Choosing paint colours for your home is a huge decision. This is the place where you’ll entertain visitors, unwind after a long day at work, and most likely spend a lot of time. So, you want a colour palette that is eye-catching and relaxing. But draping walls with so-called ‘relaxing colours’ won’t make it.
Enters: colours that complement natural light.
Designers and architects vouch for natural light because lighting (both artificial and natural) determines how the ambience will affect the inhabitants. However, interior paint colours play a critical role in setting the ambience and lighting. Therefore, lights and colours form a symbiotic relationship to making a space worthwhile.
Let’s see how specific wall paint colours complement the natural light make your space admirable.
1. Finding the right paint colour: orientation and natural light
Everyone likes natural light. Nature’s light has a significant impact on our health, productivity, and, of course, our impression of our surroundings. However, not all light is created equal. The way we perceive natural light is influenced by our position and time.
To begin with, light’s impact on you is determined by which hemisphere you reside in. For instance, here we’ll consider solar exposures from India, lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. Those who reside in the Southern Hemisphere, on the other hand, will experience the reverse.
However, in nations like India, the daylight is generally duller and softer than in Mediterranean countries, where the light is exceptionally bright at times, even in winter. As a result, long-term exposure to very bright light has negative consequences, prompting people to seek compensatory steps to mitigate those consequences.
2. Exposure to the Sun
So, knowing where you are positioned on the globe is the first step to finding the right paint colour. The second step, and equally important, is to understand a home’s cardinal direction. Let us discuss the various solar exposures since each has its particular characteristics and personality.
3. ROOMS FACING NORTH
Rooms in a northern orientation are the darkest. For most of the year, the light is softer, more consistent throughout the day, and is neutral, never harsh or dreary. As a result, glare isn’t as noticeable, and shadows aren’t as intense for rooms with Northern exposure.
As a result of the North’s influence, the colours in these spaces look significantly colder. As a result, a room with a northern outlook may work with both dark, intense colours and warm, earthy tones to compensate for the inherent darkness.
4. ROOMS FACING SOUTH
From late morning to mid-afternoon, the sunniest and brightest rooms are those with southern exposure. They receive the most incredible sunlight and are the hottest. The light is constant and consistent, but the shadows are crisper and harder in spaces facing South. Glare becomes a concern as you get closer to the Equator, and awnings may be the best remedy.
5. ROOMS FACING EAST
In the morning, east-facing rooms are the brightest. The casting light is low in the sky and gradually shifts, resulting in lengthy, softer shadows. It works well with a vivid palette, and as a result, we recommend considering adding an accent wall or feature. It’s also the chamber that darkens significantly faster than the other spaces. As a result, warm colours like reds, yellows, and orange colour schemes might work wonderfully in rooms facing East.
6. ROOMS FACING WEST
The late afternoon and early evening sunbathe west-facing spaces in rich golden orange tones. Light in this direction has a slow shifting intensity, just as in east-facing rooms, producing lengthy yet firm shadows. It’s easy to become overwhelmed, especially in the summer at rooms facing West.
As a result, cold tones appear best around sunset hours, providing a feeling of equilibrium. If this space is used in the morning, you could always go with warmer tones because the light in this direction turns bluer in the day.
Tips for choosing the right paint colour
To balance out a room’s natural lighting, these tips could help:
Based on a room’s principal use, pinpoint the direction of each room and note how many hours you spend in it.
Determine the colours you prefer and are most at ease with, and designate a fundamental hue to each room.
Then, based on the room’s orientation, determine whether to go with a lighter or darker shade of your chosen hue (Colours, after all, come in a variety of tints (gradients) based on their undertones).
Consider the area’s function and the direction it faces when choosing the best paint colour for a room with a lot of natural light (For example, natural illumination is more prevalent in kitchens. Rooms facing north or south, on the other hand, are likely to receive steady natural light throughout the day).
The correct colours will provide a consistent style and balance any situation: white, brown, grey, blue, red, yellow, pink, or green are the best six paint colours that complement natural light.
When a colour is put on the opposite wall of a natural light source, such as a window, its natural hue is more prominent than painted on the wall with the light source (such as windows). Similarly, colour seems brighter when close to the light source rather than in a faraway corner.
The colours on the walls differ from those on the ceiling. When painting colour on a ceiling, it usually comes out a shade or two darker than the colour book.
Certain surfaces reflect more light than others. As a result, a reflecting surface such as a white marble floor may display some wall paint colours differently, creating a wash-out appearance; therefore, expect some differences in the colour book.
Colour blocking is an excellent method to play with colour and light. When your colour of choice tends to feel over-the-top because the light is too overwhelming, you may mitigate the impact by inserting more solid colour blocks at appropriate locations to restore balance while also generating focal highlights.
Finally, choose high-quality paint colours like INDIGO PAINTS. The quality of the paint is critical to its performance. INDIGO PAINTS deliver the most outstanding results and, as a result, save you a lot of money in the long run.
There’s no denying that a home’s abundance of natural light is one of its most valuable features. But then again, so is practical colour usage. So if you follow the guideline and advice above for choosing the proper paint colour, you shouldn’t be afraid to be bold and move away from the traditional off-whites.
Please do not hesitate to contact INDIGO PAINTS if you require any support. Finally, look at various paint ideas that depict wall paint colours and their characteristics in the best way possible. Happy choosing!
