The best paint colours for east-facing rooms are soft, mid-strength greens, blues and neutrals with a little warmth in them, such as Little Greene's Green Stone (270), Juniper Ash (115) and Portland Stone (77), or Farrow & Ball's Teresa's Green (236) and Breakfast Room Green (81). They look fresh in bright morning sun and stay comfortable, rather than chilly, once the light cools later in the day.
East-facing rooms are among the most changeable in the house. Farrow & Ball describe them as getting the most sun in the morning and cooler, more muted light in the evening. A colour that sings at breakfast can look flat and grey by supper, so the secret is to choose for the time of day you use the room most, and to avoid colours that are already cold.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colours Used: Green Stone (270), Green Stone - Light (269), Green Stone - Pale (268)
How east-facing light behaves
- Morning. Bright, clear and fairly warm. Colours look their freshest and lightest.
- Afternoon and evening. Once the sun has moved round, the light becomes indirect, cooler and bluer. Colours deepen and cool down.
- The risk. Very cool greys and icy blues can feel bleak in the second half of the day. Colours with a touch of warmth, or a gentle green, hold up much better.
For how each orientation compares, see our guide to choosing paint colours by room orientation.
Rooms you use in the morning
Kitchens, breakfast rooms and bedrooms get the best of east-facing light. Little Greene suggest making the most of the morning light with a strong or radiant colour, and Farrow & Ball suggest bright shades such as Whirlybird (309) or Breakfast Room Green (81) for rooms used mainly by day.
Breakfast Room Green shows the idea well: a fresh, lively green that makes the most of the morning sun.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Breakfast Room Green (81)
Rooms you use in the evening
Sitting rooms, dining rooms and studies used mostly later in the day need colours that look good in cooler, softer light.
- Calming pales. Farrow & Ball suggest light blues and greens such as Blue Ground (210) and Teresa's Green (236), which feel soft and calming.
- Cocooning darks. Or go the other way with a deep shade such as Inchyra Blue (289) or Hopper Head (305). Dark colours embrace the evening light rather than fighting it.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Inchyra Blue (289)
Little Greene's east-facing palette
Little Greene build their east-facing advice around colours that stay pleasant as strong morning light fades through the day.
- Earthy, light greens. The Green Stone family keeps a room bright from morning to evening, as the panelled room at the top of this page shows.
- Mid-strength greens. Boringdon Green (295), Windmill Lane (296) and Book Room Green (322) are soft enough to use across a whole room. For something bolder, they suggest the teals Tea with Florence (310) and Goblin (311).
- Blues with warmth. Juniper Ash (115), a warm, muted blue, and Celestial Blue (101), which has a greener undertone.
- Neutrals. French Grey (113), their most neutral grey; Slaked Lime (105), a mineral white with umber that gives warmth without yellow; and Portland Stone (77), whose greener undertone Little Greene say will neutralise any yellow in an east-facing room.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colours Used: Portland Stone (77), Portland Stone - Pale (155), Baluster (321), Pompeian Ash (293)
Questions we are often asked
Is grey a good choice for an east-facing room?
A warm or green-leaning grey can be. A very cool, blue-based grey may look cold and flat in the afternoon and evening, so sample carefully.
What white works in an east-facing room?
A white with a little warmth, such as Slaked Lime, avoids the cold look that a stark white can take on once the morning sun has gone.
When should I look at my samples?
At the time of day you use the room most, and once in the opposite light. Paint two coats of each sample pot on large boards and move them around the room. Our guide to why a colour looks different at home explains more.
Shop Sample Pots
Colours by Room Orientation · Colour Cards · All Little Greene colours
