Choosing the perfect color scheme for a bathroom remodel can be super exciting! For real though, it can make or break a bathroom in terms of look and feel. But with like a million possible bathroom color combos out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Thoughtful paint and tile coordination can take your bathroom from drab to dramatic!
We’ve gathered the best advice from kitchen and bath remodeling contractors for selecting a bathroom paint color that achieves your vision beautifully. Follow these top 8 tips that even pros use to pick the best bathroom paint colors for a fabulous color plan with confidence.
Table of Contents
8 Bathroom Remodel Tips: Choosing The Best Paint Colors
Picking the perfect paint colors for your bathroom remodel can seem tough, but it doesn’t have to be! We compile bathroom paint ideas straight from the specialists to help you discover the perfect colors, materials, and accents:
1. Consider the Size of Your Bathroom
If you have a small bathroom, opt for light and airy paint colors like soft blues, airy greens, or even barely-there neutrals. Avoid intensity and overwhelming tight spaces but don’t shy completely from boldness. Strategic dramatic elements give small rooms personality.
Bigger bathrooms let you use dramatic dark colors since there’s more space. Going too dark everywhere could seem dull. But a few bright accent walls or tile backsplashes liven things up. Have fun with colors you can’t use in small bathrooms. Just balance peaceful and playful shades in different areas.
2. Think About the Natural Light
Pay attention to which parts of your bathroom get direct sun versus shade so you can choose paint colors that complement the lighting. North-facing rooms may benefit from warm tones like peach or yellow to compensate for cool, indirect light. Southern exposures can handle deeper shades without appearing too dark and dreary.
Enhance whatever natural light floods your bathroom by selecting lighter neutrals for the majority of surfaces, using deeper tones strictly as accents. Paint ceilings/upper walls soft hue bouncing sunlight around naturally bright rooms. Incorporate natural wood elements to further illuminate space.
If your bathroom has limited natural light, choose paint colors that will help to brighten and illuminate the small space well. For bathrooms lacking windows, avoid going overly dark or risking a gloomy effect. Strategically place mirrors to reflect artificial lighting, opening up darker spaces. Use sheen and metallic finishes on fixtures to infuse shimmer helping compensate for dimness.
3. Choose Three Colors
Limit your color palette to 3 coordinating hues for a smooth, blended look. One color on walls, a second for trim, and a third to accent key features like tile or fixtures. Too many competing shades can feel busy or mismatched. Neutrals keep the background soft and versatile for layering other tones. Next, choose a darker shade richer secondary shade with more personality for elements like accent walls, vanity, window treatments, or flooring. Saturated hues like navy, charcoal, or emerald green create a stunning contrast against neutral backdrops when used judiciously.
Finally, incorporate occasional bright pops of metallic sheens or lively colors like yellow, orange blush pink, or teal for the finishing touch. Limit these fun playful tones to ornamental items, artwork, or small deco features so they provide eye-catching contrast without overwhelming. Carefully balancing and layering three interplaying shades creates a makeover with beautiful depth and dimension.
4. Decide on a Style You Want to Achieve
Before picking any colors, determine the overall style or mood you want your new bathroom to emanate. A sleek, spa-like retreat? A cozy, cottage-style escape? Traditional and elegant? Establishing a direction first makes it easier to select a cohesive color palette.
For instance, if you envision a relaxing, spa-style space, stick to serene shades like sage green, soft blue, warm tan, and cream. Accent with natural textures like stone and wood. For a cottage bathroom, look for cheerful pastel hues like robin’s egg blue, butter yellow, or barely pink. Mix with distressed wood finishes and floral accents to finish the cheerful look.
5. Smartly Limit Bold Color Usage
While rich shades like emerald or navy can look amazing in small doses, bathing an entire small bathroom in bold colors can feel dark and intense. Use deep hues sparingly on feature walls or to accent key areas instead of overwhelming the room. Limit intense shades of azure sky blue, emerald, or magenta strictly to decor items easily replaced when trends fade allowing flexible makeovers later.
Start with throw rugs or towels in pops of color against soft neutral walls and warmer wood elements for balance. As color confidence grows, graduate to swapping out intense paint on a single accent wall easily updated again with a fresh coat of coats. This remains the only option for renters too!
6. Try Feature Walls instead of Full Rooms
Continuing the last point, concentrate bolder paint choices onto a single statement wall instead of all four. This helps colors feel impactful yet controlled. Try painting the wall-holding sinks or behind the tub in a dynamic warm hue that anchors the room without luminosity.
Frame vibrant walls with crisp clean white trim and ceilings to maximize pops of color, keeping natural elements and their potent visual weight in check. Strategic placement on the shortest or longest wall makes sense compositionally without risks of it feeling like too much intensity.
7. Repeat Hues in Different Sheens
Want your bathroom colors to feel cohesive but not flat? Try using the same color family in a couple of different finishes. Like maybe a nice robin’s egg blue on the walls in a matte sheen, paired with a robin’s egg blue ceramic tile in a glossy finish. Or a soft sage green paint with a satin sheen on the vanity, and the same sage tone in a velvety fabric shower curtain. It keeps things feeling coordinated without being too matchy-matchy.
Beiges gain dimension when painted as a creamy flat wall color and then repeated in glossy tile or high-reflective metallic decor. The 7 available paint finishes alone multiply options for repeating colors innovatively. Just avoid matching the same shades/finishes everywhere – subtle variation intrigues.
8. Link Colors in Adjacent Rooms
If your bathroom connects to other rooms like a bedroom or hallway, pull a color from an adjoining space into your bathroom palette. This helps everything flow together. Like if your bedroom has pretty navy accents, use a similar navy in the bathroom. Or if the hall leading into your bathroom is painted a nice wheat color, incorporate that tone into the color scheme. It makes the whole house feel more unified.
Floating warm wood shelving echoing floor stains elsewhere in the primary bathroom will work better than matching full wood treatments overwhelming baths. Pick shared colors intentionally, not arbitrarily. Analyze architectural sightlines guiding choices in transitional rooms with custom continuity.
Popular Bathroom Color Ideas
When it comes to picking colors for your bathroom upgrade, the options can seem endless. To help narrow things down, here are ever-popular bathroom color palette ideas you really can’t go wrong with.
Calming Cream White
You just can’t top crisp white or relaxing cream paired with natural wood tones when aiming for a peaceful, spa-like bathroom. Keep walls bright in either crisp clean white, warm vanilla, or soft greige. Contrast with wood finishes like driftwood or oak for texture. Sandy beiges also bring zen feels. Skip patterns and opt for all solids. Simple and grounding.
Soft gray walls paired with white trim and accents create a calming and serene atmosphere. Pale blue walls with crisp white trim and accents create a fresh and clean look.
Bold and Bright Neutrals
Why play it safe when you can wake up and greet each morning with poppy coral walls or make a cheerful statement with glossy lemon-yellow tile? Vibrant lime greens and pool blues also stun when done right. Just stick to one color star per bathroom. Pair your bold bright wall or backsplash with mostly neutral solids elsewhere. A little goes a long way!
Navy blue walls paired with white trim and accents create a dramatic and sophisticated look. Bright coral walls with white trim and accents create a fun and playful atmosphere. Deep green walls with natural wood accents create a soft shade for a spa-like and relaxing space.
Soft and Soothing Shade
For a bathroom meant to relax and rejuvenate, soft pastel hues can’t be beaten. Think muted robin’s egg blue walls, barely pink tiles, or buttery ivory paired with palest sage green. Keep lines and forms simple to let the pretty colors shine. Metallic accents in champagne or copper add a touch of subtle gloss.
Soft pink walls paired with white trim and accents create a feminine and elegant look. Pale peach walls with warm beige accents create a soft and soothing atmosphere. Mint green walls with crisp white trim and accents create a fresh and calming look.
Warm and Inviting Powder Rooms
Welcome guests to your home with a rich, jewel-inspired powder room paint color. Deep emerald or sapphire walls, gleaming amber glass tiles, and glamorous gold brass finishes feel fun yet refined. Stay timeless with clean lines vs ornate decoration. A colorful, welcoming water closet guests will actually want to use? Priceless.
Warm beige walls paired with natural wood accents create a cozy and inviting space. Soft sage walls with warm gray accents create a calming and serene atmosphere. Rich terracotta walls with natural stone accents create a warm and welcoming space.
Statement with Bold Colors
In a smaller bathroom, stark black or nearly navy blue walls can feel enveloping. But splash these deep dramatic paint colors just onto a single wall or focal point, instant stylish statement. Contrast rich shades with plenty of bright whites and natural textures. Make sure lighting is sufficient to prevent total gloom. Then enjoy your bold, beautiful, totally on-trend bathroom focal feature!
Always sample paint colors on your bathroom walls before committing to a specific shade. Consider the color of your fixtures and furniture when selecting paint colors. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from a professional painter or interior designer.
What Type of Paint Finish is Best for Home Bath Remodel?
Matte paint finishes are best for bathrooms with warm lighting and high humidity and moisture. Semi-gloss paint finishes are best for bathrooms with moderate humidity and moisture. Gloss paint finishes are best for bathrooms with low humidity and moisture.
Choose paint colors that complement your fixtures and furniture. Consider painting your bathroom cabinets to match your wall color. Don’t forget to paint the ceiling and trim to complete the look.
Final Tips for Painting Your Bathroom
Choosing a color scheme with confidence requires balancing personal style goals and lighting realities unique to your space. But implementing even vibrant colors seems less daunting remembering it’s only paint!
Our W Kitchen & Bath pros can help make sure everything works together nicely in your space. Come see our inspiring showroom displays under different lighting. Schedule a FREE design meeting to get ideas and advice for your next remodel. We’ll help you decide on combinations you’ll love in your new bathroom for a long time!