Vibrant and Inspiring Color Schemes for Your Bathroom

The colors you choose for your bathroom can make or break the entire design. Check out these black bathroom color ideas to find some inspiration for a perfect bathroom renovation or redesign.

Finding the right bathroom color scheme is crucial to creating a space you actually want to be in. Bathrooms tend to be the smallest rooms in your home, which means the right color can make or break their appeal. If you’re doing a full renovation, you’re lucky enough to start from the ground floor, free to choose your color scheme. But you don’t have to undertake a renovation to change the color of your bathroom.

Your color choice should be a reflection of your personality and sense of style. These color ideas go beyond adding an accent color or giving you bathroom paint ideas. Consider these ideas and compare them to your personal tastes and the feeling you want to evoke in your bathroom.

1. Elegant Bathroom Color Ideas

Black done poorly will shrink the size of your bathroom, create a dark hole, and suck the life out of the room. But black done well can look elegant, sophisticated, and modern. The trick to successfully using a black color scheme is to add texture and the right lighting. If you have plenty of natural light, then embrace this by keeping the windows unobstructed.

If you don’t have a lot of light, install multiple lighting sources. For a contemporary bathroom, you can install hidden LED strip lighting. These bulbs will create a subtle glow under the counter, shelving, or even illuminating the ceiling. Another option is to add elegance with a gilded chandelier.

To create texture, try using natural materials, such as black river rocks, slate tiles, or black marble. You could even apply a black wallpaper, textured to mimic leather.

2. Timeless Charm

The old school method for creating a black-and-white bathroom was to use black-and-white tiles in a check pattern. Do this in your bathroom today, and you’ll instantly date it and make it feel old. But this doesn’t mean you have to give up on a black-and-white bathroom. The contrast of these two color extremes can create a clean yet sophisticated space.

The most important thing to remember is balance. The two colors shouldn’t overpower each other. One common approach to achieving this is to paint half the walls white and the other half black. Or you could achieve this 50/50 look with tile instead of paint.

Another approach is to choose one color for the walls, such as white, and then use black on the floor. This combination will make your bathroom feel larger by keeping the dark color low and the lighter shade at eye level.

Plan to have a white tub and toilet. These in black are a bit disconcerting for people. But you could have an elegant black stone vessel sink. These pieces in the bathroom will contribute to the color balance. You’ll also want to consider the fixtures. Nickel or gold will add dimension without throwing the color balance off. Wood is another material that will bring warmth to the space without affecting the black-and-white scheme much.

3. Serene and Refreshing

You can create a stunning master bathroom by using navy blue, white, wood, and gold. This balance of light and dark with metal and natural materials creates a clean and chic bathroom design. You can achieve this design in your bathroom with white tile, dark blue walls, a light wood vanity, and gold faucets.

You could use a bright blue mosaic tile and create a bohemian look. Or opt for a pastel blue for a farmhouse or country cottage feel. If you have a small bathroom, use dark blue in the flooring with dark blue tiles. Another option is to paint an accent wall dark blue.

4. Vibrant and Playful

Interior design experts recommend using neutrals for broad appeal. But your bathroom is just that: Yours. Why not use a bright color that you love? Bright colors make the bathroom your own and an expression of your personality. Give your bathroom the vibrance and life that you feel every day by choosing a bright color scheme.

One way to do this is by choosing a brightly colored tile. A Moroccan zellige tile will add texture and rich color. These are handmade tiles that vary slightly in color shade to give you a bold color that never falls flat. Use your bright tile to highlight focal points in the bathroom, such as the vanity with a backsplash, the wall behind the toilet, or even an accent wall in the shower.

If you’re worried about appealing to future buyers, stick with a plain white tile, such as a subway tile, and then use paint to create the bold color. Then you can change the bathroom paint color when you’re ready to sell your home.

5. Moody and Dramatic

Dark and bold colors in a bathroom can give it a sense of seriousness and sophistication. You could create a hunter-green bathroom or use another dark color, such as chocolate brown, plum, maroon, or charcoal. Done incorrectly, these dark colors can close a bathroom in and make them feel confined. Done correctly, you’ll have a sophisticated bathroom that makes a bold statement.

There are two ways you can achieve this bold look. The first is to balance your dark and brooding color with a lighter and brighter one. This mix helps to balance the bathroom visually and keeps it from feeling small. If your bathroom is lacking in light, then this is a smart choice. Try pairing your dark color with white marble to keep the feel of elegance.

Your other option is to embrace the dark colors and use them throughout the bathroom. Try using shades of black and dark gray, or pairing two complementary dark colors together, such as blue and green, or plum and gray.

6. Sophisticated Simplicity

Gray is one color that’s incredibly versatile. You can use it by itself or pair it with another color. It’s perfect for softening the feel of an all-white, all-black, or black-and-white bathroom. The varied tones look beautiful with natural materials like wood. You can also change the temperature of the room by pairing it with differently-hued metals.

Try not to create a monotone gray bathroom. This style can look boring. Instead, use a variety of gray shades. These shades will give the design of your bathroom both layers and visual interest. You could also create texture by using a textured tile or a smaller mosaic tile in gray.

Pairing your gray with silver or brushed nickel fixtures will give your bathroom a cooler and crisp feel. Dark gray with these cooler metals can look ultra sleek. If you’re hoping for something warmer, try a lighter gray with gold, rose gold, or brass fixtures. The warmer tones in these metals will bring warmth and elegance to the bathroom. A third option is to opt for black fixtures; it will make your bathroom feel modern and clean with simplicity.

7. Subtle Elegance

What if bright colors are too bright and dark colors are too dark? Then pastel colors are too light and girly for your tastes. It’s time to consider muted colors. Muted bathroom color ideas include shades of mauve, sage, or rust.

Muted colors are known for their lack of vibrancy. They have a grayed or desaturated look to them. You could even describe them as a bit dull.

When using them in your bathroom, pair them with a brighter and lighter color to keep the bathroom feeling fresh and bright. You can also add warmth with natural wood to make the bathroom feel welcoming.

Muted colors lend themselves well to creating a 1920s glam-inspired design. Pair your muted color with large beveled mirrors and lots of shiny gold trim. Use gold for the plumbing and lighting fixtures. Then use gold trim for the door frame and as decorative trim on the vanity and cabinets.

8. Versatile and Timeless

White and black are polarizing and can be a little harsh. For a neutral color that’s also calming, try a soft cream, taupe, gray, or beige. These colors tend to be appealing to a broad number of people, so they make great paint ideas for a guest powder room. You’ll need to be careful, using the same color throughout the entire bathroom can cause it to fall flat. To prevent this, use varying shades of a hue to create dimension.

You could use a cream-colored tile, with a darker shade of taupe or beige for the walls. Then place a wooden vanity. Designing your bathroom like this creates complementary shades and mixes materials to add layers and texture to the room.

Try to use pastels and lighter undertones for your neutrals. If you go too dark or use colors with darker undertones, you risk the bathroom looking dingy and dark – that’s the exact opposite effect of what you should want. Another way to prevent this is by adding plenty of light to the bathroom. Light will keep it bright and fresh.

9. Pure and Serene

White is the color of purity and serenity. Having an all-white bathroom should create a feeling of simplicity, cleanliness, and timelessness. But not all white bathrooms are the same. There is more than one shade of white, and you need to choose the right white for your bathroom.

You can start with a pure white tile, such as subway variety. Then choose a white that appeals to your sense of aesthetics and taste. It can help to keep in mind your overall design goals. A modern bathroom could look better with a crisp cool white, while a farmhouse all-white bathroom could look nice with a softer and warmer white.

Even if everything in the bathroom is white, your lighting and plumbing hardware will add color. For a cooler feel to the bathroom, choose a chrome, silver, or brushed nickel. To give the bathroom a sense of warmth, choose gold or brass.

Finally, don’t let your bathroom become too monochromatic or sterile. Add texture to the bathroom through the materials. They can include linen curtains, plush soft towels, white stone, a large mirror frame, or crown molding.

10. Airy and Refreshing

A light color palette of pastels will give your bathroom a soft and feminine vibe. You could use pastel pink or blue with a mix of vintage furniture and sparkly glam for a modern take on French Country. Or you could choose minimalist pieces in a pastel yellow or mint green for a truly modern bathroom.

While you could take a basic approach and paint your bathroom wall with a single pastel color, this can be a bit basic and boring. Why not choose a wallpaper with a unique design or pattern in several pastels? Or you could use your chosen pastels for the furniture and fixtures in the room.

You could place a pastel vessel sink on a white vanity. Or you could paint the vanity a pastel color with a white sink. For a unique look, you could install a rose gold sink faucet and lighting fixtures. These fixtures will give you a subtle hue of pink.

FAQs

What type of paint should I use for my bathroom?

Look for a paint that has antimicrobial additives. These paints will resist mold growth, which is important in a high-moisture environment like a bathroom. Choose a satin, semi, or high gloss finish. These finishes are easy to clean and will reflect light better to help keep your bathroom bright. Finally, buy high-quality paint. This will ensure it lasts, and that it performs the way you expect.

How do I prep my bathroom for painting?

To ensure your paint sticks and looks uniform, clean your walls before you begin painting. A simple three-part water and one-part bleach mixture will ensure you kill any bacteria, mold, or mildew that may be present. Then tape off the areas you plan to paint, so you keep the paint where you want it.

How can I add color to my bathroom?

The easiest way to create a color scheme in your bathroom is by painting the walls. For a bigger impact, you can replace the tile with one in your chosen color, but this will be a bigger investment. For a more affordable option, you can decorate the bathroom in your chosen color palette by placing rugs, towels, candles, and other decorative items in the bathroom.