If you’re anything like me, Pinterest and mood boards will be your best friend when it comes to decorating.
Before we’d moved in, I’d painted my whole house in my head. Twice.
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I knew exactly what colour I was going to use and where, I’d even bought the bedding and the bed before we’d got a completion date (yeah, don’t do that, it ended up at my fiancé’s parents’ house – oops).
When it came to my living room, I was dead set on a minty green with pink furniture. I wanted the space to feel dream-like, similar to the parlour room in Sketch (heyy, don’t judge, each to their own, alright?). I didn’t even consider which way my house was facing or what way the wind was blowing. My mind was set and my creative juices were flowing.
Fast forward to winter 2021, a year after we’d moved in, and my partner and I were spending next to no time in our front room.
I’d spent most of my adult life dreaming of the day I had a lounge to call my own – parent and housemate free. I envisioned late nights on the sofa watching Made in Chelsea (again, don’t judge) and eating popcorn.
But it just wasn’t happening; we’d find ourselves upstairs in bed with hot chocolates and the laptop open (of course we still couldn’t miss out on MIC now, could we?).
Why don’t I like spending time in my living room?
So what was the problem? Why didn’t we want to spend any time in the lounge? Then it hit me. It was the colour.
As beautiful as it was – oh boy did I love that Valspar ‘Gossamer Green’ – it was making the room feel un-cosy, chilly and well, just a bit…off.
Much to my fiancé’s dismay, I set about painting it again. I found the softest, warmest pinky-beige you could imagine (think walls of Seville in high summer), dug out my overalls and set to work.
The transformation is out of this world; I can’t even put it into words – God knows I’ve tried! It’s been detrimental to my productivity but now you can’t get me out of there. The room is now gooey and cosy; it glows like a warm oven on a cold day.
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Pink 02 Matt, £42, Lick – buy now
What colour should I paint my north facing room?
I’m not usually one for saying what you can and can’t do when it comes to decorating. I have pink floorboards for heaven’s sake, but thinking about the atmosphere you want to create is a good tip.
Stay away from paint with a cool undertone, anything with a pink or yellow base is ideal for warmth.
Can I paint my north facing room a bright colour?
Heck yes, go for it. However, different colours are going to affect your mood. How do you want to feel in the room? What are you going to be doing there? Is it a space for working, relaxing, getting ready?
Bright blue and yellow can be overstimulating but green is going to have a calming effect and pink is going to feel very cosy, like getting a hug.
Can I paint my north facing room dark?
You can compliment a dark room by painting it a dark colour. If you get the lighting right with lots of lamps and warm bulbs, then it can transform from a prison-like cell into a snug den you won’t want to leave.
Consider painting window sills or ceilings to add points of interest and adding pops of colour with cushions and artwork.
Can I use any cool colours in my north facing room?
As I said before, it’s all about the base tone. For example, a sage green with lots of yellow would be better than a teal. If grey is your thing then a greige would work best as again, this has yellow in it.
If you’re really into cool colours then you can bring these in on the woodwork or the soft furnishings, but I wouldn’t paint the whole room swimming pool blue; believe me, I learnt the hard way and I have the paint stains to prove it.
