Get Creative in the Bathroom With Colorful Paint Combos

The bathroom is often a decorating challenge for homeowners. Many people think there is only so much you can do once you choose a shower curtain and matching towels. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Today’s wide variety of paint colors and finishes allow you to be as creative in the bathroom as you are in the rest of your home.

Here are some tips that will help you decorate your bathroom, and powder room, with the same flair you used in other rooms:

Choose White Fixtures

There are many boutique fixture lines out there today that make sinks, tubs and toilets in colors other than classic white. While they may be beautiful, they can limit your choices as far as the rest of your decorating scheme.

By choosing white fixtures, your decorating options are limitless. The decor becomes the focus, not the fixtures.

Keep Large Bathrooms Clean, Comfortable and Light

If you’re decorating a master bathroom, or another large bathroom, it’s best to keep the color scheme clean and bright. Many interior decorating experts suggest silver-toned blues, and sage greens, with complimentary trims. Blue, for example, is complimented by silver accents, and green goes well with gold, or even rose-gold, which is very popular right now.

If your master bathroom is large enough to double as a dressing area, and has a lot of natural light coming in, you want to choose a color scheme that is complimentary to your skin tone. Peach, terracotta and pink tones work well, especially if you will be making wardrobe choices and applying makeup.

A bathroom with marble accents can benefit from paints with cooler undertones. Blues or greens with yellow undertones work well, as do violets, grays and purples, depending on the color of your marble. Slightly richer paint tones can be complimented with lighter accent colors on window trims and moldings.

Go Bright In Smaller Bathrooms and Powder Rooms

Smaller bathrooms and powder rooms can stand up to a stronger saturation of color. In these rooms, you can go for alternative fixture colors and use complimentary paint colors. Darker greens and blues are very popular, as are jewel tones like raspberry or eggplant.

Smaller bathrooms are the perfect places to repurpose antique armoires or dressers as sinks, particularly if they are made from rich, dark-toned woods. These pieces are complimented with vertical striping in primary colors like red and white or black and white. This is an especially attractive combination if the bathroom has a dark marble or ceramic tile floor.

Which Type of Paint?

Since powder rooms usually don’t have tubs and showers, there is less worry about excess moisture affecting the paint’s finish. You’re free to experiment with velvet and eggshell finishes in your choice of shades depending on the size and shape of the room. Larger bathrooms with tubs and showers are best painted with minimum of Eggshell, or Semi-Gloss finish paints.

Take into account the condition of the walls and make sure you have a smooth surface to work with. Swatching your chosen color is important, because you want to ensure that you are choosing a color or colors that will compliment the space. This is particularly important if paint is the only update you will be making. Your new paint choice should work well with existing fixtures and cabinetry.

Go Online For Inspiration

If you’re still stumped for ideas, the best thing to do is look at decorating inspiration Web sites. Sure, many of them offer “dream” decorating scenarios, but they provide ideas that you can tailor to the rooms in your home. Pinterest is usually the best place to start. You can find thousands of options for everyday bathroom decorating ideas that are out in the real world, rather than just in decorating magazines.

Talk to a Professional Painter

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter what size your bathroom or powder room is; you just can’t make up your mind.

If you’re indecisive about how to make over your bathroom or powder room, talk to a professional painter. The pros know how to get the most out of these spaces, and will show you how to choose the colors that suit the space as well as your vision.

With professional help, your bathroom or powder room doesn’t have to be a boring afterthought. It can be a room where your creativity and personality shines through, just like the rest of your home.