Bathroom Color Schemes

Bathrooms, powder rooms, the water closet, whatever you call it, this little room is often an afterthought in the home design process. But why must it be? You start and unwind every day here, it is your personal concert-for-one location, most guests will visit it at some point, and it’s frequently the place where the best ideas come up!

Today, we are talking all about making bathrooms beautiful. Specifically, bathroom ideas and color schemes for small bathrooms. Whether you are a professional interior designer, a newbie, or want to improve your master bathroom or guest bathroom situation, you will find a concept you will love.

Let’s start with some basics.

Also, Read: 20 Top Interior Color Schemes for Your House Design

If you are reading this, we are sure you understand why giving bathrooms some love matters. Intentionally designed bathrooms can impact the mood of those using the space. It can also punctuate your brilliance and attention to detail as a home designer. 

Color schemes are the basis of most design decisions. Color psychology explains how colors evoke different feelings in humans. White for purity, black for dramatical, purple for luxury, and so on.

Choosing the perfect color scheme for your small bathroom can also help tie the room in with the living room and the rest of the house. Moreover, the choice of color can make a small bathroom appear larger and more inviting.

Also, Read: 5 Ways that Interior Design Influences Your Mood

Image Credit: uxplanet.org

Picking a color scheme for a small bathroom may not always be the most intuitive decision to make. As with every other design decision, this is another determination that must be made with multiple factors in consideration.

Here are some factors you should consider when choosing color schemes for small bathrooms:

1. The floor plan/layout of the bathroom (plumbing, windows, door, etc.)
2. Existing fixtures and other essentials to be added (a shower, storage, a mirror, etc.)
3. Design style and aesthetic of the rest of the home.
4. Redesign limitations (can’t paint walls, no retiling, can’t change the plumbing, etc.)
5. How you want someone who walks into the bathroom to feel.
6. The budget for the makeover.

Considering these factors will help you choose the best color schemes for a small bathroom every time. The best color scheme for you is one that works, a practical one that feels cohesive with the rest of the space, and a scheme that leverages the existing features of the small bathroom.

Also, Read: 15 Best Small Bathroom Design Ideas

A small bathroom can be designed in two ways. You can either bask in the coziness of a small space and choose to enhance its “small-ness” or implement some neat design ideas and tricks to make it look spacious and luxe.

More often than not, you will want to make a small bathroom appear bigger. This will make it less claustrophobic and offer a relaxing bathroom experience.

These are some of our top tips to make a small bathroom look bigger –

The tried and tested answer to making any space feel bigger is to go white. While that may sound a little redundant at this point, it does work! A white bathroom is a classic choice that opens up the space and makes it appear bigger than it is.

The answer to making a small space look bigger does not always have to be white wall paint. You can choose any color you like, even dark colors. Just keep the palette clean and limited, and you will still make the small bathroom look larger and add some character.

The reason white wall color works in small spaces is it reflects the maximum amount of light. You can replicate the same effect by strategically placing reflective surfaces like mirrors, metals, and even glazed white tiles in line with the natural light.

One thing that never makes a small space feel bigger is filling it up with objects that don’t belong. Plan efficient storage to house all bathroom essentials away from plain sight. Leave out only what needs to be visible. We also suggest keeping home decor that takes up surface space on countertops to a minimum.

Adding visual height to a small bathroom can immensely help make it look larger. A few ways to do this are to have shower curtains close to the ceiling, add high storage, suspend plants from the ceiling, and even hang art higher than you usually would.

Supplement the right color ideas with smart artificial lighting decisions. Don’t restrict to just ceiling lights. Use floor lights, lamps, and other ambient light fixtures to make the space look well-lit and bigger.

Minimize opaque obstacles in the small bathroom. Choose transparent or translucent materials for shower curtains, bath area separators, window panes, et cetera. This way, you will keep the line of sight clear, allow light to pass through, and make the bathroom look spacious.

Also, Read: 15 Common Bathroom Design Mistakes To Avoid

Ready to pick the best color scheme for a small bathroom? Browse through our top 20 picks for some inspiration.

It’s always good to remember that bathroom paint colors are not the only way to utilize your bathroom color scheme. Consider wallpapers, shelves, decor, furnishings, marble, plants, metals, glass, floor tiles, and even art as tools to bring out a color palette.

Bring a breath of freshness to a small bathroom with a bright white paired with a fun orange and calming green. Add accents of warm natural woods or even mix metals to go along with this palette.

You can also use wallpaper in this theme to create an accent wall, like in the image below. This color combination will make the bathroom look bigger and make every trip to it pleasant.

Image Credit: pinterest.com

This classic combination of Moroccan blue and white makes an impact. Traditional patterns enhance this combination so do glazed bathroom tiles. Natural wood, glass, and chrome fixtures complement this combination well.

Also, Read: 20 Amazing Bathroom Backsplash Ideas

Image Credit: pinterest.com

This combination ensures elegance. Pair black and white for contrast. Mix them up with walnut wood, matte black or gold faucets, and a unique mirror. Count on plants to bring some freshness.

Image Credit: pinterest.com

Pair these colors for a spa-like feel with the coziness and warmth of a home. Taupe, white, and black make a no-fuss color palette that goes well with different marble finishes, wood types, rugs, and soft furnishings. 

Also, Read: 20 Best Bathroom Decor Ideas

Image Credit: pinterest.com

Not for the faint of heart, this color palette is truly a punch of personality and fun. A break from the usual white bathroom, a colorful small bathroom will leave all your guests talking about it for days.

Image Credit: pinterest.com

What’s a more energizing and uplifting color than a bright sunshine yellow? Pair it with a calming white for balance. Add dashes of light green with plants and complement the yellow with gold hardware and faucets. 

Also, Read: 35 Best Kitchen Color Schemes

Image Credit: pinterest.com

It doesn’t get more neutral than this. For minimalism lovers, light brown and white is the best color scheme for a small bathroom. The earthy brown keeps the space grounded, while the white elevates the sense of space. Pair this with accents of white and even natural concrete floor tiles.

Image Credit: pinterest.com

Want color but love neutral colors only? Look beyond brown. This pink and green bathroom color scheme can make any small bathroom a pleasant space. Add pops of white, black, brown, and even blue. A lot goes with this palette of colors.

Also, Read: 30 Best Hallway Color Schemes

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Monotone, but with depth. Wabi-sabi-esque browns are a great way to use one color but play with different shades and undertones. This technique works elegantly in tiny bathrooms. Create a sense of openness while adding depth and texture.

Image Credit: pinterest.com

Embrace the smallness of your bathroom with a 360-degree dark brown. Accent with thoughtful lighting choices. Use mixed metals and blacks for added depth. This bold choice makes for a cozy, luxe, and modern bathroom space.

Also, Read: 20 Ways To Add Color To Your Home Without Painting

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Greens have been reclaiming their space in interiors. Take this calming natural color into your small bathroom as well. Pair it with a pristine white and add accents of pink and matte black for extra contrast. This combination also allows you to mix metals for faucets and fixtures.

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This color scheme makes a statement, and how! Combine tone-on-tone pinks, and balance them out with some white through wall color, countertops, and faucets. You can also include gold, chrome, or brass hardware and fittings for a bit of added glam.

Also, Read: How To Choose The Exterior Paint Colors for A House?

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The serene combination of blue and white is best suited for small bathrooms. Both colors evoke feelings of calm and purity, leaving those who visit refreshed. Combine with accents of black and gold or chrome for a luxe feel.

Image Credit: pinterest.com

An often overlooked color, nickel makes for a lustrous, jewel-tone color without being too loud. It’s a neutral color, yet it is special. Combine this color with white and black accents for a large, clean, calm-feeling small bathroom.

Also, Read: How To Paint A Room?

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Another color that can make a small bathroom shine is light gray. Experiment with combining shades and undertones of grays with silver metal elements for an even tone-on-tone effect. Warm woods and white accents, along with plants, can ground the space further.

Image Credit: pinterest.com

A small bathroom can still be remodeled to appear luxurious, indulgent, and modern. The greenish-grey jewel-like feldgrau or teal combined with brown can give the smallest spaces an edge of extravagance. Add gold accents and hardware with creative lighting for more elegance.

Also, Read: Average Bathroom Size

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If calming were a color scheme, this would be it. The combination of powder blue and white makes for one of the best color schemes for small bathrooms. Both colors reflect light very well, making the bathroom look large. Accents of black and wood complement this color palette.

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Ditch the bright white for a beige combined with rusty burnished brown. This unique combination will surely make your small bathroom stand out from others. Bring interest with texture through marble, terrazzo, tile, rugs, etc.

Also, Read: 10 Best Bathroom Design Apps and Software

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This blue and white color scheme is a pairing you can trust not to fail. It has contrast, it has personality, and it is still neat. Oxford blue and white make for a trusted combination that has not been leveraged enough in bathroom design.

Image Credit: pinterest.com

The all-white bathroom is a formula for success. Add interest with pops of color if you like. You can also choose a synchronous wood tone across elements for personality. Mix metals, and add soft furnishings, flowers, and plants as desired because the white palette makes for a great base to work upon.

Also, Read: 6 Best Bathroom Lighting Ideas

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A small bathroom is not always a challenge. The next time you get the opportunity to remodel one, we hope you get excited about using one of these color schemes for small bathrooms. Many elements come together when deciding the best color scheme for a small bathroom. However, they are a fascinating way to practice maximization.

We hope our small bathroom color schemes sparked an idea or two for you!