PICKING COLORS FOR EAST FACING ROOMS | INTERIOR DESIGN

Working with an eastern exposure isn't always as easy as you think. You have to factor in the movement of the sun into your interior design. The Paint People are here to help you, so you can go about picking colours the right way!
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[@blurryface98]

Please do more videos like this with color thought/suggestions! My house is east/west and the lighting drives me crazy! I have painted my open concept house three times and I still hate it. 😭 This is so helpful!

[@elioscar7073]

The torture with eastern rooms is real.

[@islo3941]

YES PLEASE!!! A list of whites or off-whites for east exposed room :)

[@kimwalder3817]

Yes, please do a list and hit all the directional exposures. This is so helpful! Thank you!!

[@MsMalorable]

Yes, please! A list for east facing rooms would be awesome as well as a video/list for west facing. My living area has windows on both the east and west sides and I’ve been struggling with paint colors for over a year. 😩

[@teresacerna1612]

i feel your pain! I have had new furniture on hold since Dec.2019 because I decided to paint my walls before I select the fabric color. I have really high ceilings so I can't just run to the paint store and repaint. If you find a great color please share!

[@StephenSafton]

@@teresacerna1612 Julie Khu says pick furnishings first because paint is “easier” - but none of this is easy!

[@lesliturnervance4982]

What color did you decide on?

[@colsen4616]

Choosing based on when you most use the space is so important. Years ago when I was looking for a dark purple, the one I initially chose looked great during the day, but was black in the evening. I ended up compromising with a shade that was a little too light during the day, but was perfect in the evening when I actually spent time in the room.

[@bchamp1]

Definitely interested in that list of colors.

[@thepaintpeople]

Next week! It's coming!

[@thepaintpeople]

Actually... Maybe the week after. 🤣🤣

[@garypuckettmuse]

@@thepaintpeople Argh! I don't have two weeks! I have one week . . .not to make you feel guilty or anything, James . . .just sayin'.

[@lskmc2091]

I’ve been waiting for this video!! There is so little information out there on pure eastern light. Thank you!! Please do a video on wall colors for eastern exposure living rooms! I tried City Loft and it was glowing blue /purple in the late afternoon! Crazy🤦🏻‍♀️

[@ocbreed841]

Thank you so much for covering this topic! Yes, please share a list of paint colors for east-facing rooms. Would be very interested in southern and western exposures next.

[@heathergroff9378]

Colors for east would be very welcome

[@matthewjohnson2753]

James, thank you firstly. I purchased my 1st home in November and I have been watching your videos when I have free time. I'm getting ready to get the project started in the summer. Thanks again for your helpful content!

[@zstroud5698]

Love the idea of watching your videos about paint suggestions for rooms with light from different directions. Thank you!

[@jenniferbarlow1782]

North please! Most of my open concept area is lit from the North and we're trying to decide on our main paint color. Totally looking forward to this series!!

[@OGCJ10]

What did you go with ?

[@lilir3m390]

Very informative video. My living room is North-East facing 😅 I have big windows so it's not dark inside, but like I kinda hate the beige walls. I want bright white walls, but don't really know what undertone to pick.

[@joshymcdaniel9233]

If u want bright white go with a cool undertone like sw extra white I have same room as u I went sw pure white and what a MISTAKE! Had to redo it all! PW looked dirty and dingy They say for north u want “warmish” but can also go cool’ 100% go cool if you want CRISP White! Also it sucks but spend the $10 dollars on sample paint Who knew there was so much to paint! Then your furniture/ rugs play a part it’s nuts!

[@pamelamarielong1792]

Eastern color list!!!! Especially whites!

[@catebannan7343]

Thanks for this, so helpful! My home is small and open concept so the kitchen and living room have an east exposure in the am and west exposure in the pm. Thoughts and suggestions most welcome 😊!

[@squalter.kaufmann]

IOW, yes, color ideas, please 🤓

[@dennisredmond9395]

A list of colors would be most helpful. Now, on to west window light!

[@danrothenhoefer4634]

Please give us a list of colors that work well in rooms with an eastern exposure. Thanks!

[@georgemohr7532]

South exposures and rooms with two exposures such as east and south.

[@Kk-fj5tn]

I love the idea of thinking about the direction of the light. My kitchen gets no direct light at all and always leans cool. My North Facing rooms tend to get all the light (I'm in the Southern Hemisphere and, in winter, we get more direct light in North facing rooms during the day)...Also, where I live, we mostly have dry winters. I have been thinking about a cool teal color, but with this info, I probably want to rethink that and think about whether I perhaps need more warmth in the kitchen... This gave me a lot to think about...

[@yousra1225]

Please do a north!! We have a north facing living with a lot of tree that shades the house.

[@mknits8522]

yes please! A list of suggestions would be great. Most of my rooms have this exposure and it's really hard to find colors!

[@beatrizbiederman6696]

Good intro vid. Thx! Yes, color suggestions for North-facing bedrooms and bathrooms would be helpful. Also WEST-facing Kitchen/ Fam Room area. So dark in the mornings!

[@craigcasper6689]

Definitely keep doing this type of video, with curated in colors. Thank you!

[@valeriej291]

Our master bedroom, living room, dining room, and kitchen are all eastern exposures. A List would be great…if nothing else, so we can play with swatches to better understand all of the great info in this video.

[@nanook1002]

West, South, and North exposures next. Thank you; love your videos!

[@gretasandiego2414]

I have been looking for info on what paints to use S, E, W, N facing rooms for a while now. So glad someone's doing it. What I mainly want to know is what is the best LRV for each direction. What's the best LRV for an East facing room?

[@lisamcdonald2877]

Livingroom and kitchen face east, so glad you are doing this.

[@brendaflores5798]

please do neutrl color suggestions for east facing rooms. Thank you!!

[@LDSW]

Thanks for the valuable details that you've provided about the effects of paint colors in rooms with east-facing light exposure from windows during the daytime. I'm also interested in the effects of paint colors in rooms with north-facing, south-facing, or west-facing light exposure from windows on a single wall or side of the same room, along with the effects of paint colors for: * Blended exposures (NE-, NW-, SE-, or SW-facing light exposure from windows on a single wall or side of the room) * Multiple exposures (light exposure from windows that face different directions from different walls or sides of the same room). For multiple exposures, examples include sunlight exposure during the daytime from rooms with (a) an east-facing window and a west-facing window; (b) a north-facing window and a south-facing window; (c) a north-facing window and a west-facing window (especially for bedrooms with this lower light exposure from both directions during the morning and during overcast days), and so on. These points apply to the northern hemisphere, and I understand the reverse may be the case for the southern hemisphere.

[@darlalayton3371]

Thank you for this! My Eastern facing family is used all day, and I’m going to paint it a saturated blue. It’s going to be gorgeous

[@AlexMercadoGo]

More dad jokes! (But actually, the writing on this episode feels especially relaxed and natural. Great job!)

[@anabeliagarza1805]

Yes... I need a list. I need to paint my kitchen with honey oak cabinets. It has a patio door which takes up about 1/3 of the eastern wall.

[@bluedrummajor2876]

This was very useful information. I agree that videos about the other exposures would be wonderful. One picky point. The globe was turning in the wrong direction.

[@Jenn_80]

So, what is the best LRV range for an eastern exposure bedroom? Also, I know this video is 3 years old, but I would LOVE a link to the list you made that you reference at the end of this video!

[@isham5262]

Oh yes please more colours

[@lindabrewer5330]

Some calming lower LRVs on the East list would be great! Cutting down on the morning brightness is what I'm after.

[@joyhhinton]

Great video! Yes, please to both the list of paints and the different exposures. By the way, what do you do if the room has east, north and western exposures?

[@dianneydevadrot]

Really looking forward to west facing!

[@4claudiasmith]

Yes please curate a list of paint colors and also talk about West facing rooms. Thank you for the info.

[@lisahandley2552]

yes please

[@justcarryonnow]

North facing Please. I'm picking my paint colors soon for my new place.

[@1963Babbs]

Thanks for your videos. I would also enjoy one on north facing rooms.

[@cozyhome321]

Definitely North next! Our bedroom faces NE, has only one window, and painted a mid tone grey by the previous owners that is just too dark and dingy!

[@justcarryonnow]

YES!!! NE NEXT. hopefully soon. I'm picking paint color for my new place.

[@geralyn-mm]

Definitely more videos like this please! What about an eastern exposure sharing with northern ?

[@thepaintpeople]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@jessie-2023]

Would love a list and west please 😃

[@catherinelynnnelson6446]

N, S, E & W exposures!

[@barbiec4312]

Yeah, throw in a huge deciduous tree that shades the south eastern windows half of the year and then try to find the right warm, light green for the kitchen cabinets…Any ideas?

[@thepaintpeople]

Do we go mint? Something like BM Fresh Mint?

[@evy684]

These videos are so very helpful ! ThankYou !

[@tara5742]

Oh! Cool idea 🤩

[@raissal.6468]

My living/dining room faces east with all floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking river, lots of light. I've chosen Benjamin Moore's Super White because we liked it best of the 4 samples we painted on the walls. Any thoughts on how white would fare in eastern-facing rooms? For the record, I don't like warm whites because they look yellowy to me, don't like greige, and I prefer cool and neutral tones. Will probably have a deep cool grey accent wall perpendicular to windows. Thanks!

[@dorothw265]

This video is so helpful! I’d love to see a video about western facing rooms.

[@justcarryonnow]

it's very similar to east facing. You will just get that sun in the late afternoon/evening instead of the morning. Apply the East facing concepts in this video to adjust for the reverse time difference in West facing.

[@pg8780]

I have an East facing Bay window & another large South facing window in my living room. Any ideas of a color that would look good in both types of light?

[@paulasimson4939]

North please and thanks! My living room/den/dining room all have floor to ceiling north facing windows. But there are also floor to ceiling windows on the west and east too (it's a north facing double corner suite). I'm about to repaint from the silver dollar grey I put on in 2007, but not sure what direction to go in.

[@notesc821]

Please do a list or video on green paint in eastern exposed lower level. I used mountain sage, and on the walls it looks like the cool grey used to prime cars for paint. :( I want a nice happy green. 😞

[@koshkakissa]

I've been struggling with my livingroom for years. It's the bottom part of a split level so of course it has the short long window above a half wall ledge. It is east facing and I mostly spend my time after 3:00PM in here. I feel like I'm in a box with not enough light. I wanted to do light gray walls with white trim to open it up. But are there any grayish tones that would still help brighten the room? I considered "reflective" paint finishes too.

[@crystalfolse3208]

Thanks

[@juscuzisayso]

What would you pick for a room that has both east and west facing windows? It is for a kitchen and living room, therefore, the room is utilized all throughout the day. The windows on both side are the same size with privacy trees on the east window. Any suggestion would help. :)

[@janicelindegard6615]

List, please. I have an eastern exposed kitchen and family room. We are in there every time of day, so I’m stumped.

[@loribarolo9592]

More eastern exposure colors please and thank you!

[@thepaintpeople]

I’ll keep that in mind!

[@ACUjessm]

Three more to go..hope south is next ;)

[@lecoursiersf]

I would love to see north, south and west. But please start with south!

[@edekker1625]

I've got a new studio and when I'm with my back at the (only) door, I've got one window facing the north east and one bigger window facing the north west. What should I take into account? The north? I'll be spending a lot of my time in this studio but later I expect to be there mostly in the evening cause I'll be out for work. The studio has a sloped roof and I've been there from 15.30 till 20 to see how the light comes in. There doesn't appear to be a lot of (sun)light during the mid-day/afternoon. Right there is some type of creme/offwhite on the walls, I need permission to repaint this studio but the kitchen is in some creme/light (camel?) brown) shade. General advice is very welcome!

[@lutherthecollie]

Revere Pewter works for my living room.

[@nygelburwell7533]

Curious... Would you recommend natural cream by Benjamin Moore? Yes yes yes on the list of what color you would suggest please.

[@XizhousScentStudio]

Can you do a video on wall colors in the basement where there's no natural lighting and low ceiling?

[@HudsonDoodle]

West please. And color suggestions would be awesome!

[@Fullmoonrisingtarot]

My living room gets sunlight all day long Eastern and southern windows I have very dark brown floors and furniture . I put a midtown green gray and it looks faded out . what do you think about going with a. really dark colors ? I don’t really care for blue or beige and thinking something green or plum if you have any thoughts I’d appreciate it I have to start painting soon and am still undecided what to do😢

[@lim-kawachi2849]

Wall paint for West facing and Northwest facing room

[@SuperHowyalikemenow]

Looking for whites and off whites for an eastern exposed kitchen with blue and gray fixtures! Thanks!

[@thepaintpeople]

Have you looked at Benjamin Moore Mountain Peak White? Or Sherwin Williams' Creamy?

[@SuperHowyalikemenow]

@@thepaintpeople no but I will tomorrow, thank you!

[@constancemartin933]

What colours for a low light room with east, west and south windows and dark brown wood floors with peachy undertones? 😁

[@teresacerna1612]

My living room , kitchen/ dining room are East facing. I have had a warm gold leaf yellow for ten years ! I want to go neutral but have no idea because I have reddish / golden hardwood and trim . It’s beautiful but need a change! Help ♥️

[@thepaintpeople]

Maybe stay within the warm side of neutral, so the change isn't too jarring, especially considering you've been happy thus far!

[@teresacerna1612]

@@thepaintpeople thank you, that's my concern. I don't want anything that looks like primer since my cabinets are antique white. I want see some depth. I love your channel by the way.

[@pattyc4125]

South please! This video was so helpful.

[@helenhagin8329]

Please do a video for west facing rooms!!

[@Merivel3]

"It's no mystery that the sun rises in the east, because of the rotation of the Earth". Cue image of Earth *rotating the wrong way*!

[@stephanied9629]

Trying to pick colors for an open concept house where all common rooms face both East/West has been a nightmare.

[@MrIndonesialover]

South please!!!!

[@sandrayoung8519]

Please east colors for kitchen and dining room with west facing living room thanks 😊

[@iBOT-R3]

What do you pick if you are in a east facing condo?

[@TheMysticAgent]

So much great information here. I needed to watch this a few times to get the depth of information. My question is since the room does become dark by 5pm where I live, is there an LRV (getting your lingo!) minimum level you would go to? Can I do that deep purple on one wall(which is in the South)Shadow 2117-30 by Benjamin Moore behind the white-ish bookshelves? Or should I go lighter? Man this is so fun! I love color. What you are teaching here is supporting my ability to be more creative with paint! Thank you James!

[@TheMysticAgent]

One more thing...I did install great (4 lights in 12x12 space)ceiling lighting in this room as the first step of my redesign.

[@thepaintpeople]

Hi Mystic, it varies, but staying around the 60's is a good number. But, again, some people enjoy the way color shifts throughout the day, plus your additional lighting etc.

[@zwindaaponte3262]

👍🏼

[@mattanderton9669]

I just painted my s facing living room bm antique pewter...probably broke rules, but it works and I like it. The adjacent room, an eastern facing dining room is up next. I am at a loss for ideas. The house is over 100 years old, arched doorways separating rooms, crown, white oak flooring in the living room and pine in the dining room (the unpainted room) do you have any suggestions? Does anyone reading this have any ideas? Thanks

[@thepaintpeople]

Hi Matt, if you like it, that's what matters most! I'd have a look at something like a hazy skies? If you're feeling gray, Balboa Mist might be nice in an east facing room. If all else fails, a bright white never fails. :)

[@mattanderton9669]

Thanks and I'll take a look at those colors. I've seen a couple pictures of dining rooms painted flat or matte black. They looked really sharp. Do you think having an antique pewter living room so close would make the house too dark if I painted the dining room black? Lots of natural light both rooms appx 12x10 w large arched doorways joining them. Thanks again

[@kathrynmarie6534]

Looking for a white color for room facing lake with lots of windows

[@justatitle]

James I’ve previously written to you about my master bedroom & on suite situation, noting: bthrm *Gray or cool leaning Ceramic tile with hints of a drab greenish marbling undertone. I chose my Berber Carpet based on that. It does look more yellowish or neutral in my bdrm. however. So, I’m trying to *tie *together my South/Eastern exposure bdrm, and my North/East bthrm. Just to not: You were so kind to respond to my message over my dilemma and you suggested BM Plaster of Paris. But, had neglected to mention to you, that I not only have *eastern exposure but a significant amount of *southern exposure in the afternoon in that same room. I am so reluctant and have anxiety over having a yellow or pink undertone. Given this more clear description of exposures’ would you still suggest BM Plaster of Paris? I’ve recently read that when dealing with more than one exposure, North and South take precedence over East and West. So knowing that, would you still suggest P of P? or a color with an LRV around 60 plus not to exceed 65? Im really wanting to get this right, and I know there isn’t a magic pill. Lastly, I put a couple paint samples I had on the walls, Simply White, White Dove and boy did they turn yellow in my room. I had some Chantilly Lace 😥 and painted a sample, nearly 3 coats over a beige wall. It’s nice but not sure it will match my dark cherry furnisher and sagish brand new installed already Carpet. Sorry for the book. Any help would be soooooo appreciated! You Rock!

[@thepaintpeople]

Hey there! Thanks for reaching out. I’m not sure how much I would be able to help you over the internet. There’s just so many variables in design that need to be considered that’s difficult to do without seeing/being in the space. I wouldn’t want to steer you in a direction that sounds good on paper but doesn’t work in practicality. I'd try testing out some colors and sitting with them throughout the day, or, contact a local designer who can actually work with you. Best of luck!

[@lipstickaddict86]

West facing rooms please!

[@sigridwild1783]

Yes more paint Choices for east

[@thepaintpeople]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@leeeakin936]

How does tinted glass impact the colors you’d choose? Most of my walls are glass, but it’s gray tinted. Thanks.

[@garypuckettmuse]

Oh you are SO right! I've got a 12 foot floor to ceiling eastern facing window with new windows and although you can't really see it unless you check -- the window tint is *green* and there is a LOT of it. Everything I put on the walls turns green and if it has any yellow in it, yay, chartreuse! I'm going for a red/pink undertone greige this time -- a beige gray not a gray beige with zero green lurking anywhere!. And, you'll appreciate this, I also have major western exposure that hits that same room from large windows in adjacent rooms. That is less a problem but it does keep me from having a proper afternoon light in the east facing room that I can count on. Not sure why I picked you to suffer with me but OMG I've painted my whole condo three times in ten years with no satisfaction! Good luck.

[@leeeakin936]

@@garypuckettmuse good luck! I understand the issue, even if mine is gray-tinted glass. Fortunately, pretty neutral. but, there’s 75 feet of 8 ft doors, so a whole lot of light - only east and north. Again, good luck.

[@garypuckettmuse]

@@leeeakin936 Oh, jeez, well remain calm and have a very large budget for sample pints. Best.

[@leeeakin936]

@@garypuckettmuse My sample pints likely will be beer rather than paint. Enjoy!!

[@ritikakalia7199]

Would you pick SW Pure White or Greek Villa for an east facing great room/kitchen.

[@thepaintpeople]

Greek Villa. I rarely go with a stark white unless it's for trim.

[@allisea7768]

I have a southeast window. We wanted a light blue green paint something like BM Pleasant Valley. The chips look fine on the wall. Once I paint a swatch on, it become dull. Pulls the grey out. Is there a blue green color you recommend? We’ve tried: BM misted green, Behr Green Tea, BM pleasant valley.

[@thepaintpeople]

Hmm, if the gray is bothering you, you might want to lean more warm/green. Have you looked at BM Swept Away? It's a bit lighter. Or Palladian Blue or even a Sage Tint or Colony Green? Without seeing the space, it's tough to say, but those are my first impulses. Let us know what you end up choosing!

[@esscee2520]

Thanks for this really in-depth talk about paint and how it looks at different times of the day. I was curious about a room that will have light from the north, west and east (in NZ, so Southern Hemisphere north) - what do you do then? Pick a colour that has enough saturation to look good in bright light all day long? Thanks for all your videos about green - that is how I found your channel in the first place :) I love green. Our kitchen gets the morning sun and it is painted Resenes Surf Crest ( LRV of 68 - other numbers are G86-021-137 RGB 195 214 189 and Hex value #C3D6BD) Love this colour all day long. Our living room is Resenes Green meets Blue (LRV of 16, G47-020-192, RGB = 69 91 88 and Hex value #455B58) and I think this is pretty nice in the afternoon when the sun gets round to the west.

[@thepaintpeople]

Yes, I agree, I think it's cool to appreciate how the color can change throughout the day. :)

[@IzzyRumi]

I have a co-op, northern exposure, surrounded by hi-rises and NEVER get direct sunlight. There should be a law against this!

[@suzannekennedy9499]

I have a room that has both east and west exposure (open concept living / dining). Would be interesting to understand how to deal with that light exposure

[@thepaintpeople]

Ooo fun! A bit of a reciprocal effect!

[@maryanna71701]

Ok- So, how about this? Room is 21 x 11 and there is a small north face window, a small south facing window, and two small east facing windows- is Agreeable Gray going to feel too washed out ?

[@maryanna71701]

I need neutral walls- sofa is medium to dark gray & 2 lovely chairs are navy & curtains have a white background with blue design...

[@seattlegirl2077]

east again

[@johnschuman8121]

Spends 5 minutes talking, suggests 3 shades of grey :/