Many of us aspire to live in homes with substantial-sized rooms and long, sweeping spaces, but of course, this comes along with the responsibility of decorating large walls. Since the color of a large wall is going to make a huge impact on the room, you should think carefully about the type of color that’s going to work best before you take the plunge.
Here we explore the best paint colors for large walls in different types of rooms and look at the effect that natural lighting has on wall colors.
Colors for a Large Wall in a Living Space
If you have a large living area in your home, then your color options for the walls in this space will be seemingly endless. Most people choose wall colors that are going to make their room feel more expansive, however, if you already have the luxury of a large living space then you won’t be bound by this.
Instead, you should think about the type of atmosphere you want to create in your living space, which will likely be affected by what you plan to use the room for.
For example, if you will be holding intimate dinner parties in your dining room, a dark wall color will create a moody atmosphere, even in a large room. However, if your dining room is more of a family space where young children will be eating every day, then you might prefer a bright or soothing color that will make for a joyful space to spend time with the family.
Crisp colors
This is a clean and crisp shade of blue that will create an airy atmosphere when used on a large wall in a living space. Paint the remaining walls in a cool shade of off-white to maintain the refreshing vibe.
This pale shade of green has yellow undertones which make it feel fresh and crisp. It would be an ideal color to use in a kitchen that gets used at various times of the day since it works well with any type of lighting.
Relaxing colors
This is a dark shade of blue with cool gray undertones. Despite being a dark color, it feels soothing and relaxing, with a vibe that hints towards coastal waters. Use this color on every wall in a large room to make it feel simultaneously more intimate and relaxing.
Cozy colors
This is a neutral paint color that will read differently depending on the light in the room. It’s a great color choice for every wall in a large room so that the space envelopes you. In brightly lit rooms, the color will appear as a warm and inviting shade of off-white, while in low-lit rooms, it will look like a cozy beige with a hint of dusky pink.
Dramatic colors
This dark shade of green from Benjamin Moore achieves a bold and dramatic look without being overwhelming or intense. It will work well on a large wall as a feature, or paint it on all of the walls in a room to create an immersive feel with depth and atmosphere.
This is a luxurious shade of red that can be used to create a timeless look in a living space. Pair it with shades of green for an autumnal vibe, or use it with pure white trim for a clean and crisp look.
Colors for a Large Wall in a Bedroom
When choosing paint colors for a large wall in a bedroom, there are several factors to consider. First of all, you will need to think about the type of atmosphere you want to achieve. Do you want your bedroom to feel soothing and relaxing or sultry and romantic?
The color of your main large wall in a bedroom is going to largely dictate the feel and style of the room, so it’s important to get this right. Choose a color that reflects the mood you want to create in the bedroom and use it across all walls in the room, or apply it to the large feature wall in the bedroom as an accent.
Refreshing colors
This spearmint shade of green has obvious blue undertones which means it comes across as both refreshing and calming. It is ideal for a bedroom where you want to feel invigorated when you wake up, ready to take on a new day.
Soothing colors
This is a blue paint color developed to imitate the color of the sky on a clear day. It can be used on a large wall to create a focal point in the space, alongside off-white colors on the remaining walls for a soothing and airy look. Paint this color on all of the walls in a bedroom where relaxing is a priority.
This is a neutral stone color that is particularly well suited to large bedrooms since it creates a cozy and soothing atmosphere while maintaining lightness.
Sultry colors
This pale shade of lilac pink is low-key enough to create a subtle hint of romance while maintaining a modern, stylish look. It will work beautifully on a large bedroom wall set against warm white walls, or use it on all of the walls as a feminine backdrop to luscious velvet curtains and silky bed linens.
How Light Affects Paint Colors
When you’re painting a large wall, chances are that you’re working with a large room. Many people think that in a large room you don’t need to factor in the type of natural light the room gets because a large room will always look bright and spacious. However, this is not the case.
The aspect of the windows in a large room, as well as the size and amount of windows, will drastically affect the way a paint color reads in a room of any size. You should spend some time taking in the type of light your room receives at different times of day, to figure out which paint shades are going to give you the effect you’re looking for.
Bright natural light
A room with bright natural light will usually have windows that are south, west or east-facing.
South facing rooms
If you have a window with a south-facing aspect, then this room is going to be bright throughout the day. This will mean that you can afford to play with cooler colors without the risk that the space will feel cold or clinical. The bright southern light will make the room feel warm and inviting, even if you have opted for blue-gray paint colors.
The southern light will also work to make warm colors appear brighter. If you want your large room with southern lighting to feel cozy, then a dark shade that is going to absorb light will be your best option.
East facing rooms
East-facing rooms will be brighter in the morning and become darker as the day wears on. This is because the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Before painting an east-facing room, think about the main times of day you’re going to be using that room. If your breakfast room is east-facing, for example, then you can decorate it in a color that will work with a brightly lit room.
However, if you only use your living room in the late afternoon and evening and it is east-facing, then you will need to paint it in a color that works better in darker rooms.
West facing rooms
A west-facing room has the opposite type of natural light to an east-facing room. It will be cooler in the morning, with brighter and warmer light in the evening.
If you use a west-facing room throughout the day, for example, a kitchen, then you’ll want to paint the large wall in a color that works with a variety of lighting types, such as greige. If you only use the room at specific times of day, then it can be decorated in a color to suit the light it receives at that time.
Dim natural light
Rooms that have north-facing windows, or which have small windows, will have low levels of natural light. This type of room will feel cool all day long, so you should bear this in mind when choosing paint colors so you can work it to your advantage. If you want the room to feel warm then you can combat dim natural light by opting for a light paint color with warm undertones of yellow or orange.
Off-white shades and beige paint colors typically work well for this effect in north-facing rooms. If you want to make a dimly lit room feel atmospheric and dramatic, then cool lighting works well. Choose a dark and rich color such as deep burgundy, or emerald green.
