Paint Color for a West Facing Room: Six Colors From Paintings
A west-facing room is cool and flat in the morning and glows warm orange in the evening. Choose wall colors that lean cool or neutral to balance that glow. The colors below were measured from public-domain paintings, and each shows its LRV and closest paint matches.
Quick answer
Use the green-leaning #BAC0AF for a calm, cool wall, or the creamy #DFD6B3 for a bright, warm one. Keep the very dark greens for a single piece such as a chair, cabinet or door.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
Wall colors
#DFD6B3LRV 67
Soft Straw Cream
A very light, warm yellow undertone with LRV 67, so it bounces the most light of the group. Use it on walls in a small or dim west room; it comes from Degas's 'Portrait after a Costume Ball (Portrait of Madame Dietz-Monnin)'.
A light green undertone and LRV 51 make this the coolest wall color here, which helps offset the evening orange. It comes from Renoir's 'Two Sisters (On the Terrace)' and suits a living room or bedroom used after work.
A light, warm yellow undertone at LRV 50, a good mid-tone for a sunny southwest room or for textiles like curtains and cushions. It comes from Canals y Llambí's 'Cigar Making in Seville'.
A light warm gray at LRV 45 that reads calm and grounded, so it suits large walls or main furniture. It comes from Vermeer's 'Young Woman with a Water Pitcher'.
Very dark with a green undertone and LRV 3, so keep it to a door, built-in or cabinet rather than all the walls. It comes from Ingres's 'Amédée-David, the Comte de Pastoret'.
Sherwin-Williams SW 2847 Roycroft Bottle Green
Similar
#40450ALRV 5
Dark Moss Green
Very dark, green and slightly olive at LRV 5, best as one bold piece such as an armchair. It comes from Alfred Stevens's 'Hesitation (Madame Monteaux?)', and no commercial paint matches it closely.
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
Color
Neutral daylight
Late afternoon
North light
Evening lamps
Soft Straw Cream
Pale Sage Gray
Light Olive Khaki
Warm Stone Gray
Try these colors in a room
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is Portrait after a Costume Ball (Portrait of Madame Dietz-Monnin).
What are the best paint colors for west facing rooms?
West-facing rooms are cool and flat in the morning and glow warm orange in the evening. A good wall color has to look right in both. Colors that lean cool or neutral balance the evening warmth, so the room does not tip into orange at dinner time.
Of the four wall colors here, the green-leaning Pale Sage Gray (#BAC0AF, LRV 51) is the coolest. It is the safest choice for a room you use mostly in the evening. The three yellow-leaning colors, #DFD6B3 (LRV 67), #C1BD99 (LRV 50) and #B8B2A0 (LRV 45), add warmth to a flat morning. Expect them to glow more once the sun drops.
Use LRV to decide how bright you want the room. At 67, the cream bounces the most light and suits a small room with one window. At 45, the stone gray reads richer and calmer, and suits a large room with plenty of daylight.
What is the best paint color for a north west or south west facing room?
A north west facing room can get less direct sun than one facing due west or south west. The walls may look dim before the evening glow arrives. Lean toward the lighter colors: #DFD6B3 (LRV 67) for brightness and warmth, or #BAC0AF (LRV 51) if you want to stay cool.
A south west facing room is often brighter through the day, and the evening glow can be strong. Mid-LRV colors such as #C1BD99 (LRV 50) and #B8B2A0 (LRV 45) hold their depth there and will not wash out. If the afternoon sun feels hot, the green-leaning #BAC0AF keeps the walls calm.
These are starting points. Trees, porches, nearby buildings and window size all change the light a room really gets. Confirm your choice with samples on your own walls before you buy gallons.
Can you use white paint in a west facing room, and what goes with it?
You can, but expect evening light to push a bright white toward peach. The lightest color on this page, #DFD6B3 (LRV 67), is a soft cream with a warm yellow undertone rather than a true white. It gives you a light wall without a stark look.
For trim, pick a color close to the wall or one shade lighter, so edges do not glare in the orange light. Take the ceiling a step lighter than the walls. For a full scheme, try walls in #DFD6B3, main furniture in #B8B2A0, wood floors or tables around #8B6B4A, and textiles in #C1BD99. The wood will glow most in the evening.
The two deep greens, #253625 (LRV 3) and #40450A (LRV 5), are very dark. Use one on a single bold piece, such as a chair, cabinet or door. On all four walls of a small west room they will feel heavy, especially in the flat morning light.
How do you test paint samples in a west facing room?
Paint a large sample, at least two feet square, with two coats. Put one on the wall that gets the evening sun and one on a wall that stays in shade. Look at both in the morning, at midday and in the last hour of daylight. That is when a west-facing room changes the most.
Hold the sample next to your floor, trim and main furniture. Warm wood can make a yellow-leaning wall look more yellow in the evening. Check it again under your lamps at night.
The closest matches measured are Sherwin-Williams SW 6414 Rice Paddy and Behr MQ3-14 Springday for #DFD6B3, and Behr PPU11-11 Summer Green for #BAC0AF. For #C1BD99, Behr BNC-03 Essential Brown is near-identical. For #B8B2A0, Sherwin-Williams SW 49 Silver Gray is near-identical. #40450A has no close commercial match, so ask a paint store to color-match the hex from a printed chip. Screens vary, so always judge a physical sample.
FAQ
What is the best paint color for a west facing room?
Choose a cool or neutral color to balance the orange evening light. #BAC0AF, a light sage with LRV 51, is the coolest wall option here. #DFD6B3 is brighter and warmer, at LRV 67.
What paint colors work in a north west facing room?
Lighter colors help when direct sun is limited. Try #DFD6B3 (LRV 67) or #BAC0AF (LRV 51), and check them in the morning and evening before you commit.
What are the best paint colors for south west facing rooms?
These rooms often get plenty of light, so mid-LRV colors like #C1BD99 (LRV 50) and #B8B2A0 (LRV 45) work well. If the sun feels hot, the green-leaning #BAC0AF keeps the walls calm.
What white paint works in a west facing room?
A bright white can turn peachy in evening light. A soft cream like #DFD6B3, with LRV 67 and a warm yellow undertone, stays light without looking stark. Sherwin-Williams SW 6414 Rice Paddy is a near-identical match.
Can I use a dark color in a west facing room?
Yes, on a limited scale. #253625 (LRV 3) and #40450A (LRV 5) suit a door, cabinet or armchair. On all the walls of a small room they will feel heavy, especially in the flat morning light.
Save these colors
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Painting images: The Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain (CC0).
Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
From Portrait after a Costume Ball (Portrait of Madame Dietz-Monnin), Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
