Whether you live in an apartment in Boston or an apartment in Hollywood, searching for ways to curate a soothing space is paramount. Aware of it or not, your bathroom serves as a small retreat where, even for just a minute, you can enjoy a moment of solitude. As such, choosing the right bathroom paint colors goes a long way in creating a powder room or master bathroom that’s calming, where you can relax and leave behind the stress of a busy life.
Pro tip on choosing the right paint
Paint colors are exciting to choose – especially when the result is a soothing space. However, it’s important to select proper painting products that will stand the test of time (and moisture).
Phil Vanderlaan, president of PMV Painting in Portage, MI, says, “Bathrooms experience high humidity, leading to moisture condensation on walls. This moisture can slowly dry and pull out surfactants from paint colorants, which may leave a sticky brown residue.” Therefore, to ensure your paint is long-lasting and durable, Vanderlaan recommends “using a paint specifically designed for bathrooms, like Benjamin Moore Aura Bath and Spa with the Benjamin Moore Gen-X tint system.”
1. Blue is beautiful
Blue has long been characterized as a peaceful, gentle paint color that evokes a sense of calm. It also goes a long way in reducing stress in a quantifiable way. In fact, research has found that blue decreases excitement and blood pressure.
The hue you choose also can help set the mood you want. For example, if you select a light blue, it could calm the mind more than brighter blues. Deeper blues could clear the mind and lead to more reflection. You can create a color palette with a range of blues that inspire images of clear blue skies or deep ocean waters. Just be mindful of bright colors that could detract from the atmosphere you’re trying to create.
The team with Socaz Painting shares how shades such as a powder blue or a seafoam green “pair beautifully with natural stone accents, soft lighting, and fluffy white towels,” helping to add to the peacefulness of the space.
2. It’s easy being green
Always one of the most popular paint colors, green is another cool bathroom paint color that inspires calm. When most people see green, they think of nature: cool forests, fresh-cut grass and shrubs swaying in the breeze. Becoming one with nature often has a calming, relaxing effect on people, so choosing a bathroom paint color that evokes images of nature is, well, natural for creating a soothing space. You can choose a bathroom color from soft shades like mint, sea glass or sage, or select something a bit bolder like a deep forest green — whatever takes your mind from the master bathroom to the great outdoors.
James Clements with ProCoat Flooring Solutions recommends muted shades such as a seafoam green as it can “evoke a sense of calm and relation perfect for unwinding after a long day.”
3. Add a little pink
Although not for everyone, pink is soothing for many people. Softer shades of pink, that is. Bright, vibrant pinks can boost your mood, but they can also distract. Instead, a pale shade of pink can put a smile on your face while maintaining a relaxed atmosphere, even in a small space.
If you’re worried pink could lead to a more feminine bathroom than you want, consider painting your bathroom with shades like salmon, coral, or blush. You also can experiment with other colors in your towels, rugs, and shower curtain to complement the pink so it’s not overly feminine.
4. Evoke royalty with violet
Representing peace and wisdom, violet also has long been a color of royalty. And aren’t we all the king or queen of our castles? Therefore, use it as a wonderful backdrop in your bathroom, turning it from an ordinary bathroom into an extraordinary place of relaxation.
You can choose from light paint colors with a tinge of violet or go for a deeper, richer violet that fills the bathroom. Outfitting the bathroom with white subway tile or white cabinetry also can make the violet stand out. However, if you have a small bathroom, a lighter shade could be the better bathroom paint color.
[contextly_auto_sidebar]
5. Choose classic white
As the dominant color of all neutral colors, white is the perfect paint color to turn your bathroom into a soothing retreat. It evokes fresh air and a clean slate, devoid of the clutter that can crowd the mind. An all-white bathroom creates a sense of peace that can fill you with positivity and boost your mood.
Additionally, the owner of Carrigan Painting, Dave Carrigan reminds that “Color scheme restrictions can be found in apartments,” thus making white a great choice. He recommends, “Simply White, Dove White, or Linen White by Benjamin Moore” and adds “A bathroom would use a satin or semi-gloss finish. However, it’s important to note that the higher the sheen the more imperfections will show.”
If you want a pop of color in your bathroom, pair a bright white wall color with accent colors using towels, rugs and artwork. Just remember to choose other colors that spark calm to leave you with an inviting space. A soft blue or light green pairs perfectly with white.
6. Go for the grays
While gray is often seen as a neutral without much personality, it actually has quite a soothing effect on our minds and bodies. And you can put together a gray paint color scheme with a lot of depth thanks to the many shades of gray available in today’s popular bathroom paint colors. You can paint the walls with a rich gray while using light gray for the trim and opting for white tiles on the floors. As with white, if you want a pop of accent color, select towels and rugs with another calming color, such as blue.
Jessica Teixeira with BGC Expert Contractors shares how gray can also include a subtle hue of varying colors. She says, “A calming blend of green and gray creates a spa-like atmosphere that’s perfect for relaxation.” Jessica adds to “Pair it with a crisp white trim and natural textures like bamboo or wicker to enhance the tranquil vibe.”
7. Warm up with yellow
While the other paint colors listed above are cool colors that evoke calm and peace, a pale yellow can do the same from a warmer perspective. Yellow has long been shown to evoke happiness, but a soft, buttery yellow wall color also can make you feel warm and cozy. And when your body relaxes, your mind often follows suit. Just don’t get too dark or bold with your yellow, or you’ll risk creating a vibrant, energetic space. Instead, you want a sunny room where you can unwind.
8. Beige is anything but boring
Another neutral backdrop, beige often gets labeled as boring, but today’s paint choices offer plenty of beige hues that will soothe the mind. The added benefit to using beige as a wall color is it can add warmth to the room, which, like yellow, can make you feel comfortable, setting your mind at ease. The goal is to make the room feel like a private sanctuary, a place where you want to relax. Using beige as a bathroom color on your walls also can make small spaces like powder rooms feel larger.
9. Go natural with brown
Just as green often evokes a sense of nature, browns, too, can inspire a natural atmosphere in your bathroom. And you don’t have to stick to the lighter tones, although shades like sea oat definitely will work. Richer, darker browns — think deep oak—also can make your bathroom feel like a relaxation room at the spa.
Complement the color with different textures like wood accents, bamboo accessories, a sea grass trashcan, and a pebble stone tile. If you have a small bathroom, be mindful that dark paint colors can make the room feel even smaller, so may want to opt for a lighter paint color.
10. Even orange could work in your powder room
Obviously, you don’t want a bright, bold orange paint color on your walls. That would be distracting. Instead, opt for more muted orange tones, such as peach, in your bathroom.
More than neutral, muted orange tones can add warmth to a room without sending your mind into overdrive. Instead, it can feel inviting, which will leave you relaxed in a spa-like atmosphere. If you think orange might be too much for the entire bathroom, consider painting just one wall as an accent wall.
Take time to evaluate your bathroom paint color
When choosing bathroom paint colors to create a soothing en suite escape, don’t rush to make a choice. Pick up some paint color swatches at your local paint store, and spend some time with those paint colors to see how they make you feel. Tape them to the bathroom wall at eye level. What do you think of when you look at specific colors? If they inspire calming thoughts, put them in your stack of possibilities.
Once you narrow down your choices to three or four, buy some sample cans of paint at the store and paint some small swatches on the walls. See how the natural light hits them throughout the day. Pay attention to how you feel when you look at them. This will help you choose the right bathroom paint color for your bathroom walls.