I have 3 bathrooms in my house (technically 2.5). I'd like to paint them all as my entire house needs to be updated. I did paint the living room a few months ago and it looks an awesome shade of green.

What are some good bathroom colors. If I had a large bathroom I'd do some rich shade of red, but everything I've seen pretty much says paint small spaces some light pastel color.

Anyone have any good recommendations? I'm not planning on selling but something that'll make the rooms seem more appealing when I am ready to sell is always appreciated.

2/2/2011 9:24:33 AM

I painted a small bathroom a rich shade of red and I thought it turned out fine.

2/2/2011 9:30:48 AM

we painted one of ours a light tan, and one a 'seafoam' type color.

2/2/2011 9:32:58 AM

The reasons I've seen that say painting a darker color is bad is basically that it makes the small space look even smaller.

2/2/2011 9:40:07 AM

I don't think dark colors are always bad in small spaces- just depends on what else is in there, and how you do it. this page has a photo of a dark red small bathroom that I really like:



http://www.zimbio.com/Ideas+for+Painting+a+Small+Bathroom

[Edited on February 2, 2011 at 9:41 AM. Reason : dumb]

2/2/2011 9:40:45 AM

you don't want to do dark colors in large-ish rooms because it can make them look smaller, but bathrooms are supposed to be small. you can cancel out that effect by extending the color of the ceiling down about a foot or so.

i'm hoping to re-do my bathroom at least somewhat before the end of the year, so the colors I am thinking of are teal, turquoise, glass green- something spa-ish.

2/2/2011 9:41:03 AM

dark colors = reminds you of a cave = gonna go sit a while in the poop cave



It all really depends on how you like to feel when you're in the bathroom - a light, cool color is going to relax you and help to remove some tension, while a dark, warm color is going to make you feel safer & more protected




here's a loose guide:

http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

2/2/2011 9:47:18 AM

Our downstairs guest bathroom (full) is a very regal/royal purple with brushed nickel fixtures and black and white for the other colors (blinds, shower curtain, mirror, towels, rug, picture).

Our upstairs guest bathroom (full) is a medium gray with brushed nickel fixtures and black, white, and red for the colors (shower curtain, towels, rug, picture).

We haven't painted or decorated our master bath yet but we'll probably do something a little more "spa-like" in there with lighter, cooler colors.

Basically in the guest bathrooms we went for a little more "bold" styling and didn't care about the whole "darker colors make the room feel smaller" thing and we have gotten quite a few compliments on the downstairs one (the upstairs one was just redone this past week so no one has seen it yet). My friend's wife actually decided she wanted to paint their half-bath the same color after using ours

Some things to keep in mind:

-If you have one of those standard, large, non-framed, mirrors that come in most houses, consider removing it (easy work) before painting and then hanging a new framed mirror after you paint the new color. Really updates the space and adds a LOT to making the bathroom feel updated.

-Consider replacing outlet covers (in a bathroom you probably only have 1 set of switches, and 1-2 wall plugs). You have a lot of options here depending on the wall colors. If you go with a light, cool color you can consider some of the sleek "glass" looking covers. If you go with a bolder color you can look into brushed nickel or aged/antique bronze (the almost black looking stuff).

-If you replace the outlet covers, also consider replacing towel racks. Once again, something done on the cheap (places like Target have a decent selection for great prices). If you go with metal outlet covers, match the finish for the towel racks.

-Replacing faucets is actually fairly easy as well and adds another touch to making it look updated. Once again, try and match the finish/metal type if you are putting in new towel racks, outlet covers etc.

-While new, updated vanities can add a lot to a bathroom and help in making it look "customized" and not "builder-stock", this is one area that can get expensive quickly ($150-200 even for some on the cheaper side from hardware stores often). Instead of replacing the entire vanity, if you were really wanting a new look with the vanity, consider re-painting the cabinetry and updating the hardware instead. You'll spend a fraction of the cost and can totally change the look.

-Finally, if you want to do a dark, bolder color, consider using white as an accent color to "lighten" the room up. For example, in the bathroom where we did a rich, medium-dark purple, we used a stark white shower curtain with a black design, as well as a white rug, and white towels and a black and white picture on the wall. The vanity top, the trim, the door, and toilet are also white. All the white colors create a crisp contrast between the bolder wall color which looks really nice (imo) and helps the room to not feel like a cave in the slightest.

2/2/2011 10:17:09 AM

burnt orange

[Edited on February 2, 2011 at 10:20 AM. Reason : living room's already green]

2/2/2011 10:19:48 AM

Quote :

"It all really depends on how you like to feel when you're in the bathroom - a light, cool color is going to relax you and help to remove some tension, while a dark, warm color is going to make you feel safer & more protected"

this made me chuckle for some reason....

2/2/2011 10:48:31 AM

we have one bathroom that's robin's egg blue & the master is a medium tan color just like the master bedroom. i really <3 the robin's egg blue. it's not pastel, but it's not bright either. i think the name was beach house & it's in the eddie bauer line of paint at lowe's. maybe. i'd have to verify that brand. def lowe's though.

2/2/2011 11:04:41 AM

the best color ive seen for a bathroom was a slate blue, similar to the ones called "bunglehouse" or "tempe star" under the blue, second line of colors here: http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pro/paint_colors/explore/color/index.jsp

2/2/2011 11:22:20 AM

We went with a bright Nickalodeon color (was called "Yellow Diaper" at the time ) to brighten things up. There's no chillin' in our bathroom, but your ass will wake up first thing in the morning.

http://www.myperfectcolor.com/Match-of-Nickelodeon-NK201-Electron-Yellow-p/mpc0081176.htm


[Edited on February 2, 2011 at 12:06 PM. Reason : .]

2/2/2011 12:05:41 PM

wallpaper is controversial but actually, a large print wallpaper in a dark color can make a bathroom look really nice

a friend of mine has an old home that was restored and their 1/2 bath has this beautiful chocolate colored wallpaper with cream/tan large print pattern

it makes it look really classy and as long as you don't pick something horribly dated, it will look great for a long time

the pattern i mentioned actually looks a lot like this one but darker & larger, same shape

http://www.wallpaperdirect.co.uk/products/brewers/ink/68958

[Edited on February 2, 2011 at 1:20 PM. Reason : picture]

2/2/2011 1:19:08 PM

i hate hate hate hate wallpaper & will never ever use it & will rip it down out of any house i buy. it goes out of style so quickly.

i checked on the paint at lunch. the paint can just says lowe's signature, so it was a specialty color. beach house was the name. i took some pictures w/ my iphone but the color doesn't show up right.

2/2/2011 2:53:38 PM

I plan on checking out lowe's this weekend...and painting then too!

2/2/2011 3:00:47 PM

I am personally a big fan of the Behr paint that Home Depot sells. The stuff with the primer in it. Definitely coats better than any other paint I have used. 1 coat was all we needed in any room we have done (though we have just been painting over "builder beige" as opposed to some darker color which obviously helps).

2/2/2011 3:02:38 PM

Big fan of wallpaper for one reason: The bathroom is the only place in the house where I'm going to be regularly sitting and staring at the wall. Anywhere else, I'll have a TV, a computer, an actual person to converse with. In the bathroom, its the occasional book or magazine, but most of the time I'm just staring at the wall as I grunt and strain to rid the last fecal remnants from my rectal cavity.

For this reason, I prefer something to look at that's more than just a plain colored wall. Give me a wallpaper with different designs, preferably something very detailed like a landscape or a Where's Waldo type setting where I'll be able to notice sometime different every time. Beats the pants off just staring into space.

2/2/2011 3:12:54 PM

^^ agreed. Behr premium plus is the only paint i'll ever use again.

I used it to paint my bar. then got a really good price on some valspar paint from lowes for another room, and realized what a horrible mistake that was.

Behr or bust for me.



^ get a smart phone. I play games, surf the web, and using the front camera, I take pictures of my face while straining, and send them to my friends. I never get bored.

[Edited on February 2, 2011 at 3:17 PM. Reason : .]

2/2/2011 3:16:17 PM

i buy from lowe's bc that's where i always have. we've only had a home depot for a few years & it's going out of business now anyway. liquidation sale. so if anybody's buying house stuff & wants to ride out to rocky mount, now's the time.

all paint was 20% last friday. they were talking about adjusting prices again on monday so it may have come down by now. i did buy some behr paint for our foyer though.

[Edited on February 2, 2011 at 3:30 PM. Reason : ]

2/2/2011 3:22:26 PM

I don't bring my phone into the bathroom, not after the second time it fell in.

[Edited on February 2, 2011 at 3:37 PM. Reason : x]

2/2/2011 3:37:15 PM

im tempted to go in to lowes/hd and see if they have like a half gallon of that fucked up paint for sale...i know they sell that if it doesnt come out the "right" color and can be had for cheeaaaaap

2/2/2011 3:39:33 PM

I did my hall bath in dark brown, tan, and shades of blue. The choice was mostly dictated by the Carolina-blue scalloped tile that was installed by the previous owner in the 80s. However, I ended up really liking that color combination. Examples (since I don't have a photo of the bathroom)...

tile was like this, but much lighter... really more Carolina than anything (although i don't want to describe it that way)


went with a dark brown chair rail at the height of the sink, with wallpaper similar to this below the rail (the actual paper has more brown in it)


Above the rail is a medium tan paint that was matched to one of the shades in the paper

I have a rug that looks kinda like this


I ended up really liking it. I think it's a good bathroom-style combo, even though I was skeptical at first.

2/3/2011 12:06:48 AM

Quote :

"im tempted to go in to lowes/hd and see if they have like a half gallon of that fucked up paint for sale...i know they sell that if it doesnt come out the "right" color and can be had for cheeaaaaap"

Those are a good choice. Since it's a bathroom you can probably do it with 1 gallon. Make a paint sample by dipping a piece of heavy paper in the paint and letting it dry so that you can get more of it mixed up if you ever need to. They'll color match from the paint sample for free.

Picking colors that work well together can be tough. I suggest going to the paint companies' websites and looking through their example rooms. Another option would be those little sample cards at Lowes and Home Depot that show a picture of a room. They'll usually tell you the color on the walls, ceiling, trim, etc. The colors are picked by designers who actually have an eye for color, so you know they'll work well together. Believe it or not, there is a reason that a paint company has a dozen different white paints and a good designer can pick the one that compliments the wall color the best.

You also need to consider the colors in the rooms/halls that the bathroom opens up to. You want the walls in those rooms to compliment the walls in the bathroom. You might as well go ahead and pick those colors now even if you're not ready to paint those rooms.

I also highly suggest friending a girl who does some sort of design work for a living. They love this shit. Just retain veto power of anything that looks ~

[Edited on February 3, 2011 at 12:11 PM. Reason : s]

2/3/2011 12:07:51 PM

Get this sink to go with the paint job.


http://www.etsy.com/listing/21922723/teal-blown-glass-vessel-sink

2/3/2011 12:15:41 PM

lol...This just went from "how to pick paint color" to "buy this $900 sink that will also need a new cabinet and faucet."

And you can get similar sinks from Overstock.com for under $100 if you really want a vessel sink that bad. This one is $99.95 today:



[Edited on February 3, 2011 at 1:20 PM. Reason : ;]

2/3/2011 12:59:53 PM

Yeah, I would never spend that much on a single sink. I'm not even a big fan of those types of sinks to be honest. You could take half that cost and change all the hardware, faucets, paint the cabinets, paint the walls, change mirrors etc and get a bigger overall change. Like you said, that style sink would also require a new faucet and new overall vanity as well.

2/3/2011 1:07:04 PM

Technically you could just do a new top out of laminate, granite, etc. on the cabinet, but more than likely if you're spending $900 on a sink the current cabinet isn't going to be a good match. You could always repurpose an older wash stand or dresser as well. Still, it's way out of the scope of this thread.

2/3/2011 1:23:17 PM

^^^ but that one isn't made in North Carolina

2/3/2011 2:03:52 PM

wow, people love wasting large sums of money for stupid reasons.

[Edited on February 3, 2011 at 2:11 PM. Reason : .]

2/3/2011 2:11:21 PM

also, that sink basin is fucking ugly



why would you put that anywhere in your house?

2/3/2011 7:17:33 PM