What is the best paint color for a small bathroom? According to basic design principles, light colors such as white, crème, pastel blue, gray or yellow will visually expand a room, while dark colors such as a deep red, green or brown, will make a room feel smaller.
Pale and cool colors reflect light, so soft whites, pastels, and neutrals can make a bath feel bigger. Woodwork, trim, and doors will "disappear" if they're painted the same hue as the walls, and the effect is enhanced if cabinets and counters are also the same color as the walls.
"Lighter colors reflect light easily, which gives the room a bigger appearance," says Piercy. Unsurprisingly, a classic white paint is the perfect choice when it comes to creating the illusion of a bigger bathroom.
White walls are a great way to open up a small space, and they can act as the perfect neutral backdrop for colorful decor. A white color is not only a classic clean look, but it's also the perfect color when you're dealing with a windowless bathroom or one which doesn't get a lot of natural light.
Cracked Shower Glass and Rusty Metal Fixtures
Like an old medicine cabinet, cracked glasses and rusty metal fixtures all give the impression of neglect—not to mention, date your bathroom years.
One of the easiest ways to give your room a spacious look is to use lots of white — white tile, white paint, a white vanity and so on. This noncolor-color naturally recedes, making the space look bigger. It also reflects any available light, rather than absorbing it.
Soothing neutrals in blue, green, and gray will help create a relaxing, spa-like vibe for your bathroom. Look for colors inspired by nature like soft sage, sky blue, and ash gray. If you prefer warmer colors, opt for a pale yellow, warm beige, or even a delicate blush color to give the space a welcoming glow.
And when bathrooms or powder rooms lack natural light, embracing darker shades is often the best option. If you paint a room lacking natural light a true white, it will fall flat, feeling dull and uninviting.
The verdict
But if you want a more individual and fun look with plenty of impact, a dark scheme may be the way to go – especially in a small bathroom or one with minimal natural light, where a bold choice may create a cocooning haven of warmth and relaxation.
Light yellow, cream, beige, and gray are also favorites of prospective home buyers. We recommend avoiding reds, pinks, and greens as paint choices if you want to get top dollar for your home.
Include lots of natural light. Small bathrooms can often appear dark. Natural light makes the room look brighter and opens up the space so it appears larger. If you only have a small window, install a skylight or solar tunnel to bring more natural light into the room.
The streamlined architecture of a modern bathroom pairs well with certain bathroom color schemes—think crisp whites, pretty pastels, and bright and bold hues, as opposed to more muted tones. Traditional spaces look great painted in nearly any color.
For a welcoming feel, try using warm color temperatures between 2700K and 3000K. This way, you'll give your bathroom a soft, yellowish glow that evokes comfort. On the other hand, if you're looking for a more modern, sleek look, go for a color temperature between 3500K and 4000K.
A bright shade of yellow creates the illusion of light in any windowless bathroom. Pairing the color with white makes the overall room an uplifting oasis.
As a general rule of thumb, it is best for a bathroom floor to be a darker shade than the accompanying walls and ceiling. However, if your personal preference dictates, you can choose to be adventurous and go against the grain in this regard.
Choose Three Colors
Use the rule of three as a guiding principle for creating a bathroom color scheme: Pick one neutral, one rich color, and one accent. To do it successfully, think about proportion and rely on a 70/20/10 distribution.
Use Smooth Colors Inside
For example, light blue and some greenish and turquoise tones are perfect in a Feng Shui bathroom since water-inspired colors are preferred very often in Feng Shui bathrooms. Light pastel colors are also important in Feng Shui principles.
A small bathroom can actually benefit from a large tile. With fewer grout lines the walls and floor are less cluttered and the room visually expands.
Choosing a bright color is a great way to liven up a small bathroom, but it can appear garish if applied too liberally. Try applying a vivid hue, such as turquoise or coral, as an accent color on a single wall, with a vanity paint job, or through a colorful tile backsplash.
Lean into Luxury. “Luxury defines The New Statement Bathroom, both in materials and technology. Look for natural marbles and stone, controlled and high-quality lighting, rich finishes, steam with aromatherapy, heated floors and toilets that do everything.”
The bathroom is a place where home buyers want to feel relaxed. They want a spa-like atmosphere, a calm, clean, neutral ambiance that is created using natural decor elements, and a light, neutral colour palette.
Outdated Colors
Another thing that screams outdated is toilets, tubs, and sinks in creative colors like pastels. Those were common in the 1970s! Today's fixtures are subtle creams, whites and beiges. Just say no to pink porcelain.