samples pre-painted with 2 coats of real paint from the manufacturer.
• Large 9” x 14” samples to see the color better in the lighting.
• Delivered overnight
• Colors are accurate
• Less expensive than painting a large poster board with sample pots
• No mess, and no toxic paint to dispose of

I use these in my color consulting practice for exact results.  Discover Samplize peel-and-stick paint samples:

24 Best Paint Colors for North-Facing Rooms

Now that you understand the kinds of colors that work best in Northern light, let’s dive into our color consultant picks for the absolute best paint for North-facing rooms from Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore and Farrow & Ball.

Best White Paint Colors for North-Facing Rooms

In a darker, cool room, many homeowners feel like they need to pick a very bright, clean white. But since these can create gray shadows in the corners, they will end up looking dingy.

Don’t use whites such as Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White or Sherwin-Williams Extra White (Articles) in a North-facing room. Instead, opt for warm and creamy whites, like some of our favorites below:

Benjamin Moore Simply White

Benjamin Moore Simply White (Article) is a warm white with strong yellow undertones. In bright, natural sunlight, the undertones virtually disappear. In a darker room or room with cool light, they brighten a room and make it shine through the dinge. 

Sherwin-Williams Alabaster

Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (Article) is warm but still muted and creamy without skewing yellow – especially in North-facing rooms. It’s light and bright enough that it won’t look dingy in rooms with low or cool light, like my home’s guest room below. In fact, I think it’s one of the best white paint colors for dark rooms (Article).

Benjamin Moore White Dove

Benjamin Moore White Dove (Article) looks fantastic in just about any light, thanks to its muted but warm yellow undertones. It is slightly creamy and adds a gorgeous warmth to a space with cool Northern exposure.

Sherwin-Williams Greek Villa

Sherwin-Williams Greek Villa (Article) is a warm, off-white paint color with yellow undertones. Because North-facing rooms have cool light, Greek Villa paint is a fantastic way to add warmth. The slight yellow tint to this paint helps neutralize the cool Northern light, as you can see in our client’s North-facing office below.

Beige Paint Colors for North-Facing Rooms

Beige colors look fantastic in North-facing rooms! Most beige paint colors have warm green undertones or creamy taupe undertones. Both work really well in the cool Northern light.

Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan

BM Manchester Tan (Article) is a fairly light color but still has a good amount of pigment and warm green undertones. These undertones help the color really shine, even in rooms with cool or low light, such as in the basement bedroom pictured below.

Benjamin Moore Natural Linen

I consider BM Natural Linen (Article) a warmer and slightly darker version of Manchester Tan. It’s dark enough to not wash out in bright South-facing sunshine and warm enough to look friendly in rooms with cooler North-facing light. It’s a very flexible paint color.

Sherwin-Williams Natural Linen 

Sherwin-Williams also has a paint color called Natural Linen (Samplize), and it is very similar to BM Natural Linen (but definitely not the same). Both colors are warm, lightish and beige, but Benjamin Moore Natural Linen leans more into warm, green undertones than Sherwin-Williams Natural Linen, which is peachier and pinker. Still, these warm undertones make it beautiful in North-facing rooms.

Warm Greige Paint Colors for North-Facing Rooms

Warm greige paint colors are beautiful for North-facing rooms, but they work best in spaces that have a good amount of windows and natural light because the cool Northern light will bring out the gray in these hues. Make sure that you use brighter whites for ceiling and trim to create a contrast with the paint color to keep it looking crisp.

Stay away from grays with blue undertones unless you want the blue to become more prominent. Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray (Article) is a great example of this. This color has strong blue undertones that become even stronger in Northern light, such as in this stairwell in my former home.

Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray

Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray (Sample) has warm green undertones with flashes of violet in certain light. For this reason, I often describe Agreeable Gray as a “fleshy” gray. This paint color is glorious when there is LOTS of natural light from any direction, even cooler North-facing light. 

Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray

BM Edgecomb Gray (Article) is a versatile neutral with green undertones that looks great in both brightly lit or low-light rooms. It looks great in rooms with cool north-facing light, where it looks warm and friendly despite the cool light.

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist

BM Balboa Mist (Article) has just enough warmth to be magical in North-facing rooms, thanks to soft violet undertones. The client’s room pictured below was originally planned to be painted with Stonington Gray, but it looked way too blue when we tested it. Balboa Mist looks perfect in the cool light.

Benjamin Moore Pale Oak

Benjamin Moore Pale Oak (Article) is a very light greige that lends a lot of warmth to any space, thanks to its taupe undertones. It looks lovely and bright even in challenging North-facing light conditions.

Blue Paint Colors for North-Facing Rooms

Blue paint colors can have green (leaning toward teal) or red (leaning toward purple) undertones. Blues that border on purple wouldn’t be my favorite color for a room with Northern light. Blue-greens are a better bet because they are warmer.

Sherwin-Williams Lullaby 

When you see Sherwin-Williams Lullaby (Sample) on the swatch, it actually looks gray. But with its blue undertones, it comes to life in a light-filled North-facing room. Our trick with light blues is to pick a blue-gray so that the blue wall color doesn’t end up looking electric. This is especially important in a room with cool, blue light.

Benjamin Moore Crystal Springs

Benjamin Moore Crystal Springs (Article) is a bold, blue-green paint color with strong green undertones. While I wouldn’t classify this color as a true aqua, it’s close! The bright hue cut through any shadow or cool, North-facing light. In the room below, Crystal Springs shines even in the shadowy corners.

Farrow & Ball Hague Blue

Hague Blue No. 30 (Article) is a rich, dark teal with plenty of green undertones. While we often think of blues as being cool colors, Hague Blue is really a warm hue. I especially love to recommend it for north- or east-facing rooms, because they receive cooler natural daylight. The green undertones of Hague Blue paint can help bring a wonderful warmth to this kind of space.

Farrow & Ball Oval Room Blue

Oval Room Blue by Farrow & Ball (Article) is a luminescent mid-toned teal. North-facing rooms tend to get the least amount of natural light throughout the day, and the light skews cool, but that won’t stop Oval Room Blue. This blue-green paint color changes in tone with the natural light and its warm green undertones shine in Northern light.

Best Green Paint Colors for North-Facing Rooms

Greens with more yellow in them will look better in a North-facing room. I love Farrow & Ball green paint colors because they tend to be very warm – perfect for Northern exposure! Some of our favorite green paint colors (Article) include:

Farrow & Ball Teresa’s Green

Teresa’s Green (Article) is soft and muted, but still feels rich. It offers the perfect combination of blue and green. But unlike some darker teal colors that can feel overwhelming in some spaces, Teresa’s Green is a beautiful soft blue-green paint that adds a feeling of calm to the spaces it’s used in.

Sherwin-Williams Evergreen Fog

SW Evergreen Fog (Sample) is very muted and on the cooler side. It’s warm enough, however, that it works well in cool, Northern light. My client’s home pictured below features a beautiful color-drenched bedroom painted with this color, including a beautiful built-in wardrobe. Even in the shadowy parts of the home this color really shines.

Benjamin Moore Fernwood Green 

BM Fernwood Green (Article) is a bright, sunny green paint color that can work in many different kinds of spaces. It is particularly fantastic for North-facing rooms, which get cooler, grayish light throughout the day. Fernwood Green brings a beautiful warmth to this kind of space.

Sherwin-Williams Rookwood Dark Green

Sherwin-Williams Rookwood Dark Green (Sample) is a deep, rich green paint color that brings some really gorgeous warmth to a space. It’s a very dark color but still looks very saturated and won’t risk looking black on the wall even in cooler light.

Best Yellow Paint Color for North-Facing Rooms

Yellow paint colors can look gorgeous in a North-facing room. They naturally bring a ton of warmth to a space and can really liven it up. Our favorite yellow paint for North-facing rooms is:

Benjamin Moore Cornsilk

Benjamin Moore Cornsilk (Article) is a warm but soft yellow paint color. It’s muted enough to be easy to work with but still looks bright and cheery on the wall. It has soft red undertones that make it so friendly and cozy. Cornsilk strikes a great balance between a more stark, clean yellow and an orange-yellow paint color.

Best Red and Pink Paint Colors for North-Facing Rooms

If you want to use a peachy-pink paint color in a room with Northern exposure, stick with warm versions that have some yellow in them.

Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster 

Setting Plaster (Article) is a beautiful pink blush paint color with highly saturated pigment. This paint color is more intense than anyone would expect, but still muted and soft. My guest room was previously painted this color. I asked my husband his opinion of the hue and he said it was a warm beige. I see it as a muted pink. Either way, it’s beautiful in a North-facing room.

Sherwin-Williams Avid Apricot 

SW Avid Apricot (Article) is a beautiful, warm peach paint color with orange undertones. It is surprisingly muted for such a bold hue, which keeps the color warm but still versatile. It’s a perfect color to brighten a shady or a North-Facing room, like my web designer Karima’s office pictured below.

Sherwin-Williams Persimmon 

SW Persimmon (Article) is an earthy, warm apricot color, slightly lighter than terra cotta. It is happy and refreshing, but still sophisticated.  It’s very similar to SW Avid Apricot, but a bit darker and warmer. It looks gorgeous in cool, North-facing light.

Sherwin-Williams Pink Shadow 

SW Pink Shadow (Sample) is a gorgeous pink paint color – warm and cozy with strong orange undertones. It’s light enough to look bright and airy, but saturated enough that it won’t wash out when the room is flooded with light or fade out in the shadows.

Sample All The Best Paint Colors for Rooms with Northern Light

1. Benjamin Moore Simply White
2. Sherwin-Williams Alabaster
3. Benjamin Moore White Dove
4. Sherwin-Williams Greek Villa
5. Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan
6. Benjamin Moore Natural Linen
7. Sherwin-Williams Natural Linen
8. Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray
9. Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
10. Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist
11. Benjamin Moore Pale Oak
12. Sherwin-Williams Lullaby
13. Benjamin Moore Crystal Springs
14. Farrow & Ball Hague Blue
15. Farrow & Ball Oval Room Blue
16. Farrow & Ball Teresa’s Green
17. Sherwin-Williams Evergreen Fog
18. Benjamin Moore Fernwood Green
19. Sherwin-Williams Rookwood Dark Green
20. Benjamin Moore Cornsilk
21. Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster
22. Sherwin-Williams Avid Apricot
23. Sherwin-Williams Persimmon
24. Sherwin-Williams Pink Shadow

Key Learning Points

North-facing rooms have cool, blue light that can be tricky to work with. When choosing paint colors for North-facing rooms, it’s important to follow a few key guidelines:

• North-facing rooms can have low light or be flooded with natural light. Either way, the light is typically cool.
• Warm paint colors always look best in North-facing rooms. Look for warm blues, greens, greiges, whites and beiges when selecting paint for a room with Northern exposure.
• Make sure your chosen paint colors also look good with your furniture, decor and hard finishes.

​​Remember: NEVER, EVER use paint matches from a different brand than the one specified. Results are poor and there are no standards for the sheens.  Even though your painter may truly believe it can be done, don’t do it. See results from paint matching here.

No matter what, always test your paint colors. It’s a standard best practice.  Whenever I test my paint colors, they are perfect, and when I don’t test they turn out wrong. Learn how to test your paint colors here.

Online Color Consulting

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Related Posts:

• Best White Paint Colors for Dark Rooms
• Best Sherwin-Williams White Paint Colors
• Best Green Paint Colors
• Best Blue-Gray Paint Colors

We love your comments! Please note that the blog is meant as general advice, and it is not possible to give out specific answers to your paint questions.