The best paint colours for spring are fresh greens, soft yellows and airy neutrals: colours that feel light and lively as the days lengthen, without tipping into anything sharp or synthetic. The most successful spring shades still have a little earthiness in them, which keeps them looking calm on a grey April morning as well as a bright May afternoon.
Spring is the season most people reach for a paintbrush. The light improves, the rooms feel ready for a change, and colours inspired by new growth and early sunshine suddenly make sense. Here is how we would approach it, with favourite shades from all three brands we stock.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Breakfast Room Green (81)
What makes a colour feel like spring
Spring colours borrow from the garden: leaf greens, the yellow of daffodils and primroses, and the soft chalky whites of blossom. What they share is lightness. Most sit in the middle to pale range, so they reflect the improving daylight and make rooms feel open after the closed-in months of winter.
The trick is to choose versions with some depth. A green or yellow with a touch of grey or earth in it looks fresh in good light and still looks considered when the clouds roll in. Pure, bright versions can feel garish on dull days.
Fresh greens
Green is the natural spring colour, and it is one of the easiest to live with because it sits so comfortably with wood, plants and natural materials.
- Breakfast Room Green (81). A cheerful mid-toned green that Farrow & Ball say stays lively in all lights, and which is especially striking in morning light.
- Cooking Apple Green (32). A classic, comforting green that feels fresh in bright rooms and richer in low light. Lovely with All White woodwork.
- Hopper (297). A bold, highly pigmented green from Little Greene with a garden-fresh quality, good for a dado, kitchen units or a single piece of furniture.
- Raw Chalk (559). A soft green from Paint & Paper Library with an aqua undertone, quiet enough for a whole room.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colour Used: Sage & Onions (288)
Soft yellows
Yellow is spring's most joyful colour, but it needs handling with care. Go for warm, slightly softened yellows rather than lemon brights.
- Yellow Ground (218). Originally a background colour for Farrow & Ball wallpapers, it is a sunny yellow that Farrow & Ball describe as happy without ever feeling overpowering.
- Babouche (223). A cheerful yellow named after Moroccan leather slippers. Farrow & Ball suggest pairing it with blue-black Railings on woodwork for a modern twist.
- Sudbury Yellow (51). A soft mid yellow that is clean and bright in sunny rooms and gentler in darker ones.
- Euphorbia (545). A lively green-infused yellow from Paint & Paper Library, inspired by 18th-century interiors.
- Pale Lime (70). A fresh, pale yellow-green from Little Greene, sitting neatly between the two families.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Babouche (223)
Airy neutrals
Not every room needs a colour. In hallways, landings and rooms that link to a stronger scheme, a soft, warm neutral lets the light do the work.
- Pointing (2003). A pale yet warm white, named after the mortar in traditional brickwork. It sits kindly beside stronger colours where brilliant white would feel stark.
- Slaked Lime (105). A pure, neutral white with a warm mineral softness, a fresh backdrop to almost any colour.
- China Clay (1). A soft, warm white with earthy undertones that Little Greene suggest for busy rooms such as kitchens and hallways.
Putting a spring scheme together
A simple formula works well: one fresh colour, one soft neutral and one deeper accent to anchor the scheme. A green room with a warm white ceiling and a darker green on the skirting, or a yellow kitchen with off-white walls and a dark painted island, both feel light without being bland.
Bathrooms are a particularly good place to try spring colour, as we explore in The Spring Bathroom Edit, and painted furniture is an easy way to bring in a single bright note. For more combinations, see 3 Colours to Inspire Your Spring Interiors.
Photo Credit: Paint & Paper Library; Colours Used: Raw Chalk (559), Euphorbia (545), Ilex (558), Temple (238)
Questions we are often asked
Which spring colours work in a north-facing room?
North light is cool, so choose greens and yellows with warmth in them, such as Babouche or Breakfast Room Green, rather than cooler, bluer shades. Our guide to room orientation goes into more detail.
How do I stop yellow looking too bright?
Pick a softer, earthier yellow, keep it to walls rather than ceilings, and test a large sample in the room first.
Is spring a good time to paint?
It is ideal. Rooms are warm enough for paint to dry well, and you can keep windows open for ventilation.
