by Heidi Labron

Created on: July 25, 2008   Last Updated: January 12, 2009

The bathroom is one of the hardest working rooms in your home, and the room that many people will see when they come to visit. Choosing an overall look for your bathroom goes beyond putting out the nice towels and cleaning the bathtub. There are many things to consider when decorating this room, and paint color will be a major decision. After painting a very small bathroom a deep red with cream accents, I can tell you that I should have done some more research before slapping the paint on the walls.

#1. ALWAYS CHOOSE WHITE FOR YOUR SINK, TOILET AND BATHTUB. If you are starting from scratch with a new home, your options are a little easier than if you are just redecorating. Your fixtures such as your tub, shower, sink and toilet will dictate a great deal, but we often don't think about them much at all. If they are white, then your choices for paint colors are almost unlimited. If they are beige or some other color, you might want to consider making them part of the overall color scheme rather than just something that sits in the room. If you are choosing fixture colors, the safest bet is white. That way, you can decorate and redecorate whenever you need to without having to change any of the really big things. Your bathroom can then be transformed with a simple coat of paint, some new towels and maybe a plant or two. Always choose white fixtures, if you can.

If you already have existing features that are beige, you should try to incorporate the beige into the color scheme. Creams, chocolate browns, leafy greens and blues all go very well with beige fixtures. When you have light colored fixtures, you might like your walls in a deeper tone to provide contrast, otherwise everything will blend together and the whole effect will be bland. If your tub and toilet are black, which is another popular color, you'll want your walls to remain light in order to keep the room looking fresh and bright.

#2. BATHROOM SIZE DICTATES COLOR. If you have a small bathroom as many of us do, the paint on your walls should be light to make the room appear larger. If there is a window, you'll have a bit more choice, but if not, try something pastel or stick to white. You can always vary the shade of white to eggshell or off-white, but keeping the tone light will help you to feel less like you're in a dark closet and more like you're visiting a spa.

When your bathroom space is larger, you can choose paint colors that are more dramatic. The openness of the room will allow you to choose tones in darker shades and not close the room in on itself. You should always consider your lighting resources when deciding on a shade. If you have a large window, you can go darker, but keep in mind most rooms will still look dark at night, even with well placed light fixtures.

#3. THERE IS SPECIAL PAINT FOR BATHROOMS. The type of paint that you choose is also important. Make sure you select one that is specifically for bathrooms. This room is generally a room of high humidity so you'll need paint that can hold up to the moisture. Whether you choose a matte finish or something with a gloss or semi-gloss is up to you. The glossier the paint, the more that light will reflect off the surface of your walls.

My recommendation is to choose your paint wisely, and stick with something very neutral. You can always add accessories to a room that has neutral walls to make it look pulled together. And when you tire of the look, just buy new towels and change your shower curtain to change the entire look of the room. It is a cheap way to re-do a room and make a big impact with a small budget. Keep in mind, it'll be much harder to make your room look different if your walls are dark blue. Stay light and you'll be alright!

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