6 colours experts swear by for south-facing kitchens - colour hack your home with these light enhancing shades

If you're after a new look for your kitchen, a fresh lick of paint could be an easy update and kitchen colour schemes inspiration can be found in abundance.

But if your space is south-facing, then you're going to need to take that into consideration by choosing one of the best colours for a south-facing kitchen. As the room will be flooded with natural light on a daily basis, it could alter how a colour looks at certain points of the day, so you'll need to pick wisely before picking up a paintbrush.

'South-facing rooms receive the warmest, sunniest light in the northern hemisphere, which can beautifully enhance paint colours, warming up the space and making the walls glow,' explains Anna Hill, brand director and colour consultant, Fenwick & Tilbrook.

We spoke to some of the industry's top colour experts to get their advice on how to go about choosing the best colours for a south-facing kitchen and which shades are best reserved for kitchens facing other directions.

1. Blue

The first of our best colours for a south-facing kitchen is blue. Blue kitchen ideas have always been big business and there is a reason for this if your kitchen is south-facing.

Bailey Williams, colour expert at Earthborn explains, 'South-facing kitchens benefit from an abundance of natural light, which enhances most colours, however, the warm sunlight can also amplify yellow and red undertones. To create balance, we often recommend cooler shades such as soft blues, or even gentle purples.'

But if a soft shade of blue doesn't feel bold enough in your kitchen, you could instead opt for something with a bit more punch.

Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director at Little Greene comments, 'Dark blues like 'Marine Blue' and 'Hicks' Blue' can be used in place of greys and blacks (which might be too dramatic) to achieve a neutral scheme with more character and depth in a kitchen.'

2. Grey

The next colour that Ruth advises to be one of the best colours for a south-facing kitchen is grey. Grey kitchen ideas work well if you're looking for a neutral base to decorate walls with, instead adding colour and interest with tiles and painted cabinets.

'A south-facing kitchen is naturally bright throughout the day, but the light will change from morning to evening with yellow tones early in the day, moving into bluer tones and finally warmer orange sunset tones,' she says. 'It’s often a room that will see high contrast due to direct sunlight, creating shadows and giving a sun-bleached feel to very light colours,' she explains.

'Consider using colours that work throughout the changing light such as ‘French Grey Pale’ or French Grey-Dark for a room with excessive light.'

Tash Bradley, director of interior design at Lick adds, 'Undertones are key when selecting the right grey for a south-facing kitchen. The south-facing light pulls out warmth, so a grey with a blue undertone stays crisp, while a greige might look more yellow than you expect.'

3. White

'South-facing kitchens are really a dream to design because they’re flooded with warm, natural light throughout the day,' continues Tash.

'That golden light enhances colour, so the majority of colours will look great, without feeling cold and clinical. My favourite go-to colour for walls and ceilings in a south-facing kitchen is White 06, which is soft yet bright with a warm pink undertone, and will really come alive.'

Bailey adds, 'If you prefer white walls in your south-facing kitchen, opt for crisp, clean whites rather than creamy or warm-toned ones, this will help to neutralise the warmth and prevent the space from appearing yellowed in bright light.'

4. Pink

If you're after a slightly warmer colour than white, pink kitchens continue to be a big kitchen trend and while the hue lends itself well to south-facing kitchens, opt for a shade that feels right for you.

Tash explains, 'The kitchen is the heart of the home, and a social hub for the family to congregate in, so I always encourage my clients to bring their personal style into this space.'

'After doing many colour consultations in real homes, it has become clear to me that a lot of this comes down to your personal taste. However, if you want to balance out the warmer light in a south-facing kitchen, then choose a colour with a grey undertone, like a Pink 07 or Pink 08.'

5. Green

The next shade in our round up of the best colours for a south-facing kitchen is green.

Michael comments, 'South-facing kitchens get loads of natural light, which brings out warm tones in paints. As such, greens can be a great choice to balance that warmth. Make sure to avoid anything too yellow-toned, as it can feel a bit much. Instead, explore cooler greens like sage or olives. Little Greene’s Pea Green or Dulux's Tranquil Dawn are perfect examples of kitchen-friendly shades. They’re popular, versatile, and look great up front and centre in the sunlight.'

Anna adds, 'Since many of us are lucky enough to have kitchens that overlook the garden, it can be lovely to use green tones to pull the outdoors in. If there’s a door leading directly to the garden, this approach helps link the interior and exterior seamlessly.'

6. Yellow

Our final option for best colours for a south-facing kitchen is yellow. While you might think it would be too intense for a room bathed in light, you could choose to actually lean into this, as Tash explains.

'If you want to embrace the light in a south-facing kitchen, then lean into the warm honey tones that the light gives by choosing a sunny Yellow 02 for your kitchen walls and it will guarantee to bring joy to the space.'

Ruth advises, 'Strong, bold yellows like 'Yellow Pink' or 'Mortlake Yellow' will radiate warmth in a south-facing kitchen,' but Anna comments, 'Personally in a south-facing kitchen, I’d generally avoid very sunny yellows, as the intense light can make them feel overwhelming, especially in a space where you're already working with heat and brightness.'

Whichever shade you choose, be sure to order test pots first and try putting up swatches on all four kitchen walls. Then assess how the colours look at different points of the day as the light levels change.

So which colour will you opt for in a south-facing kitchen?