Bathrooms are tricky… you never really know what color to paint them. Do you go darker? Lighter? Use the same color? Oftentimes the decision is hard to make, but as long as you consider the space, there are likely to be several good options that will work. Here are some possible directions you can go in.
Go Three Shades Darker
If you’re not wanting to do anything extremely fancy or different than what’s in the rest of your home but you want a little variety, consider going three shades darker with your bathroom paint color than what’s in the rest of the home (or the room outside).
Beware: This is a great idea for larger bathrooms with plenty of window light. However, this is not a great idea for small, windowless spaces – as it will make these bathrooms seem much tinier than they are! For those smaller spaces, consider the next, similar tactic…
Go Three Shades Lighter
If you’re in the same boat… wanting a slight difference but not matching the rest of your home, and you have a small bathroom (without great window light), go three shades lighter than what’s in the rest of the home (or the room outside). Going lighter will not only look great with the space outside, but it will also make those smaller bathrooms feel much bigger!
Keep It The Same
You can never really go wrong with keeping the paint color consistent throughout every room in your home. It’s pleasing to the eye as you move from room to room, and at the end of the day it’s great for resale.
Have an Accent Wall
A trendy option these days is to have a fun little accent wall in the bathroom. It’s spunky, creative and different, and will also allow you to showcase your taste in a stylish way. Try big, bold, singled colored stripes on a white wall, for example.
Find a Pattern You Love
Love the accent wall but it’s not quite enough? Who says you have to stop at one wall? Turn the “accent wall” into an “accent bathroom”! There are templates for these things, too. Try finding a basketball-sized spot template, and paint these “spots” strategically on each wall to create one awesome polka dotted bathroom.
Use Wall Paper
Love the pattern idea but don’t want to paint everything yourself? Wallpaper can be just as gorgeous and fun. If you have a professional install it, it will be no hassle at all to you outside of the cost.
Find the Complementary Color
If you’re still looking for something a little different than what’s in the rest of the house, but you’re unsure of which direction to go in, try looking at complementing colors. Look at a color wheel – find the color that represents (either exactly or in tone and hue) the color outside of the bathroom; pick the exact opposite for in the bathroom. For example – if you have pale yellow walls in the bedroom, consider a very pale purple (yellow’s complementing color) for your bathroom.
Can’t Go Wrong With White
White is classy, timeless, bright and airy – white is always a good idea! It’s the perfect option to brighten up dark, small spaces, and will make a tiny room look larger. And, it’s another one that’s great for resale.
Match the House In Tone
More than likely, you’ve created a tone or feeling in how you’ve painted the rest of your home: are you light and airy? Neutral? Dark? Bold and bright? Consider the existing tone of your home – let’s say you have rooms in warm neutrals like beige and olive green – pick a bathroom color that falls in the same warm, neutral family.
Wainscoting is the Way
At the end of the day, if you still can’t decide your favorite look… bear in mind that wainscoting and taking the trim halfway up the wall in a crisp, white, bead board fashion, is a great idea! It looks classy, it’s super easy to clean, and it takes lots of pressure off of your paint color decision since it cuts the amount in half!
If you really consider the layout, window light, and tone of the rest of your home… you should have no problem narrowing down some great options for the color and look of your bathroom.
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What bathroom wall colors or ideas would you consider?