The best paint colours for summer are cool blues, light greens and bright, clean whites. They feel calm and fresh when the sun is high and the days are long, and they help a room feel cooler on the warmest afternoons. The most liveable versions have a little softness in them, so they do not turn cold or clinical once the evenings draw in.
Summer light is strong and warm, and it flatters paler colours that might look washed out in winter. It is the season to enjoy colours that reflect light: soft sky blues, watery blue-greens and whites that make the most of every bright hour.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Lulworth Blue (89)
Why cool colours suit summer
Blues and blue-greens sit on the cool side of the colour wheel and tend to visually recede, so walls feel further away and rooms feel airy. In strong summer sunshine, especially in south and west-facing rooms, they balance the warmth of the light rather than adding to it.
The same colours can behave very differently in a north-facing room, where the light is cooler all year. There, a blue with a touch of warmth or grey is kinder than a sharp, clean one. Our guide to why a colour looks different at home explains how orientation changes things.
Cool, airy blues
- Lulworth Blue (89). A Regency blue with a nod to the Jurassic Coast landscape around Farrow & Ball's home. Bright yet peaceful, and a lovely bedroom colour.
- Skylight (205). A pale, delicate shade that moves between grey and blue depending on the light.
- Borrowed Light (235). A soft pale blue that Farrow & Ball say looks at home in both bright and low-lit rooms.
- Celestial Blue (101). A soft, dusty blue from Little Greene with a gentle, dreamy quality.
- Bone China Blue (107). A classic, refined blue that works beautifully with its paler and deeper tonal variants.
- Blue Pearl (670). A soft, natural blue from Paint & Paper Library with a calm, airy feel, suited to walls and ceilings alike.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colour Used: Bone China Blue (107)
Light, watery greens
Pale blue-greens bring the outdoors in during the months when doors and windows are open to the garden.
- Teresa's Green (236). A blue-based green with green undertones and an incredibly fresh feel, well suited to bedrooms and bathrooms.
- Green Blue (84). One of Farrow & Ball's most debated colours, as it appears differently to everyone, but with soft aquatic tones that suit a relaxing bathroom.
- Salix (99). A cool, silvery grey with a delicate hint of green, calm and elegant.
- Raw Chalk (559). A soft green with a natural aqua undertone that sits comfortably in neutral schemes.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Teresa's Green (236)
Bright, clean whites
A good white is the backbone of a summer scheme, on its own or as a crisp partner to blues and greens.
- All White (2005). A clean, simple bright white containing no other pigments, and softer than a standard brilliant white.
- Wimborne White (239). One of the brightest Farrow & Ball whites, with a hint of yellow for warmth.
- Cabbage White (269). A white with just a hint of blue, which Farrow & Ball suggest taking across walls and ceiling in a bedroom.
- Loft White (222). A near-pure white from Little Greene, a more refined alternative to brilliant white.
- Clean White (101). A pure, uncomplicated white from Paint & Paper Library with no added undertones.
Photo Credit: Paint & Paper Library; Colours Used: Clean White (101), New Black (126)
Keeping a summer scheme from feeling cold
Cool colours look their best in summer, but you will live with them in December too. A few simple choices keep them comfortable all year:
- Add warm materials. Oak, rattan, linen and terracotta take the chill off blues and greens.
- Choose softer whites for woodwork. A white with a little warmth, rather than a stark brilliant white, stops a pale blue room looking clinical.
- Sample through the day. Look at a large painted board in the morning, at midday and in the evening before you commit.
Questions we are often asked
Will a pale blue make my north-facing room feel cold?
It can. In north light, choose a blue with some grey or warmth in it, such as Borrowed Light or Celestial Blue, or consider a light green instead.
What white goes best with summer blues?
Farrow & Ball suggest Wevet as the complementary white for several of their pale blues, including Skylight and Borrowed Light. A clean white such as All White gives a crisper look.
Can I paint in hot weather?
Yes, but avoid extreme heat. Farrow & Ball advise against painting above 30°C, and fast-drying paint can show lap marks, so keep the room shaded and ventilated.
