Last month while walking the dog I walked by my neighbour’s bathroom remodel. Their door was open and I peeked inside. Wow – their walls were painted navy blue!
Not navy grey, but a true blue color that looked rich and serene all at the same time. The idea sparked something inside me; I realized I had been too timid about bathroom paint colours for way too long. When people hear “navy blue bathroom” they automatically think “ship cabin”.
But that is exactly what builder-grade beige does to your bathroom! Bathrooms are where we spend a lot of quality time each day; they deserve to be stylish and welcoming too.
I had all but convinced myself that you could never go wrong with basic white paint, because “color is risky”, or it would negatively impact resale values.
Spoiler alert: neither of those things are true. The inspiration to paint my bathroom started around six months ago. Like most bathroom makeovers, mine began with ripping up the old flooring and slipping and sliding around on bare plywood subfloor.
The one redeeming thing about my boring builder-grade bathroom was that it had one big window. Natural light from a frosted glass window can do wonders for an otherwise cramped bathroom. During the flooring/installations phase I painted most of my walls white (twice).
Living with plain white walls for several weeks really allowed me to understand how desperately I wanted something… more. Inspiration struck again when I was poking around online for rug ideas and came across a blog with a bathroom that had been painted this lovely sage green hue. “Eucalyptus Mist” sounds about as hippie-dippy as it looks, but in the photo it appeared to work well in that space. Excited about my findings, I text my mom a screenshot and drove straight to the hardware store to pick up some paint swatches.
Fast forward one weekend of painting, and “Eucalyptus Mist” ended up looking more like “Visit The Emergency Room”. It had a super yellow undertone that was invisible in the paint store, but thanks to my fluorescent bathroom bulbs ended up making it look liked the wall were fluorescing. Cue major face palm.
Moral of the story: always test paint colors in your space, at your house, during different times of day. Something that looks fabulous on a magazine cover was likely photographed with optimal lighting/conditions and will not translate to your home. Paint Color #2: “Storm Cloud” Lesson Learned: paint color can dramatically change the feel of a room, even if you don’t change a thing else.
The dusty blue color is calming without being cold. The warm white LED lights we installed make the walls look slightly grey-blue at night. It creates the perfect mood for relaxing after a long day at work.
The best part? Everyone who comes over comments on how “high-end” our bathroom looks now. It’s the same tile, fixtures, layout.
The only difference is paint color. Paint color makes such a difference! Feeling empowered by my blue bathroom walls, I decided to take a gamble on the half-bath downstairs.
It’s tiny. Like 4 feet by 3 feet tiny. With white walls, it feels more like a closet with plumbing installed than an actual bathroom.
So why not go bold? The green I chose is called “Forest Canopy”. It’s described as “emerald” but it’s more green than blue and reads much more neutral in bright natural light.
My sister laughed at me when I told her about my crazy plan. “Green? In your bathroom? Come on.” Green bathrooms don’t come to mind when you think of trendy bathroom colors but hear me out.
Not only does it look amazing, it hides water spots and fingerprints way better than white paint ever did. Inspired by my newfound bravery, I started researching other colors people swear against using in bathrooms. The #1 one reply I got was “you can never go wrong with white paint because bold colors will turn off buyers when you go to sell”.
Not entirely true. While crazy colors like bright orange or violet may scare off potential buyers, rich jewel tones can actually add to the perceived value of your home. Dark blues, greens and even purples/grays are trending right now and can make your space feel high-end and customized.
I recently helped a friend choose paint for her bathroom and we tested this theory first hand. My friend Sarah was debating between white (again!) and a dark blue-gray color she loved. We compromised and painted the bottom half of her bathroom walls “Midnight Navy” and did white wainscoting about three feet up.
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We then painted the top half of the wall bright white. Not only does the blue contrast beautifully with the white cabinets and accents, but it didn’t make her bathroom feel closed-off. She was worried about painting anything too dark because her bathroom isn’t very big.
Painting the lower half of the wall dark blue actually makes her white vanity, sink, and fixtures POP. The dark background really makes her clawfoot tub look more sculptural and those brass fixtures she splurged on shine like crazy against the dark wall color. Her bathroom looks intentional, customized and expensive – not your basic builder bathroom with off-the-shelf stuff from Home Depot.
Paint tip: not every color works in every space. I recently saw someone post a beautiful blush pink bathroom they just painted on Instagram. In bright, natural light with stark white marble countertops, it looks like a dream.
In my friend’s tiny, windowless powder room? It looked pinkish-grey and gloomy. Whenever you’re looking at paint colors, make sure you’re seeing photos taken in natural light whenever possible.
Pay attention to the finishes around the room. Blues, greens and cool grays will work with most any fixture finish since they are “neutral” colors. Warmer colors like terracotta, peach and mustard yellow are harder to pull off because they need the right light and finishes to keep them from looking dated.
Once you’ve picked the perfect color, remember that everything else in your bathroom is either opposing or supporting that paint color. Your towels, shower curtains, even artwork you display are either made to look worse or better by your wall color choice. That sage green color I loved made my white towels look dingy and my silver fixtures seem cheap.
But that rich blue makes whites really pop and my stainless steel fixtures look high-end. Colors I’m loving? Deep charcoal gray paired with beautiful brass fixtures.
I recently painted my upstairs bathroom “Graphite” and cannot stop staring at how sexy it looks. Dark walls with bright white subway tile. Dark brass cabinet pulls, light fixtures and towel bars.
It’s moody, masculine, but not dark and dingy. The brass keeps the space from feeling too cold and the white tile brightens up the space so it doesn’t feel too heavy. Dark colors can be overwhelming if every single surface is that color.
Balance is key! Paint your walls dark colors and keep your trim, shower curtain, door and maybe even your floors light. The dark walls will make your fixtures and light-colored surfaces POP.
But if you paint every wall dark it will feel like you’re living in a cave. Ask me how I know. Quality paint that will stand up to moisture and scrubbing will always cost more than your basic interior paint.
But that’s usually only £5-10 more per room. Considering you’ll never have to repaint as often as you will re-tile or replace fixtures, it’s honestly the cheapest way to transform how your bathroom feels and looks. My current experiment is a warm, dusty rose color I’m trying in my guest bathroom.
I was skeptical too – bathroom paint colors don’t usually involve pink. But THIS color is so muted it almost reads as neutral. Kind of like a fancy version of terracotta.
With bright white trim and black fixtures and accents, it’s an unexpectedly bold and welcoming combination.
Not a single person has walked into my house and said “ew pink walls” or that it looks cheap. Everyone comments on how bold and beautiful it is.
And you know what? My guests feel the same way about my house when they visit. Since none of my updates have been TOO out there I haven’t hurt my resale value; they’ve probably helped it.◢ Follow us on Instagram.◢ Try it on an accent wall first if you’re nervous.
Paint just one wall behind your toilet or sink and see how you feel about it before committing to the whole room. Paint a powder room first if you have one. Powder rooms are small and since NO ONE wants to paint their master bathroom there is less pressure!
Choose a color YOU love. You’re going to look at your bathroom paint every single day when you walk in the door. Choose a color that makes you happy!
