When you have a room in need of a paint job, it can be difficult to decide on the best paint color. If that room also gets lots of natural light, you want to choose a suitable color. This article will discuss the best paint colors for rooms that get plenty of natural light.
In a room that gets a great deal of natural light, the windows will take center stage. Depending on your region and the amount of time you can actually keep your windows and drapes or blinds open, your wall color needs to stay out of the way.
The colors recommended below are fairly low in saturation; you can boost the brightness of your favorite objects with bold fabrics and accent tones.
Sky: Worn Denim
In terms of intensity, Worn Denim is the shade that is most “middle of the road” in this listing. Per the RGB listing, this is a beautifully balanced color.
With just 16 points of contrast between red and blue, this is still a cool shade, but it will not create a chilly feel in your home.
Like a great pair of well-worn jeans, this color really goes with everything. If your best-lit room is your lounge or living room, you might go ahead and anchor the space with a deep green armchair or a burgundy sofa.
Do be aware that this is a cool color. If you pair this with white trim, go ahead and use a bright white.
For those who love a wooden floor or a natural fiber carpet, do your best to lean deeply into warm tones. A cherry wood floor will contrast beautifully with this wall color, while a yellow oak may appear rather dingy or dull.
This shade of blue will work well with most casual decorating styles. If you love the cottage look and have a wooden floor, use a braided rug in a variety of colors to maintain a casual feel.
If you want to use warm colors, don’t be subtle. Bold orange cushions and a bright yellow ottoman will stand up to this wall color, but pale yellows and tans will just look unwashed.
Bonus tip before you paint if you are a fan of DIY: Natural light eventually shows off all scars. If you need to patch holes or cover rough spots, make sure you
- patch
- sand
- prime
- paint
Painting directly over a patch will give you a section of wall that reflects light differently; the only way to get rid of it is to add a bigger patch.
RGB: 226, 236, 242
Hex Code: E2ECF2
Sea: Interesting Aqua
Interesting Aqua is the most deeply saturated color in this listing. It’s also the most unbalanced. However, if pastels and pale shades are not your thing, this is a color that will gracefully manage a lot of sunlight.
This is a very smoky color; the high level of red in what is functionally a version of teal means that this color will fade almost to grey when the light is low.
If your bedroom has a balcony and you love to sleep with the breeze blowing in, this color will soothe through the dark hours and elevate when the sun comes up.
You can easily pair this color with cream and ivory. In fact, a bright white may be too much blue for this shade. Because this color is saturated enough to hold those warm tones in check, you could put it to use against a variety of floorings.
Pale maple would be beautiful against this wall color. You can also put down jute, sisal, and even hemp rugs against this shade.
The richness of the color means that other bold tones will work well with this aqua. If you love plants, make sure you bring in some terra cotta pots. If you really want a reading nook, a rich rust or plum chair would work beautifully against this shade.
Depending on the need for privacy, insulation, and light barriers, your best bet with this wall color is to use an off-white drape. If you can make it work just with ivory sheers or a natural canvas tab drape, do so. This color will hold its own.
A word about sheen: In a room full of natural light, you want to stick with flat paints put on with a plush, velvety roller.
Because Interesting Aqua is a fairly saturated color, it will probably take two coats. The more gloss in the paint, the easier it will be to spot glitches, roller marks, and brush strokes.
Unless the walls are newly smoothed and your technique is very good, avoid using a sand texture in the paint you use in a room full of natural light. You will notice every roller edge and inconsistency.
RGB: 155, 175, 178
Hex Code: 9BAFB2
Peel-and-Stick Paint Sample – Interesting Aqua (6220) – Gray – Sherwin-Williams
Sand: Slipper Satin
If you love warm tones in every room of your house, Slipper Satin is your shade for a very sunny room. While this is a very light shade, it is the warmest color in this listing.
Slipper Satin is neutral with a little oomph. Because it has a high concentration of red, it can serve as a foil for your casual denim living room furniture.
Your olive green armchair will look amazing against this color, and simple canvas tab drapes will fully flesh out the window treatments in a room painted in this shade.
Do take care to think about beach plants before you add a great deal of bold color in your decorating if you have this paint as your wall color.
A pale sage seagrass basket will look wonderful, as will a yellow wicker fan. Your bright orange throw pillows may not work in full sun. Stick to muted shades as you add accents to this space.
Unlike the other two colors in this listing, Slipper Satin will welcome an accent wall. Do be sure to go with a bold shade; a rich, smoky teal would be a great choice, as would a brick red.
Avoid white trim against this color as there is likely to be a high concentration of blue in your trim paint. Go for ivory or cream.
Rooms full of sunlight tend toward yellow. If you use white in these spaces, be very consistent. For example, you may have white trim, but if you have ivory or beige outlets and outlet covers, the effect can be a bit jarring.
For homeowners who aren’t interested in making a cosmetic swap of light switches, outlets, and plates, Slipper Satin and ivory trim throughout the house can be a great choice.
RGB:240, 232, 221
Hex Code: F0E8DD