How to decorate a north-facing room - top tips by Liam Howley

 

Last week a client asked what could be done to make a north-facing living room more appealing to potential buyers? As we enter the winter months, the hours of daylight get shorter and rooms can feel darker than normal. Making a room brighter with a warm feeling can really help a sale, with this in mind, I decided to investigate further before offering suggestions to our client.
  
I have been an agent for nearly 20 years and I know many of our competitors would just say paint it white and that will make it brighter. With north facing rooms, this isn’t always the best advice.  
There are a wide variety of opinions and ideas on how to tackle a north facing room and a big part of the decision making has to be based around whether you are making these changes for you, as you want to stay in the property for a number of years, or are you making the changes to help your property sell following feedback from your agent about the feel of the room?

If you are not planning to move, you can be brave and embrace advice from head of creative at Farrow and Ball, Charlotte Crosby who says “In small spaces with little natural light, the best advice is not to fight nature, instead embrace the darkness and create a dramatic and cocooning interior.  Strong colours like Brinjal Railings (aubergine) or Downpipe (dark blue/grey) will create a sense of intimacy in a dark space”.

If the refresh is to help secure a buyer then opt for lighter tones, avoiding green or grey base colours and pick a creamy colour to bounce as much warm light around as possible. Avoid bright whites on the walls as these can surprisingly look dingy and dull. Look to give the ceiling a fresh coat of white emulsion to help reflect natural light down into the room.  

Consider positioning a mirror on the wall opposite the main window – mirrors reflect light therefore will ‘bounce’ light around the room and make the room feel bigger and airier.  Lamps and shades are another crucial part that can really help – think atmospheric, cosy lights that will make the room look inviting. Gold accessories and rich colours can also enhance the overall feel of the room. Think about your curtains too; could you remove them and replace with something more sheer or swap for blinds that will keep your privacy but still let the light in?

These are just a few ideas to consider, whatever you do, the painting should be done to a high standard as buyers can spot a rush job a mile away!

Do you have any tips you would like to share? Post your decorating success to help others create their dream home by sharing your photos on our Facebook page here - www.facebook.com/BradfordandHowley