Color Selection Rules

To choose the right color for your bathroom, you should consider many factors. The first and simplest is size. Everyone has long known that a dark tone can make a small space even smaller, and using light tones you will visually expand any room.

Next, we recommend paying attention to the style of the apartment or the bathroom itself. Each style has its own base of suitable shades:

  • classic – warm white, beige, gold;
  • loft – black, gray, red;
  • Scandinavian – white, gray, beige;
  • Provence – pastel colors;
  • chalet or country – warm dark brown range;
  • modern – muted matte colors.

Aspect No. 3, which is worth paying attention to: the psychological impact of color and your personal feelings about it. In a yellow bathroom, for example, it is impossible to relax before going to bed. And the combination of black and white does not give a boost of vivacity and energy in the morning. Think about when and under what circumstances the room is used most often.

black and white floor in the bathroom white tiles in the bathroom white and blue bathroom

Don’t forget about the characteristics of the color itself:

  1. Saturation. Orange, for example, lifts the mood and charges, peach helps to relax, rusty brings coziness and warmth.
  2. Temperature. Cool shades have a calming effect, give a feeling of cleanliness and sterility. Suitable for overly active people who need peace in the bathroom. A warm color palette looks cozier, allows you to feel comfortable standing in the shower or lying in the bath.
  3. Lightness. Everything is simple here – the more white in the color, the “lighter” it will look.

Do not forget that the colors of the bathroom decoration include not only the walls: there is also a ceiling and a floor. The classic color scheme is a white or very light ceiling, and the floor is a few tones darker than the walls. But there are other ways to decorate a bathroom — we’ll talk about them in the following sections.

yellow accents in the bathroom wooden furniture in the bathroom

What are the most popular colors?

Color in the bathroom interior really does play a decisive role: to make sure of this once again, we suggest considering the 5 most popular shades and learning their differences.

White

White is a synonym for cleanliness and sterility, which is why it is practically irreplaceable in the bathroom. In addition, all standard plumbing fixtures are also white: in combination with the same walls and ceiling, it will give the effect of visual expansion of the room.

If the task of enlarging the bathroom is not worth it, create a combination with one of your favorite shades. Here another advantage of white is revealed: it combines with anything. From standard black or gray, to bright pink or serious blue.

white marble in the bathroom white bathroom black and white bathroom

The photo shows a white bathroom with black accents

Black

At that While a snow-white bathroom is considered a classic, with a black one it’s the other way around. The combination with white sanitary ware seems contrasting to many, and the shade itself is dramatic and even mournful.

Another reason for refusal is the widespread belief that black steals space. But this does not mean that various charcoal undertones cannot be used in a small bathroom: by combining it with other shades and using it as additional elements, you can achieve the desired contrast and dynamics in the interior.

black bathroom under stone black bathroom with yellow all black bathroom

Beige

Perhaps the second most standard color after white is cream! It is believed that it adds a bit of coziness to a cold bathroom, makes it warmer and more comfortable.

If the usual beige bathrooms have become boring, do not use it alone. In combination with green, blue, yellow, beige will open up from the other side and serve as an excellent background for a flight of fantasy.

beige walls under a stone beige gloss in the bathroom bathroom in a classic style

In the photo the interior in classic style

Blue

Blue symbolizes water and using it in the wettest room of the house is, at the very least, logical. The color is often used in monochrome design: for this you will need three or four shades of blue (from sky blue to indigo or cobalt). Two undertones in combination with white or gray will also give the desired volume.

To create a bathroom with a twist, use a complementary combination: dark blue contrasts with yellow, light blue with red.

blue walls in the bathroom white and blue bathroom

Red

The red range, although used less often than others, makes an indelible impression when meeting. It may seem that scarlet is not made for the bathroom, just as fire is not made for water. But the union of opposites attracts, although it is suitable only for the brave.

Important! Dominant red is only suitable for bathrooms that are used for short periods: washing, taking a shower. It will be uncomfortable to lie in such a bathtub.

The combination with white sanitary ware looks impressive, but in the lines of some manufacturers there are also scarlet products – from the bathtub to the sink and toilet.

red walls in the bathroom all-red bathroom

The best combinations

Monochromatic interiors are rare, so you should study the color combinations in the bathroom.

To make it easier to put several colors together, start from one: choose the main color. You can use wall or floor tiles, or a cabinet you’ve found in the store as a starting point.

black and white bathroom with wood

The photo shows a shower finished with wood-like tiles

color combination in the bathroom blue and red combination

Now we select 1 or 2 additional shades for it. There are rules of coloristics (color schemes), according to which it is easy to find the perfect pair:

  • Monochrome. A combination of tones of the same color – vanilla + canary + lemon, mint + herbal + emerald.
  • Analogous. A union of 2-3 colors located next to each other on the Itten circle: yellow + green, red + orange.
  • Complementary. It is also contrasting – a combination of opposite shades. Blue with orange, for example.
  • Triad. Analogous combines 3 shades equidistant from each other, contrasting – any tone with two opposite ones.

pink color in the bathroom

In the photo, the grout is the same color as the walls

green bathroom colored tiles in the bathroom

The last step is to decide which color will be the main one (for large surfaces), and which (1-2 tones) will highlight various accessories and decor.

gold accents in the bathroom combination of gray and beige

Recommendations for small bathrooms

Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to have a spacious bathroom, but a limited space can also look cozy.

For this, a light shade is always taken as a basis: snow-white, beige, gray, pastel. It is recommended to use it on walls, ceilings, plumbing, large objects (wardrobe, cabinet).

The color of the floor is usually medium in saturation, but its design should be chosen wisely: transverse stripes, for example, can expand a too narrow elongated room.

gray-blue bathroom bright small bathroom white small bathroom

Another way to visually enlarge is reflection. In bathrooms, a lot of mirrors, glossy furniture fronts, and a suspended ceiling look appropriate.

Advice! Lighting from different points visually expands the space: replace one central chandelier with several spotlights.

furniture for a small bathroom

The photo shows a combination of white and wood

Ideas for inspiration

Is it difficult to combine shades? Take bright tiles with a print as a basis: they already have all the colors that can be used on other surfaces to achieve color harmony.

If you plan to use a wooden texture in the room, on the contrary, in order not to miscalculate, give preference to single-color monochrome shades: white, beige, gray, black.

combination of paint and tiles black walls in the shower tile with paint in the bathtub