Paint Colours for East & West-Facing Rooms
East- and west-facing rooms share the same kind of light, just in reverse: direct, low sun for half the day and cooler, indirect light for the other half. East-facing rooms get their sun at breakfast and west-facing rooms in the evening, so every colour here suits both. Choose for the hours you spend in the room; every shade is available as a 60ml sample.
East- and west-facing rooms are two halves of the same story. Each gets warm, low-angled sun for half the day and cooler, bluer indirect light for the other half: east-facing rooms have their sun in the morning, west-facing rooms in the evening. Choose for the time you use the room most: warm whites and gentle warm tones carry a room through its cooler hours, while greens, greys and deep shades balance the hours of direct golden sun. Every colour here is tagged for both directions in our palette.
At a glance
- Start here
- Choose for your busiest hours. A breakfast kitchen and an evening sitting room need different things. Decide when you use the room before choosing the colour.
- East light
- Warm mornings, cooler afternoons. Morning sun is warm; afternoon light becomes cooler and bluer. Every colour here suits east-facing rooms; warm whites and gentle warm tones help most if you use the room later in the day.
- West light
- Cool mornings, golden evenings. Mornings are cool and flat before warm golden evening light arrives. Every colour here suits west-facing rooms; greens and deeper cool shades balance the late glow.
- Whites
- Warm whites for the cooler hours. Warm whites soften the cooler half of the day in both directions. Compare a warmer white with a cooler one in morning and evening light.
- Best rooms
- Breakfast rooms and evening snugs. East-facing kitchens and bedrooms get their sun as you wake; west-facing living rooms get theirs towards evening. The same colours suit both, so pick the depth for how you use the room.
- Two windows
- Start with balanced undertones. Windows on different sides mix the light. Start with the balanced shades below, then check each wall separately.
- After dark
- Daylight is only half the test. An evening room must work after the golden light has gone. Check samples under the lamps you actually use.
- Sample tip
- Check every change of light. Move your sample between walls. Check it in morning and afternoon daylight, then under the lights you use at night.
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Warm whites for changing light
Warm whites stay soft as the light cools.
Best in east- and west-facing rooms
East-facing rooms look their best in the morning and can turn a little blue by late afternoon; west-facing rooms are the same in reverse. These warm whites hold their softness through the cooler hours, so the room never feels flat.
Best in east- and west-facing rooms: east-facing bedrooms, kitchens and breakfast rooms, or west-facing rooms used in the morning, where these whites stay gentle while the light is cool.
Gentle warmth for the cooler hours
Gentle warmth carries rooms beyond their sunny hours.
Best in east- and west-facing rooms
For a little more colour, these soft, warm shades make the most of direct sun and stay friendly once it has moved on. Lovely in east-facing kitchens and bedrooms where you wake up, or west-facing rooms you use before the evening sun arrives.
Best in east- and west-facing rooms that need to feel welcoming once the direct sun has moved on, from breakfast rooms to bedrooms.
Greens that glow in low sun
Greens balance the warmth of low golden sun.
Best in east- and west-facing rooms
West-facing rooms are cool and calm in the morning, then fill with warm, golden light in the evening; east-facing rooms have the same light the other way round. Greens love that low sun, and their natural freshness keeps the room balanced while it lasts.
Best in east- and west-facing rooms, such as west-facing living rooms used towards evening or east-facing kitchens used at breakfast, when low golden daylight warms the greens. They also suit kitchen cabinets.
Greys, blues and deep shades
Cool greys and depths welcome low warm sunshine.
Best in east- and west-facing rooms
Low sun takes the chill off cooler greys and blues, and turns deep colours rich and warm. A west-facing sitting room you use mostly in the evening, or an east-facing bedroom you wake up in, is a perfect home for one of these.
Best in east- and west-facing sitting rooms, snugs and bedrooms. Check the colour after sunset too, when the room relies on lamps.
Balanced colours for any direction
Balanced undertones connect rooms with changing daylight.
Best in north-, south-, east- and west-facing rooms
Painting a whole house, or a room with windows on two sides? These balanced shades are tagged for every direction in our palette, so they behave well whichever way the light comes from.
Best in rooms facing north, south, east or west, including spaces with windows on two sides. These balanced shades are useful for hallways and connected rooms, though each wall still needs a sample check.
Sample it the way we would
Step 1
Paint your peel-and-sticks
Each £5.99 sample comes with three paintable peel-and-sticks. Give them two coats and let them dry fully.
Step 2
Stick them around the room
Put them on two or three walls, including the wall opposite the window, at eye level and lower down.
Step 3
Live with them for a day or two
Look in the morning, the afternoon and under your evening lamps. Move them around until you are sure.
Your questions, answered
What colours suit an east-facing room?
The same colours as a west-facing room, because the light is the same in reverse. Soft, warm colours and warm whites stop the room feeling cold and blue in the afternoon, while greens and deeper cool shades balance the warm morning sun.
What colours suit a west-facing room?
The same colours as an east-facing room. Cooler greens, greys, blues and deep colours glow in golden evening light, while warm whites and gentle warm tones soften the flatter morning light.
What if my room has windows facing two directions?
Choose a balanced, neutral-undertone colour, or design for the main window and the time of day you use the room most. Always sample on the walls facing each window.
How to sample paint properly