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

1. Inox

“South light is the strongest, brightest light. If you have a south-facing room, consider using a cooler colour palette that will complement a warmer environment. If you’re looking for a great, all-over neutral, consider Inox. It’s an elegant pale grey with blue undertones that works perfectly if you want to cool down the tone of a south-facing interior.”

2. Etruria

“Blues also sit very comfortably in south-facing spaces. Etruria is a lovely bold but muted blue – one of my favourite colours. It’s a great shade for colour drenching, as it has muted undertones that make it very easy to embrace all over.”

3. Juniper Ash

“Another wonderful blue for south-facing rooms is Juniper Ash. I love this colour as it’s a very soft blue, but it still offers inviting warmth. Consider using this sophisticated hue alongside a complementary white like Linen Wash or Flint, for a classic blue and white combination.”

4. Aquamarine

“If you’d prefer something greener, try Aquamarine. This is a soft and gentle shade, which has just the slightest touch of warmth. It’s available in five graduated hues, from the lightest shade, Aquamarine – Pale, to Aquamarine – Deep.”

5. Tea with Florence

“Tea with Florence is a beautiful, historic colour which has a lovely teal appearance. It contains a little bit of blue and a dash of green too. This colour is quite a strong choice, offering plenty of impact. But it would work fantastically in a south-facing room.”

6. Scree

“Finally, for more of a statement choice, consider Scree. This deep grey has a noticeable cool undertone to it. You could use it on walls, or it works especially well on both exterior and interior woodwork.”

“In these parts of the home, I would recommend avoiding particularly bright colours or yellow-based hues. When accompanied by the strong, bright light of a south-facing interior, shades from this palette could feel quite dazzling. Instead, for a cosy living room, consider gentle, earthy hues that will appear a lot more harmonious in a south-facing space.

My first pick is Boringdon Green, which is a soft, peaceful green. This tranquil shade has a little bit of yellow in it, to provide the warmth you are seeking. But it also has a touch of blue within its makeup, which works well to take the edge off and bring the temperature down slightly.”

“An ‘old favourite’ neutral in our palette is Portland Stone. This is a classic, earthy stone colour that’s not too warm and not too cool. Due to its beautiful green undertones, it’s a perfectly balanced shade, making it a great neutral for south-facing interiors.

Finally, for a more impactful choice, consider Silt. This deep, warm clay colour has a grey undertone that will absorb that warm, south light. Silt also coordinates beautifully with our much-loved Slaked Lime family, if you’re looking for some complementary neutrals.”

“When selecting colours for a south-facing bathroom, you have the option to keep things pared-back and understated, or to introduce some bolder colour. For a tranquil scheme that will cool down the warmth of the light in this space, I would recommend our Pearl Colour family. Pearl Colour – Dark has a visible green undertone, providing a nice, neutral hue to gently temper that bright, warm light. Consider using Pearl Colour – Dark on the ceiling with Pearl Colour on your walls, or vice versa.”

“For a bathroom that is full of character and personality, consider using Etruria which is an excellent neutral blue. This inviting colour will certainly cool down the tone of the room, but it also has a little bit of warmth within the palette too. As a neutral to pair with Etruria, you could select Inox which has blue undertones that coordinate harmoniously.”

“Ceviche and Cool Arbour are pale-grey neutrals with related green undertones. If you’re seeking a neutral interior, you could go for something quite classic, with Ceviche on the skirting and Cool Arbour on the walls. Or consider using them the other way around, incorporating the darker hue on the skirting.

Then for something a bit more contemporary, you could introduce a bolder hue, like Obsidian Green. This profound off-black colour works harmoniously with the neutrals, as it has a rich green undertone. Perhaps feature Obsidian Green on your woodwork, a door or even just one wall to add impact to your space.

Alternatively, add a pop of colour with Garden – a lively, summery green. Despite being quite a punchy, vibrant shade, Garden combines nicely with the rest of the colours in this scheme. As all the shades have related green undertones, they will work wonderfully together in a south-facing interior.”

“There are lots of elegant green combinations that will transform a south-facing space, inviting the beauty of nature indoors. Garden and Pea Green is a wonderful, fresh combination that feels quite vibrant and energising, perfect for a lively family kitchen. Try using Pea Green on the ceiling alongside Garden on walls for a colour-drenched look.”

“For a gentler approach, consider Sage Green, which is one of our most popular greens. This coordinates elegantly with our timeless, muted shade, Book Room Green. A softer green palette like this will sit comfortably alongside earthy neutral tones and natural materials like Bath Stone and Portland Stone – Dark.”

“Pink and green is a staple colour pairing that works fabulously together. With this combination, you might choose to go quite bold and impactful, or consider shades with a gentler character. Invisible Green and Leather is a great statement combination, or for something more natural, you could try pairing Blush with Boringdon Green.”