By 
To make the paint color selection process even more complicated, there's one major variable to consider outside of which color you like best: sunlight. As the sun rises and sets outside your window, the light and shadows inside will constantly change—meaning even when you settle on a color and a finish for your walls, it will appear to be a million different shades throughout the day. Freaking out now? Don't worry, this is actually the beauty of paint (and good windows)!
A single color will shift to suit different moods throughout the day, making a painted room all the more magical. It's the reason there’s no replacement for testing a color on the walls in your actual room—and checking in on it multiple times throughout the day. Do you like how it's bright and rosy in the sunrise? How it looks in the harsh shadows before sunset? Be sure!
To prove how truly shape-shifting a single color can be, we had photographer Bjorn Wallander shoot the same swath of wall space throughout the course of a single day. Watch the color—Behr's Frost—go from brighter in the morning sun to a bit grayer by sunset with southern-facing windows (more on that in a minute).
7:45 A.M.
Soft and glowing.
10:15 A.M.
Bright and energized.
1:30 P.M.
Hot and high-contrast.
4:45 P.M.
Cooled-off and cozy.
Take note of this when you're trying to decide between a few neutral options, like a crisp white or soft cream; it'll help you decide whether you want to veer on the cooler or warmer end of the spectrum. Not sure how warm or cool the light is in your room? Here's a refresher:
South Facing Windows: bright, intense sun all day long.
West Facing Windows: a long period of direct sunlight, including a dreamy golden glow in the afternoon
East Facing Windows: a blast of bright light in the morning followed by a lack of light throughout the day
North-Facing Windows: soft, even exposure all day long
Choose the Right White Depending On Your Light:
Neutral White
"A neutral white will balance the glow you get in a west-facing room at sunset," but still look energizing in the shady early hours, says Laura Hodges, who recommends Sherwin-Williams Pure White.
Warm White
"I love Pointing by Farrow & Ball for its warm undertones," Hodges says. "It always feels very cozy, welcoming, and is great for northern exposures, where other tones can look dull and gray" due to the indirect lighting.
Cool White
"Benjamin Moore Super White creates a clean canvas that's perfect for walls where you plan to hang a lot of art," says Hodge. With souther exposures, daylight will add warmth, so use a cooler white.
If you don't want to paint the sample in multiple parts of the room, you can also ways test out the paint color on a small piece of sanded wood, a canvas, or something similar and then prop it up by your window so you can witness it changing throughout the day.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the higher the sheen, the more reflective the color and paint will be. This also means that lacquered or high-gloss walls will be extra sensitive to lighting as it shifts, while the changing tone of paint will be less dramatic with flatter finishes (here's our guide to everything you need to know about paint finishes and how they can dramatically change the overall look of your walls, even when in the same color). Ready? Snag a few samples and test them out before you commit!
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.
Hadley Mendelsohn is the co-host and executive producer of the podcast Dark House. When she's not busy writing about interiors, you can find her scouring vintage stores, reading, researching ghost stories, or stumbling about because she probably lost her glasses again. Along with interior design, she writes about everything from travel to entertainment, beauty, social issues, relationships, fashion, food, and on very special occasions, witches, ghosts, and other Halloween haunts. Her work has also been published in MyDomaine, Who What Wear, Man Repeller, Matches Fashion, Byrdie, and more.
