To find which direction your room is facing, use a compass and point it at the largest windows in the room. Whichever direction the dial points is the orientation of the room. If you don’t have a compass stand in the middle of the room facing the direction in which the sun rises. Your left arm will serve as north to construct your mental compass.

North facing rooms receive the least amount of light throughout the day. Many consider this room difficult to choose a paint color for due to the cool lighting found in this room. It’s best to avoid colors with cool undertones since those cool tones will make the room appear colder. Instead, choose a warm neutral or a color with warm undertones. This will help balance out the cool lighting in the room. If you decide you want a bold, dark color to add a sense of drama, you’ll still want to choose a color with warm undertones.

A south facing room is one with south-facing windows. These rooms tend to experience consistent warm light throughout the day, making south facing rooms easy when it comes to color choice because most colors will work in these rooms. However, you still have to be mindful of the colors you choose. Since south-facing rooms experience warm light, you’ll need to avoid choosing a color that’s too warm or you might experience points in the day when that warm color may be too bold for your liking. In contrast, neutral toned colors may seem warmer while cool toned colors bay seem more neutral in south facing rooms.

East and west facing rooms act as direct opposites of each other meaning east facing rooms experience warm light in the morning and cool light toward the evening and vice versa for west facing rooms.

Due to the shifting light in these rooms, it’s best to choose a color based on when you plan to use your space the most. If your east or west facing room is a bedroom, for example, where usage is going to be consistent throughout the day, a neutral color will help to create a balanced feel throughout the day. Another option is to mix cool and warm tones throughout your space to balance each other regardless of the time of day.

If you have a look with little to no natural light, you’ll have to rely on lighting. Warm lighting will make a room seem cozier but will typically be a bit dimmer while white and cool lighting is great for common spaces where you need more light like a bathroom or home office.

Once you’ve chosen the lighting you want to use around the house, you can choose a paint color based on that. So, if you opted for warm lighting, choose colors as if you would for a south facing room. If you chose white or cool toned lighting choose colors as you would for a north facing room.

If you’re still struggling to find the right color, don’t hesitate to seek guidance from your neighborhood Sherwin Williams. If you know what colors you like but want to test a warmer or cooler shade within a color family, you can always order paint chips! Choose up to 10 free 2 inch x 3 inch samples for free or 8 inch x 8 inch peel & stick samples for $3.95 or $3.50 when you purchase four or more. You can also find virtual color tools, from a free color consultation to our color expert app, to help you visualize a new color in your space.