I am trying to help my friend with her basement room that she rents as a living space. It's currently painted an awful industrial bright cool white but it looks dishwater gray because of the light temperature that comes through the windows. Can somebody recommend some color combos that will make this room feel less stark and cold? Keep in mind the floors are a darkish brown. Her furniture is a black/brown color. Thanks so much!

You have to look at the color on the ceiling. Light will hit it differently. It is also likely to go over ceiling texture and paint differently, but testing it on poster board or heavy paper is a good place to start. I went through a number of tests before I got the blue for our BR ceiling. And I can't tel you what it was now. I think we might have started with a can from the store and remixed after seeing it directly on the ceiling -- I do that kind of thing. I thing any of those second group and all of the first except the second from the top could look good. You need to pick one that will go well with the other things you put in the room. An aqua can be more limiting and may seem more seasonal.

Oh Gosh! I'm going though the same thing. I'm leaning towards Simply White in my north-facing room. I know it can read really yellow in a south-facing room but a warm but still really bright in a north facing room with that cool light coming in. I'm afraid Chantilly white will read too stark. I'm painting both my bedroom and kitchen, one on top of the other with the same northern light. Also, I think of it as a color for modern spaces and I live in an old, historic house. Just not sure I can pull it off. Abbyfaye, I'd love to see your pictures! I have simply white in my hallways and like it. Is it weird to have it in my bedroom and kitchen too? I got samples from samplize and white dove comes across really greige/taupe and not very bright. I'm not loving it at all. Mystery to me why it is so popular. I'm losing my mind looking at blogs on the best white paint! Have to make a decision by Thursday!

Thank you @everdebz and @eam44 for the input. I did hire Kylie for a cabinet color consult and she did a good job (though I hadn't chosen a counter top at that point), I was more looking for a cabinet color that would be a "white" that would look good in a north facing room and this is from her consult - "SW Alabaster. This is a warm, creamy white. It will help to off-set the northern light coming in, without being as yellow as Dover White." She also suggested Westhighland White as a 2nd choice. SW 7566 but I feel I see a bit of pink...maybe I need my eyes checked. I do like Alabaster, but it seems a bit too warm for some of my counter top selections. What is the "nuance" of SW alabaster.... And does it contradict what Lori says about nuance below? From reading the chroma info from land of color expert @funcolors it seems I want "Colors with a nuance that is light and clear. Meaning choose paint colors that are clear but not vivid or bright", but how to pick one. Don't exactly understand how I figure out "nuance". Also, do I start with a paint color that will work in a northern exposure and then select a counter top to go with, or do I pick a counter top and then pick a cabinet color? I see so many counter tops that I like, yet I can't figure out how to pick the proper paint color that will work with the counter top AND the north exposure. And then to bring in a dark color for the island. Kylie suggested SW Cyberspace or SW Grizzle Gray 7068. I really like Grizzle Gray, but I am concerned it is too muddied and gray for the northern light. Will the gray stand out more? Say I chose something with green undertones (SW Urban bronze 7048) is the blue north light going to counteract to make these colors appear brown? or will the green tones be more prevalent. Bottom line I am still having a hard time figuring out what the natural light will do to the various paint colors. And because the house is under construction and my cabinet color choice needs to be made, I am not in a situation where I can wait until everything is in place.