Planning on giving a north-facing kitchen an image overhaul? As with any north-facing room, you'll need to consider that your kitchen is going to receive natural light exposure during the day. Although this will have little impact on visibility, it can leave your kitchen feeling dim and cold, especially during the evenings.

To maximise natural light and brighten up your kitchens, it's best to stick with richer palettes with a warm undertone. A warmer tone palette is a perfect fit for kitchens, making a space feel cosy, and combating the chill that can settle in come the end of the day.

For best results, go with a warm wall colour. If you prefer neutral or lighter tones, stick with classic cream or opt for crisp whites with warm earthy undertones. A warm wall colour with richer undertones can do wonders for a north-facing kitchen. Need some more inspiration? Our guide lays out everything you need to know about north-facing kitchen colour schemes and how best to use them.

Which Colours Work Best in a North Facing Kitchen? 

If your kitchen is a north-facing room, you're probably dealing with limited natural light and a generally cooler space. However, the cold-light characteristics of a north-facing kitchen can easily be overcome with the right colour palette at your disposal. 

To give your space an instant life and get the most out of your space, ensure you're picking warmer colours with warm undertones. A classic white paint colour can work well, provided there's a yellow or creamy base. Light wall colours like pink can also bring essential warmth, giving your kitchen an essential lift, even in the depths of winter. 

For instant results, think about playing around with paint colours with gold undertones. If you're wary about leaning into luxury, you may be afraid of bolder colours like gold and metallics. 

However, it's worth remembering that light affects colour. Just a gentle application of paint with gold undertones can bring a room to life. What's more, you don't have to be too heavy with these more dazzling paint choices. 

If you don't want to use the same colour throughout your kitchen, reserve more dazzling colours for certain walls or room features. You can scale things back when painting cabinets, using hardware and more subtle details to bring a kitchen colour scheme together.

What to Consider When Painting a North-Facing Kitchen 

When painting a north-facing kitchen, you need to be careful about the paint colours you're using. The light that floods in from the north tends to be cooler in character. As such, you need to be careful when using a lighter paint colour. 

Try and avoid anything with very light undertones, such as grey or green paints. Shades like this can leave a space feeling even colder. Instead, reach for yellow-based hues and creamy neutrals. These colours will make full use of natural light, helping bounce it around in sun-starved spaces.

Another good tactic is to embrace the limitations of your space. Unless you're prepared to uproot your kitchen and reinstall it in a south-facing room, it might be best to play around with dark colours.

Dark walls and medium-toned colours are a good choice if you want to embrace cold light. Used effectively, a dark colour palette can utilise cooler light to create a cocooning ambience in your kitchen. 

Prefer natural hues and earthy tones? We've got plenty of premium paint colours for you to consider. 

If you're looking for something stubble, our Camelia F300 paint colour is bound to impress. At first glance, this paint shade looks white, but take a second look and you'll quickly pick out delicate lilac undertones. These gentle characteristics will add instant warmth to your kitchen. 

Searching for something that will give a north-facing room an instant lift? Our Butter Milk H392 is the way to go. This terracotta paint colour will leave your kitchen feeling warm all day long. What's more, it pairs well with just about any neutral paint colour, making it a versatile choice for any kitchen. 

Do you prefer darker, earthier tones? Our Ducato L392 paint colour is the way to go. If you want to play around with a medium colour palette in your kitchen, this mustard-inspired shade will provide you with the perfect backdrop.

If you want to go all out with wall colours in your kitchen, don't be afraid to experiment with a more vibrant colour palette. Thankfully, we've got an epic range of eye-catching colours for you to choose from. 

Prefer to play it safe? Our Seagull F496 is a strong choice. This light blue paint colour is perfect for kitchens with limited light and works incredibly well with grey and white cabinets. 

Our Flamingo K319 paint colour is a little daring, but if you're ready to put a pink palette to work in your kitchen, it's the only way to go. This premium shade packs a real punch and looks great with white cabinets and gold hardware. 

If you're planning a contemporary kitchen makeover, our Denim N429 is just the ticket. This royal blue shade has plenty of depth and makes the perfect fit for a modern kitchen. Pair it with white and grey cabinets, then introduce some luxury with hints of gold and copper. 

Not every north-facing kitchen needs to be light and airy. Sometimes, it makes more sense to embrace light limitations and experiment with darker colours. Fortunately, we stock a great range of darker paints that are perfect for this task. 

If you like earthy tones, our Harvest V406 will make an instant impression with its medium brown hues and reddish undertones. It's an acquired taste, but this paint shade is incredibly versatile and can be paired well with a wide range of colour accents. 

If you're a fan of purple paint palettes, our Andante N501 paint is a solid choice. Although pretty dark, it's a more muted choice than other paints, so works well with a wide spectrum of colour accents. What's more, it's incredibly versatile, making it a good fit for traditional kitchens and contemporary spaces alike. 

Although darker colours can be used incredibly effectively in north-facing kitchens, you'll want to avoid using richer shades throughout. To inject some personality into your interiors, it's wise to play around with a lighter shade. 

Our Sorbet F306 paint colour makes for the perfect contrast colour. It's a lighter choice, with distinct pink undertones. Ideal for giving your cabinets an instant makeover, this paint shade can also be used for alcove backdrops and feature walls.

If you're aiming to achieve a contemporary aesthetic in a north-facing kitchen, you'll want to explore a slightly darker palette. Purple and blue wall colours are often the best choices for this situation. 

Empress X477 is an effective choice for adding colour and character to a sun-starved kitchen. This lavender shade works well with light grey and white, but can also be paired with creams and just about any neutral. 

If you want to go for something lighter, think about giving our Ice Rose J503 pale pink paint colour a try. This delicate neutral boasts subtle lilac undertones, making it a perfect choice for kitchens where you need to make maximum use of limited natural light. 

If you're not afraid of darker colours, Basalt N499 is something to seriously consider. Bringing together the best attributes of blue and grey, this darker shade is a fine fit for contemporary kitchens. Use it with minimalist fittings and modern hardware to embrace the limitations of cooler light.