The best paint colours for winter are the deeper, warmer shades that keep their character in low light: earthy reds, rich ochres, dark greens and inky blues. Pale, cool colours tend to look flat and grey on a dull January afternoon, while colours with real pigment depth look settled and enveloping, especially once the lamps are on.
Winter is also when most of us actually live in our rooms. Curtains are drawn early, the heating is on and evenings are spent indoors, so a colour has to work under artificial light far more than in sunshine. That is why a shade that looked a little dark on a bright summer sample can feel exactly right in December.
Below are the colour families we return to every winter, with a few favourites from Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library, and some practical advice on making a deeper colour work.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Hague Blue (30)
Why winter light changes how colour looks
In the colder months the sun sits lower and the light is cooler and weaker for most of the day. Colours lose some of their brightness and any grey or blue in them becomes more obvious. Light, cool shades are the first to suffer: what read as a fresh pale grey in June can look cold and tired by November.
Deeper colours behave differently. They are not trying to bounce light around the room, so they do not look disappointed when there is little light to bounce. Instead they wrap the space, make the edges of the room recede and give lamplight something warm to fall on. It is also why winter is a good time to choose colour at all, as we explain in why winter is the best time to paint: if a colour works now, it will work all year.
Warm reds, browns and ochres
Nothing feels more like winter than a room the colour of a glass of claret or an old leather armchair. Earthy reds and ochres carry warmth even on the greyest day.
- Picture Gallery Red (42). Farrow & Ball describe it as a rich red with a great deal of brown pigment, named after the picture gallery at Attingham Park in Shropshire. A wonderful backdrop for paintings and books.
- Bronze Red (15). A deep, warm dark red from Little Greene, striking alongside deep blues or kept in a tonal scheme of dark shades.
- India Yellow (66). A deep mustard yellow with earthy undertones. In a small room it feels like a lit fire.
- Tanner's Brown (255). A strong dark brown that can read almost black in some lights, a softer and warmer alternative to black.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colours Used: Bronze Red (15), Yellow-Pink (46), Deep Space Blue (207)
Deep, enveloping greens
Dark green is the great winter colour for living rooms, studies and kitchens. It feels rooted and calm, and it flatters wood, brass, leather and houseplants.
- Studio Green (93). The darkest green in the Farrow & Ball palette. Indoors it can appear almost black, with the green showing where the light catches it.
- Jewel Beetle (303). A deep, rich green from Little Greene with a jewel-like quality. Lovely on kitchen walls and cabinetry.
- Chelsea Green II (549). A classic 18th-century green from Paint & Paper Library with gentle depth, a softer choice for those who find the darkest greens too much.
- Fynbos (547). A restful green muted with black, which Paint & Paper Library note shifts between green, grey and blue as the light changes.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colour Used: Jewel Beetle (303)
Inky blues and blue-blacks
Deep blues are cooler than reds and greens, but in winter they come into their own in the evening, when lamplight warms them and they take on a velvety depth.
- Hague Blue (30). One of Farrow & Ball's best-loved blues, deep and inky, used on walls, woodwork and front doors alike.
- Hicks' Blue (208). A deep, rich inky blue with a commanding presence, ideal for an immersive sitting room or bedroom.
- Railings (31). A blue-based black that looks more blue or more black depending on the light. Superb on kitchen cabinets.
- Adventurer (7). Not a blue at all but a deep plum-aubergine, and one of the most enveloping colours in the Little Greene range for a winter bedroom.
Making a dark colour work in a dark season
Deep colours reward a little thought. A few things make all the difference:
- Commit to it. A dark colour on one wall can look like a mistake. Taken across all four walls, and even the woodwork and ceiling, it looks intentional and the room feels more generous, not smaller.
- Light it well. Several lamps at different heights will always flatter a deep colour more than a single overhead light.
- Choose the right finish. A flat matt such as Farrow & Ball Estate Emulsion gives the deepest, softest look on walls. For busy rooms, a more wipeable finish such as Modern Emulsion or Little Greene Intelligent Matt Emulsion makes sense.
- Sample in the evening. Paint large boards and judge them with the curtains drawn and the lamps on, because that is how you will see the room most of the winter.
Orientation matters too. A north-facing room will push every colour a little cooler, so a warmer red or green often feels better there than a cool blue. Our guide to choosing colours by room orientation explains why.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Picture Gallery Red (42)
Questions we are often asked
Will a dark colour make my room feel smaller?
Not usually. Dark colours blur the corners of a room, which can make it feel more enveloping rather than cramped. Small rooms such as snugs, studies and cloakrooms are often where deep colours look best.
Do dark colours need a special primer?
Farrow & Ball recommend their primer and undercoat in the Dark Tones shade under colours like Hague Blue and Studio Green, which helps you reach full depth of colour. Little Greene's Intelligent paints are self-priming on most sound surfaces.
Can I paint in winter?
Yes, indoors with the heating on. Keep the room comfortably warm and ventilated while the paint dries.
