West-facing light is a tale of two halves, and that's the thing most people miss. In the morning the room sits in cool, indirect light — colours read flatter, greyer, sometimes a touch dull. Then from mid-afternoon onwards the sun swings round and floods in low and golden, warming everything up and pulling out yellows and reds you didn't know were there. By evening it can feel genuinely cosy.
The practical upshot: a colour you test at lunchtime will look like a different paint by 6pm. So the rule is test in both morning and evening light before you commit — paint a decent-sized board (A2 minimum), not a postage stamp on the wall.
Because the room gives you warmth for free in the evening, you've got real freedom here. West-facing rooms handle cooler colours better than north-facing ones because the afternoon sun keeps them from going cold and lifeless. A soft grey-green like Farrow & Ball Mizzle works a treat — fresh and calm in the morning, soft and welcoming once the sun comes round. If you want something with a bit more depth, Little Greene French Grey holds its character beautifully through the shifting light.
Lean warm and you'll get a properly glowing evening room — Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster goes from a gentle pink by day to something genuinely rich at sunset, which is either lovely or a bit much depending on your taste. Worth knowing before you order ten litres.
The "but what about" question is usually: *can I use a cool white?* Yes, but pick one with a touch of warmth in the base — Farrow & Ball Wevet or Strong White — rather than a stark blue-white, which will look clinical all morning and only come good for a couple of hours each evening.
My advice: decide which time of day you actually use the room most. Evening lounge? Lean into the warmth. Morning kitchen? Make sure it still sings in that cooler light.