Did you know that the direction the windows face effects how the wall color looks? Here are the best paint colors for west facing rooms!
Picking paint colors is tough enough – you have to think about the style and look you are going for and swatch colors in your real space.
But, one factor you might not be considering is the direction that your room faces.
This is actually a really important factor in how colors appear in your actual space!
Why does lighting matter?
The amount of light that a room gets significantly effects how colors look in that room.
The direction of the windows in a room directly effect how much light a room will get – and how long that light will last throughout the day.
It’s important to understand which way your windows face when you are choosing paint colors and to understand the implications of that direction!
- The best paint colors for north facing rooms
- The best paint colors for south facing rooms
- The best paint colors for east facing rooms
- The best paint colors for west facing rooms
Get my FREE Paint Colors by Room Direction Printable!
This handy cheat sheet will help you remember the lighting in each room depending on the direction the windows face, as well as what that means for paint colors!
Join the (free!) PaintColorProject+ community to access this exclusive freebie! Once you join, you can right click & save the palette image!
How do I know which way my room faces?
First, identify the wall in your room that has the most windows.
Then, whip out your compass (there are compass apps for your phone if you don’t have one! Even the map app will have a compass!)
Point the compass at the wall you identified with the most or biggest windows. Whichever way it is pointing is the direction that your room faces!
West facing room lighting
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. So, western facing rooms are going to have a sunset view and bright light in the afternoons.
In the mornings, western facing rooms can be quite dark and shadowy. You can overcompensate for this with warm toned artificial lighting.
Is western light warm or cool?
Western light means you are going to have cool low light in the morning and warm bright light in the afternoons.
What paint finish is best for west facing room?
Western facing rooms are going to get a good amount of sun in the morning and less so in the afternoon. Anything glossy will have a glare in the mornings. I’d stick with an eggshell paint finish!
Can I paint an west facing room dark?
Western facing rooms will be dark in the morning and brighter in the afternoon. So, dark wall colors will read as really quite dark in the morning. If that’s not the look you are going for, stick with something light and bright!
What color is best for west facing room?
Keep in mind the room type and when you use it when choosing a paint color.
For example, if you mostly use your bedroom in the morning (or after dark), pick a color that plays well with cool morning light.
If your room is a morning room – use my northern facing room color palette!
For a living room you mostly use in the afternoon and evening, you might want to base your color choices around the warm, golden afternoon light.
If your room is an afternoon/evening room – use my southern facing room color palette!
If your room is used all day long, then you will want to steer as neutral as possible. Anything too warm will read as very warm in the afternoon, anything cool will read as very cool in the morning.
Here are the best white, gray, neutral, and bold east facing room paint colors!
What white paint colors are best for west facing rooms?
Stick to white paint colors without too much of an undertone. If you go with a white wall, definitely use the same white color on the trim work for a softer look – any contrast will draw attention to those undertones half of the day.
Some of my favorite neutral white paint colors include:
- Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Sherwin Williams Pure White
- Benjamin Moore White Heron
- Behr Polar Bear
What gray paint colors are best for west facing rooms?
For grays, once again choose something that is not silvery but also not too warm or greige. A nice neutral shade.
Some of my favorite neutral gray paint colors include:
- Behr Gray Mist
- Benjamin Moore Calm
- Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
- Sherwin Williams Repose Gray
What neutral paint colors are best for west facing rooms?
I’m sounding like a broken record here, but for a color to look great all day long in an west facing room, it needs to be super neutral without strong yellow or blue undertones.
Some of my favorite neutral paint colors include:
- Behr Battleship Gray
- Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist
- Benjamin Moore Pale Oak
- Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray
- Benjamin Moore Collingwood
What bold paint colors are best for west facing rooms?
Western facing rooms can play into any color scheme for bolder colors. Just know that blues will look bluer in the morning and warm tones will look more golden in the afternoon. At the opposite time, they will look more subdued.
This is why it’s so important to swatch colors and look at them morning, noon, and night, lights on and lights off, to be sure you love them before committing.
Some of my favorite bold paint colors include:
- Sherwin Williams Rainwashed
- Sherwin Williams Retreat
- Clare Current Mood
- Sherwin Williams Naval
What colors should you avoid in west facing rooms?
Anything super warm or super cool is going to look VERY different from morning to night. This swing in appearance can make it really hard to decorate around.
So, while you can still use color – choose a color with a neutral shade. Nothing too yellow or too icy!
Western Facing Room Paint Color Palette
Still not sure what paint color to choose?
My Paint Color Formula ebook walks you through the painless process of expertly testing paint swatches to ensure you have the perfect color for your home.
The best way to sample paint? Samplize!
Get peel-and-stick removable and reusable paint samples here!
Thanks for reading!
Morgan is passionate about home decor and paint colors. She has been sharing DIY home decor tips since 2012 at CharlestonCrafted.com. From there, she learned to love paint colors, and the Paint Color Project was born in 2022!