Ruth’s guide to choosing colours for north-facing rooms

North-facing rooms are frequently the darkest areas of the home, as they often experience very little direct sunlight. In north-facing rooms, it’s important to introduce shades that will complement the space and add warmth.

Our Creative Director, Ruth, shares her expert tips for decorating north-facing spaces. Explore her scheme ideas to create an inviting interior, using both colours and neutrals. Plus, read her guide to decorating a north-facing bathroom, along with colour advice for small, dark rooms.

Five schemes for north-facing rooms

“For a north-facing room, consider Masquerade – a gorgeous, plaster-like colour that’s one of our most-loved shades. It’s light, gentle and very easy to use all-over to infuse your north-facing space with inviting, encompassing warmth. Or combine the graduated shades in the Masquerade Colour Scales family for an effortlessly harmonious scheme that’s perfect for a calming living room.”

Order samples

“For a shade with more vibrancy, try Yellow-Pink. A rich and earthy yellow, you can drench your space in this colour to bring brightness, warmth and sunshine into rooms that lack natural light. You could also consider double drenching, by introducing related honey and caramel hues with varying undertones on the ceiling, woodwork and cabinetry.”

Order samples

“A bright and elegant green like Boxington is another perfect choice for north-facing interiors. This energising shade has both yellow ochre and red oxide within it, bringing lots of warmth to breathe life into your north-facing room. This green would be a great accompaniment to a coordinating, botanical wallpaper to really bring nature indoors.”

Order samples

“Mochi was launched in our ‘Sweet Treats’ collection. A beautiful, soft, muted pink, it’s extremely versatile, so you can use it in many different spaces, including north-facing rooms. Consider pairing it with something a little bit punchier, like Purple Brown. This sumptuous dark colour has an element of pink within its hue, which relates very nicely to Mochi. And if you want a neutral to go with this pairing, Hammock is a great choice.”

Order samples

“For a contemporary scheme, consider Ambleside which is a lovely, muted green. You could put this on woodwork or panelling, and tie in with Aquamarine on the walls, or try Portland Stone for a more neutral interior. Portland Stone has green within its makeup, meaning it has a nice relationship with Ambleside.”

Order samples

Tips for decorating a north-facing bathroom

“Your bathroom should provide a haven of serenity within your home, the ideal setting in which to relax and unwind. I recommend introducing some warm colours in a north-facing bathroom, as this will create a softer, more inviting environment that feels comforting and easy to live with – you don’t want to risk feeling cold in your bathroom!

For a neutral scheme, consider shades like Travertine, Clay, Silent White and Hammock. These natural hues all have yellow undertones which will naturally bring some warmth into the space. They are all beautiful, elegant neutrals that you can easily use all over.

For an alternative, consider the Green Stone family from our Colour Scales palette. These neutrals all have green undertones; they’re still earthy, stone colours, but they don’t have quite so much yellow within them. They’re a little bit more neutral – not too warm, not too cool – great for north-facing rooms.

If you want to add more depth to your scheme, Book Room Green would be a natural partner to Green Stone. Or for something a little bit warmer and sweeter, Masquerade is the perfect choice, just bringing that element of cosiness to a north-facing bathroom.”

Neutrals for north-facing bathrooms

Using yellow in north-facing rooms

“Yellow is a fun, bright and wonderfully positive colour that’s perfect for rooms that face north, bringing energy and dynamism to a space. Although so many of us love yellow, we can often struggle with knowing how to incorporate it into a design scheme.

For our most vibrant yellows like Mister David and Trumpet, I would recommend using them as only a small proportion of an entire colour scheme. A simple colour highlight on standalone chair, a unit or a wardrobe is enough for these bold, eye-catching colours.

Light Gold and Indian Yellow are much gentler in their tone. These delightful, mood-boosting shades work perfectly if you want to introduce a touch more yellow in your space. Consider using them alongside related neutrals to create an accent wall that draws the eye and radiates warmth in a north-facing space.

If you want to use yellow in an all-over scheme, consider colour drenching your entire room, including the walls, woodwork and ceiling. For these schemes, you can select Yellow-Pink or Giallo, which are much more muted in their undertones. In north-facing rooms, these yellows can be used as an alternative to neutral, filling the space with warmth, energy and an element of vibrancy. Or if you want to pair them with white, choose Silent White, as it has a lovely yellow base to it that will tie in harmoniously”

Explore our yellows

Colour schemes for small north-facing rooms

“If you have a small, north-facing room with very little light, it can be hard to know what to do with it. I wouldn’t recommend that you try and make the space feel bigger, as this probably won’t be possible. Instead, I’d advise embracing the space with a palette of rich, sumptuous, deep, and – most importantly – warm hues.

Our Stone collection is a palette of elegant, natural colours, and the two bottom rows are where you’ll find the deepest, darkest shades. These are the colours that create those cosy environments that also feel quite indulgent and sophisticated. Consider richly coloured shades like Light Bronze Green and Purple Brown, or the sumptuous dark brown, Chocolate Colour. Use them all over for a scheme that envelops you with warmth and comfort.

Order samples

If you’re looking for a blue, I’d recommend selecting a warm blue rather than a cooler hue. Hicks’ Blue and Juniper Ash are some of our most-loved blues and they both have a subtle red note to them. Or you could choose an inviting, green-toned blue like Tea with Florence.

Order samples

Another way to approach these spaces is by opting for a beautiful, dark, pink-based hue like Adventurer or Nether Red. You can also explore brown-greys like Scullery and Attic II, which are great, earthy colours for these parts of the home.”

Order samples

Read our guide to considering the orientation of a space, or request sample pots to test in situ.