How Lighting Affects Your Paint Colour
The Secret Factor That Changes Everything
Have you ever painted a room the perfect shade of soft grey, only to find it looks purple at night? Or chosen a warm beige that looks great in the morning but turns bland and washed-out in the afternoon sun? This is a common frustration, and the culprit is always the same: light. The type, direction, and even the colour of the light in your room is the single most powerful factor influencing how a paint colour actually looks on your walls. Understanding this is the key to choosing a colour you’ll love 24/7.
The Power of Natural Light: Direction is Everything
In Australia, we are blessed with intense, bright sunlight, and the direction a room faces dramatically changes the quality of that light. This is the most important factor to consider.
- North-Facing Rooms: In the Southern Hemisphere, these rooms are the jackpot. They receive consistent, indirect natural light throughout the day. The light is clear and slightly cool, meaning most colours will look true to the swatch.
- South-Facing Rooms: These rooms get less direct light and can feel cooler and more shadowed. Light, warm colours are your best friend here. A cool grey in a south-facing room can feel gloomy, whereas a warmer greige or a creamy white will help to brighten the space.
- East-Facing Rooms: These rooms get beautiful bright, warm light in the morning and become cooler and shadier in the afternoon. You need a colour that looks good in both conditions. Test your samples in the morning and then again late in the day.
- West-Facing Rooms: These can be the trickiest. They are shaded and cool in the morning but are hit with very strong, warm, golden light in the afternoon. This intense afternoon sun can make neutral colours look much warmer and can turn a subtle beige into a strong yellow or orange.
The Hidden Influence of Artificial Light
What happens when the sun goes down? The type of light globes you use will completely transform your paint colours. This is all about "colour temperature."
- Warm White Globes (Yellowish Light): Traditional incandescent and many warm LED globes cast a cosy, yellow-orange light. This will enhance warm colours like reds and yellows, but it can make cool colours (like blues and some greys) look dull or even slightly green.
- Cool White Globes (Bluish Light): Often found in kitchens, laundries, and bathrooms, these globes cast a crisp, almost blueish light. They are great for making whites look extra bright and will enhance blues and greens, but they can make warm colours look flat and uninviting.
- Daylight Globes: These are designed to mimic natural daylight and provide the most neutral light. If you want your paint colours to look as true as possible at night, switching to daylight globes is a great option.
The finish of your paint also plays a role. A matte paint will absorb light and soften a colour, while a semi-gloss finish will reflect light, making the colour appear slightly brighter and more intense.
Pro Tip from a Sydney Painter
There is no substitute for testing. The only way to know how a colour will truly behave is to get a sample pot, paint a large board, and move it around the room for at least 24 hours. At DRJ Painting, our colour consultations always involve discussing the room's orientation and lighting. We understand how Sydney's unique light interacts with paint, and we can help you choose a shade that looks perfect, no matter the time of day.
