Choosing Interior Paint Colours for Vancouver's Grey Winter Light

From November to March, a lot of Vancouver living rooms spend the day under a flat, grey sky. The paint colour that looked warm and fresh in the store or on a sunny July afternoon can turn dull, cold or even a little muddy once the rain settles in. The good news is that choosing interior colours for our light is not guesswork. A few simple ideas about light, undertones and testing will help you pick colours that still feel good in January.

Key takeaways

• Overcast daylight is soft and cool, so colours with cool or grey undertones can look flatter and colder than they do on a chip.
• Check a colour's Light Reflectance Value (LRV) to understand how light or dark it will read in a dim room.
• The direction a room faces matters as much as the colour itself.
• Always test large samples on more than one wall and look at them on a grey day, a bright day and at night.

Why colours look different on a grey Vancouver day

Paint does not have one fixed appearance. What you see is the light in the room bouncing off the wall, and that light changes through the day and the seasons. On a heavy overcast day, daylight is diffuse and on the cool side, and there is simply less of it. Colours lose some of their contrast and warmth, and darker shades can read darker than you expected.

That is why a pale grey that looked crisp and modern in a bright showroom can look like wet concrete in a north-facing basement suite in February. It is also why many Vancouver homeowners find they prefer slightly warmer, slightly lighter versions of the colours they first fell for.

Understand undertones before you pick a colour

Almost every colour has an undertone, the hint of another colour that shows up once the paint is on the wall. Greys can lean blue, green or purple. Whites can lean yellow, pink or blue. Beiges can lean pink, green or grey.

• Cool undertones (blue, green, violet) tend to be emphasized by cool, overcast light. In a dim room they can feel chilly.
• Warm undertones (yellow, red, peach) can help offset cool daylight. Too much warmth, though, can look yellow or orange under some warm bulbs at night.
• Balanced or "greige" colours sit between the two and are often a safe starting point for rooms that face north or get little direct sun.

An easy way to spot an undertone is to hold the chip against a sheet of plain white printer paper, or next to other chips in the same colour family. The undertone becomes much easier to see by comparison.

Use LRV to judge how light a colour will feel

Most paint brands publish a Light Reflectance Value for each colour, usually on the back of the chip or on the colour's web page. LRV is a scale from 0 (absolute black) to 100 (pure white) that describes how much light a colour reflects.

For a room that is already short on natural light, a higher LRV colour will bounce more of the light you do have around the room. Lower LRV colours absorb more light and make a room feel cosier and more enclosed. Neither is wrong. A dark, moody den or dining room can be lovely in winter, as long as you choose it on purpose and not by accident.

Brands publish their own LRV figures, so compare colours within the same brand where you can, and treat the number as a guide rather than a promise. Sheen, lighting and the colours around it all change how a wall reads.

Think about which way the room faces

• North-facing rooms get indirect light all day. It is steady but cool, so colours tend to look darker and cooler. Warm whites, soft warm neutrals and colours with a hint of yellow or red often work well.
• South-facing rooms get the most light when the sun does come out, and it is warm. Cooler colours can look balanced here, and most neutrals behave well.
• East-facing rooms are brighter and warmer in the morning and cooler in the afternoon.
• West-facing rooms are cooler in the morning and warmer and brighter late in the day.

Trees, neighbouring buildings and covered balconies matter too. Plenty of Vancouver condos and basement suites get far less light than their compass direction suggests, so look at the actual room rather than following a rule.

Don't forget your light bulbs

In winter, you may spend more waking hours under electric light than daylight. Bulbs are labelled with a colour temperature in Kelvin. Lower numbers give a warmer, yellower light, and higher numbers give a cooler, bluer light. A colour can look completely different under a warm bulb at night than under grey daylight at noon, so test samples under the bulbs you actually use. If your fixtures use a mix of bulb colours, consider making them consistent before you choose paint.

How to test colours the right way

1. Narrow it down to two or three colours. Comparing ten samples at once is overwhelming.
2. Go big. Use peel-and-stick samples or paint a sample board that is at least the size of a sheet of paper. Tiny chips are hard to judge.
3. Test on more than one wall. Put a sample on the wall with the window and on the wall opposite it. The same colour can look like two different colours.
4. Keep samples away from the old colour's edges. A border of white board, or a gap of clean wall, helps you see the new colour on its own.
5. Look at them for a few days. Check on a rainy morning, a bright afternoon and in the evening with lights on.

Sheen choices for darker months

Sheen changes how a colour reads. Flatter finishes hide wall imperfections and look soft and even, which is why they are popular for ceilings and living spaces. Eggshell and satin finishes reflect a little more light and are easier to wipe clean, which is useful in busy hallways, kids' rooms and kitchens, especially in a season of wet boots and muddy dogs. Semi-gloss is often used on trim and doors. Glossier finishes also show surface flaws more, so good wall prep matters.

Colour ideas that tend to work in low light

There is no single "right" Vancouver colour, but some approaches come up again and again in homes with soft winter light:

• Warm whites and creams for main living spaces that need to feel bright.
• Soft greige and warm taupe for open-plan rooms where you want one neutral that works in every light.
• Muted greens and earthy colours that echo the trees and mountains outside, often a good fit for dens, bedrooms and offices.
• Deep, rich colours such as navy, forest green or charcoal for a cosy room you use mostly in the evening.
• A lighter ceiling than the walls to keep the room from feeling closed in.

Frequently asked questions

Is grey still a good choice for a Vancouver home?

It can be, but choose carefully. Cool, blue-leaning greys can feel cold under overcast skies. Warmer greys and greige colours tend to hold up better in low light. Test before you commit.

Should I paint a dark room white to brighten it?

A light colour with a high LRV will reflect more light, but a stark, cool white in a dim room can look grey and flat. A slightly warm white is often the better choice. Testing will tell you.

When is the best time to paint interiors in Vancouver?

Interior painting can be done year round. Winter is a popular time for indoor projects because weather does not affect the work the way it does outside. Keep the room heated and ventilated so the paint dries properly.

Can you help me choose colours?

Yes. We are happy to talk through options, bring sample ideas and look at your rooms in their actual light before you decide.

Ready to get started?

If you are ready to brighten up your home before the next rainy season, or you would like help choosing colours that work in your light, get your free painting quote from 1-800 PRO PAINTER.

Photo: Tasso Mitsarakis / Pexels