Have a sunny South facing room? Hooray, it’s just that little bit easier to decorate than tackling a notoriously difficult North facing room. But there are some favoured Dulux colours for South facing rooms that will help to balance the intensity of the sun.
The best thing about a South facing room is that virtually every colour will work well here.
But there are still rules to follow, and these are some of the best Dulux colours for South facing rooms to balance the light, whilst making the space feel relaxing and cosy.
Should I Use Warm or Cool Colour In A South Facing Room?
A South facing room benefits from swathes of gorgeous natural light everyday, the intensity of the sun can make colours such as bright white appear even more clinical.
Whilst both warm and cool colours work in a South facing room because of the light it receives, generally cool toned colours such as sage green, blues, violets and grey work best to create a relaxed and breezy space that’s well balanced, and without making the space feel too ‘hot’.
Let’s Talk About Why You Shouldn’t Choose Bright White In A South Facing Room
I get it. Bright white is what I call a comfort blanket colour, it’s easy, no-nonsense and can feel like it’s one of the easiest colours to style. But I’m telling you it’s not the best colour for a South facing room.
Arguably, a South facing room is one of the most accommodating rooms to a bright white because it has swathes of bright light to bounce around the room, making the room feel even lighter and brighter. But that’s it.
Because the intensity of the sun can be a lot in a South facing room, teamed with a bright white and it can make the space suddenly feel clinical and too harsh.
Ultimately, it has no personality or softness over the space, bringing the right colours to a South facing room is key to making the space feel cosy and accommodating, even on the brightest days.
So, now we’ve covered that, let’s take a look at the best Dulux colours for South facing rooms.
The Best Dulux Colours For South Facing Rooms
When choosing Dulux colours for South facing rooms embrace the soothing allure of cool shades like blue, green, and violet as they effortlessly balance with the vibrant sunlight.
Greys and whites, adorned with delicate undertones of blue, green, and violet, delicately temper the room’s temperature too.
Apple White
Dulux Apple White is a great off-white shade by Dulux which brings warmth, and a touch of modernity to a home.
Apple White is considered a warm colour, it has green undertones for an off-white colour which has definite green tones to it, depending on what light you look at the colour in.
This versatile neutral shade works with a range of neutral, and bold colours.
Jurassic Stone
Dulux Jurassic Stone is a mid-range green shade which airs between an olive green and sage green colour.
This versatile neutral has warm yellow undertones and is perfect for use in most rooms in the home, especially South facing rooms that need some cool tones, and balance.
Equally, it pairs well with both neutral and bold colours. Add in some black accents for a touch of modernity in the room.
Willow Tree
Willow tree is a beautifully soft pastel green which could also be classed as sage green. This serene colour will bring a sense of calm to any room.
This green toned shade is a fabulous colour for pretty much every room of the home, including South facing rooms. It can be used to create a stand out feature wall, be used as a section in zoning a room, or you could go all in with the colour across the room.
Nordic Sky
With cyan and light blue undertones, Nordic Sky is a cross between a teal and blue shade.
Incorporate this bold yet versatile shade into a relaxing coastal interior, or add to a South facing bedroom for a warm and statement making feature wall which will balance out the intensity of the sun in the room.
Bright Skies
Dulux Bright Skies is a beautifully pared back light blue shade that has blue and grey undertones to it.
This smooth and versatile shade brings a calming and soft feeling with it, the cool tones are perfect for neutralising a sunny South facing room.
Pair with neutral tones or layer with bolder shades for a stand out look. Dulux Bright Skies is the perfect colour for a hallway, bathroom or bedroom.
Mineral Mist
Mineral Mist is a pastel blue, versatile shade that delivers a relaxing, tranquil edge to any room. Perfect for introducing some cool, balancing tones to a sunny South facing room.
This shade is perfect for a coastal inspired theme, a cool touch, for bedrooms, bathrooms and nurseries.
Dusted Fondant
Dulux Dusted Fondant belongs to the pink family, it’s a soft and warm neutral shade with pink undertones that can be described as a mid lilac shade. This lovable shade pairs well with neutral and bold colours for a warm, inviting feel.
The colour can look different in different lights, so always buy a tester pot first and paint a swatch in your chosen room to see how the colour looks at different times during the day.
Lavender Quartz
Dulux Lavender Quartz is described as a soft and soothing light purple colour, it’s slightly darker than a pale, lilac colour. It’s perfect for bedrooms, living rooms and beyond that could benefit from a calming and restorative shade.
The colour may vary slightly depending on the lighting and the surface on which it is applied so always purchase a tester pot first and paint a swatch in your chosen room so you can see how it feels and looks in the room during different times of the day. Especially important in a bright South facing room.
Polished Pebble
Polished Pebble is a grey, cool neutral shade. This is a highly versatile shade for a multitude of projects, it’s a light grey which means its complementary to a wide range of other colours.
The cool tones of Polished Pebble are perfect for cooling down a warm South facing room. It’s such a versatile colour for pairing with other cool neutrals too such as sage green.
Rock Salt
Dulux Rock Salt is classed as an off-white colour, with grey undertones. Tonally, this shade has blue undertones which gives it that cool, grey hue.
This laidback colour will deliver an ultra relaxed and stylish finish, a versatile neutral that makes a great foundational colour in a South facing living room, bedroom or kitchen.
These Dulux colours for South facing rooms are some of the best shades to help neutralise the intensity of the sun associated with those sunny South facing rooms. If you need any further advice with the best colour scheme for South facing rooms please drop me a comment below and I’ll come straight back!
Hi,
I live in an old cottage south facing but with small windows letting in limited natural light.
At present I have salt white on the walls similar to rock salt with dark grey furniture and carpet. I am looking at a pink shade for the chimney recesses and/or chimney breasts. There are chimney breasts at both ends of the room both with recessed and at 90degrees to the windows, if that makes sense!
I’m the past I have painted the recesses at the fireplace end in a contrast colour and the same colour on the breast ( floor to ceiling, no fireplace) at the other end.
I just can’t find the right shade and am open to suggestions.
The fireplace is original rustic bricks in various shades of terracotta
Hi Julie, thanks for your comment! As you do have limited light, I think you can afford so go for lighter colours in this kind of setting. If you’re specifically looking at pinks, here are a couple Dulux suggestions that may work – I think you need to go for a dusty pinks to match well with the rustic bricks;
Dulux blush pink: https://amzn.to/3O3JAVd
Dulux soft stone: https://amzn.to/3rHyfTi
Do let me know if I can help any further! Thanks, Nicole
Hello Nicole I have a very light south facing room that is living room and kitchen (open space). We started painting with dulux Magnolia but it looks really yellow instead of beige which we hated ! Our couch is sage green and out table have sage green elements . We wanted an earthy look warm and cozy that can go with plants but I am a little lost on how to create that without painting in a very dark color that will remove the beautiful light from the room . Cristina
Good morning Cristina, ahh yes magnolia really does have a strong yellow undertone to it! Have you looked at Egyptian Cotton? This is a cosy, earthy shade which has some definition to it but not overly yellow. I would also look at almond white which is a creamy off-white, not as dark as Egyptian Cotton. Grab a tester and paint an A4 sheet of paper then you can take it round the room to see how it looks in different light and pair against your furniture. Hope that helps! Nicole x