I was decorating a north facing bedroom in a house this week, when the owner walked in with a welcome tray of tea and biscuits. She leant against the window wall and looked at the light falling on the other side of the room and said “It’s like emerging from a cocoon”, and then “I don’t mean the colour exactly (a pale cream which was covering an old, tired acidic yellow) but the light just feels so energised and uplifting”.

 

It’s something many of us recognise at this time of year, even if we don’t always put it into words. In May and June the light changes in a way that’s quite distinct. Outside, everything feels more vivid for a while, the bright freshness of the tree leaves when they first appear, the brand-new blossom pinks before they deepen and fall, the clarity of the light from a blue sky after months of cloudy softer, lower light – a universally acknowledged spirit lifting phenomenon.

 

Indoors, those changes are felt just as much and no wonder it is such a popular time of year for decorating (and cleaning!) Over the winter months, we become used to seeing our homes in a more contained way. Natural light is there, but it pops up in unexpected moments. A beam of winter sunlight hits the walls so differently, like a spotlight in a theatre, picking out unintended areas. Lamps come on earlier, curtains are drawn sooner, and rooms are experienced in smaller pockets of light.

 

Then spring arrives and with it comes the return of broader, longer natural light. Rooms hold daylight for hours and those corners that have been in shadow begin to open up again. Walls are revealed more fully, and colours that have been “hiding” for months begin to show themselves again. They can appear clearer, warmer, but sometimes they can look weaker too, and almost unsupportive and you might feel that sense that something is no longer quite right, even though you haven’t actually changed anything yourself.

 

Our response to this lift in light and energy is powerful, so if you find yourself testing paint colours at this time of year, it helps to remember that while this feeling is seasonal, it may also be that you are responding to colours which could be just as beautiful in the winter months too. In a few months’ time, the same room will return to a different rhythm, with less natural light and a greater reliance on lamps and overheads. The colour will still be there, but it will be seen differently. Food for thought!

 

Even if you’re planning to decorate later in the year, it can still be a very useful moment to look at colour. Spring light gives a clear and generous view of how a colour behaves, and that can be very helpful. So it’s worth taking a little time to look more than once. To notice how a colour sits in the morning, but also at the end of the day. Which at the moment can be pretty late! I’d argue that a colour that feels balanced across both those moments tends to hold its own over time.

That feeling of “coming out of a cocoon” is a lovely one. It brings clarity, energy, and a desire to change things, to open things up and start again. It’s good to lean into it. Sometimes your gut feeling will lead you to the right colour instantly, and sometimes it simply asks for a little time, to see how things settle.

 

Either way, it’s worth remembering that the light itself is doing most of the work and this time of year it’s literally doing overtime so do make the most of it!

 

 

Ashley’s tips for testing colours in the summer

 

1. Test colours at different times of day

A colour that looks perfect at 10am will feel completely different at 8pm. Spring and summer light is super generous, warm and revealing so take time to look at your samples in the morning, afternoon and evening before making a decision.

 

2. Don't judge a colour in bright daylight alone

At this time of year, it's easy to fall in love with a colour on a sunny day.

But do view it when the sky is overcast too. In the UK, that's still a fairly common occurrence, even in May and June!

 

3. See it with the lamps on

Many decorating decisions are made in daylight, but many of us actually use our rooms most heavily in the evening and certainly for six colder months of the year. A colour needs to work with artificial light just as happily as it works with sunshine.

 

4. Live with it for a few days

First impressions matter but do leave samples up for a few days and allow yourself to walk past them without consciously studying them. Often your instinctive reaction tells you more than staring and scrutinizing.

 

5. Test colours where they'll actually be used

The same paint can look completely different on opposite sides of the same room.

Try samples on more than one wall, particularly in rooms with strong natural light, large windows or changing shadows throughout the day.