Colour thoughts for north-facing sitting room

last year

Any ideas appreciated! We are doing up a 1960s house - the back is all going to be open plan. There is going to be a sitting room at the front, which is north-facing and where the TV will be. The wall as you come in will have built-in bookshelves surrounding the door and a gap for the TV. As the TV will be there, thinking that wall and the shelves to be darker to lose it....:

Any suggestions on a colour scheme (trying to wean myself of default dark blue and go a bit warmer) which will work all day/year in a north facing room. Furniture will be replaced at some point so don't really have a starting point!

Featured Answer

Juliet Docherty

last year

Thank you T Gray I'm sure I don't deserve that. I was watching a video about dingy rooms recently and it confirmed what I've worked out for myself which is warmth is often a good way of compensating for lack of light. Basically, a white will look grey in a poorly lit room, so saturation can compensate, as can warmth. When blue is saturated it's quite a dark colour, when yellow is saturated it is a much lighter colour, therefore dirty yellows, dirty oranges can bring warmth without drowning out all of the light. There's a brilliant website below which features lots of mid century homes which should give some inspiration, especially with regard to materials etc.

https://thedesignfiles.net/2021/03/interiors-lawrence-road-residence/

Comments (9)

Juliet Docherty
last year
Toffee colours are very in vogue and very mid century. Zoffany do a colour called Muddy Amber which is a deep warm brown and could look amazing with deep orange woods.

https://www.vogue.com/article/why-1970s-interior-design-is-trending-again

Whatever you do, I would focus on warmth. That can either be warm paint colours, or/and warm materials such as slubby textured fabrics, berber carpets and lots of wood.
fiandruss thanked Juliet Docherty
T Gray
last year
Advice by Colourhappy is probably some of the best on this site. I would go with their thoughts :)
fiandruss thanked T Gray
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fiandruss
Original Author
last year
Thanks Colourhappy - much appreciated and totally agree with T Gray. If you have any other specific paint colours to look at for inspiration as a starting point that would be great. Was feeling confident after your comments - really happy to focus on warm - but went to a paint website and am then overwhelmed again!
Kate
last year
Wooden elements and snug textures like fluffy pillows and blankets also help warm the room up. My favourite thing about my north facing living room is that art and books won't be sun damaged, so it's a great place to hang original works and display treasued books.
fiandruss thanked Kate
Marylee H
last year
Don’t forget it’s possible to find warm colours within every Hue Family.

Artists will show you warm & cool reds, greens, blues etc.

Colour is more sophisticated than the notion of simply dividing the colour wheel in half and calling one half cool and one half warm.

That frees you up to find colours you not only like, but also have some connection to your other key fixtures & furnishings.

All available paint colours belong to one of the Hue Families on the Color Strategist Wheel.

If you look closely you can see each Hue Family is divided into both warm & cool sides.
fiandruss thanked Marylee H
Marylee H
last year
fiandruss thanked Marylee H
Marylee H
last year
https://thelandofcolor.com/disrupting-what-you-think-you-know-about-warm-and-cool-colors/
fiandruss thanked Marylee H
fiandruss
Original Author
last year
Thanks @Juliet Docherty @Marylee H - much appreciated and very helpful

Colour thoughts for north-facing sitting room

Juliet Docherty

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Juliet Docherty

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Colour thoughts for north-facing sitting room

Juliet Docherty

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Juliet Docherty

T Gray

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Kate

Marylee H

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