Colours by Room Orientation

The best paint colours for east-facing rooms: how to make the most of bright morning light without the room turning cold and grey later in the day, with colours from Farrow & Ball and Little Greene.

The best paint colours for south-facing rooms: cool pales that stay fresh, warm colours with enough depth not to wash out, and deep blues that come alive in strong, warm light.

Warm white or cool white? How to tell them apart, how north, south, east and west light changes them, and the Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library whites worth sampling.

The best paint colours for dark and north-facing rooms: warm-based neutrals that counter cool light, rich deep colours that make a dark room cosy, and the whites and finishes that work best.

The best paint colours for small rooms: soft colours that make walls recede, using one colour on every surface to blur the edges, and when a deep colour makes a small room feel bigger.

The best paint colours for west-facing rooms, from warm neutrals and soft pinks that glow in the evening to blue-greens that balance golden afternoon light, chosen from Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library.

North light is cool and steady, and it pulls colours towards grey. These warm neutrals, soft whites and deeper accents from Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library hold their character in north-facing rooms.

There's a persistent myth that blue rooms feel chilly, and we're here to dismantle it. You've got a room. You know the one. The one you keep painting white because...

Light changes everything when it comes to paint. The same shade can feel bright and airy in one room, and deeper or warmer in another - simply depending on the...