Paint color in west facing room

11 years ago

Hi all,

What colors have you successfully used in a west facing room? We would like to use a color that is calm and relaxing, but I keep reading that a warmer "beige" is the answer. It's a yellow-beige right now, which I really don't like. I've attached a photo and would love some suggestions!

Featured Answer

PRO

Lori A. Sawaya

11 years ago

Kristine, you need multiple pigments in the formula. Whenever you have a color like Waterbury Cream that contains a yellow colorant, like yellow oxide, and black which is used to tone it down, it create within the color a dimension of a green cast.

The aspect of green is always there because it's intrinsic to the paint color due to the mix of colorants. Whether the green cast shows in a room or not depends entirely on the quality of light. There has to be a similar aspect of green within the light source to "catch" the green cast in the paint color and reflect it back into the room so you can see it.

One of your rooms doesn't have that quality of green within the light, the other one does. It's that simple.

You have a quality of light that goes from one extreme to the other. We know that because you noticed that every warm color looks dirty in the morning and on fire in the afternoon.

So the answer is a paint color that can go from one extreme to the other too. One that is mixed full spectrum, like Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paints or multi-pigmented like from C2 Paints.

Comments (6)

PRO
Lori A. Sawaya
11 years ago
Warm beige - whatever that means, huh? :)

Looks like you're looking for a blue? If so, have a look at Ben Moore's Gentle Gray 1626 or Iced Slate 2130-60. Both have the right nuance to work with west geo exposures.
emddutton
11 years ago
I just painted my west facing master bedroom in BM Woodlawn Blue and I love it so far. It's very mellow and versatile.
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emddutton
11 years ago
Oh and my west facing living room is BM Blond Wood which is definitely a warm beige. I actually like it though. It goes a bit carmelish is the late afternoon sun.
Kristine123
11 years ago
I have a west facing living room that I am looking to repaint. I have an olive green couch. We just painted this room waterbury cream and it looks awful! It shows green undertones. I do have this color in another room and it looks great. Every warm color sample looks dirty in the morning and on fire in the afternoon. Would greatly appreciate if anyone has any suggestions. Thank you.
Kristine123
11 years ago
Funcolors - Thank you so much for enlightening me! I had no idea about these full spectrum paints. I went on Ellen Kennon's website and I will call her and get samples. I'm so excited! I can't wait to repaint these ugly walls. You were right about the light in the one room. There is only one bow window on the west facing side. So not much natural light there.

I did see there were a couple of companies that sell the spectrum paint, but I am going to go with Ellen's because she was one of the ones you recommended. I see you know alot about colors.

Again, thank you so much.