Before choosing the color to paint a room, consider the type of paint you would like to have. For a bathroom, you want a durable, water-resistant pain that is easy to wipe down. After all, people in bathrooms can have accidents, even if they are conscientious, and you may need to sponge off the walls. Choosing a matte-finish paint that absorbs any substance that splashes on it is a bad idea. No matter how good it looked initially, it won't look so hot when your husband get the flu and fails to kneel down when vomiting into the toilet.

Once you have chosen your glossy, cleanable, durable, humidity-resistant paint, you can decide on a color. Keep in mind the bathroom is a small space, and dark, rich color could get overwhelming. A soft, neutral shade will give the room a calm feeling, and you can add interest with splashes of color in the carpet, towel, or dcor items.

If you have a set of designer towels you would like to use, or some other expensive dcor item, choose a wall color that will coordinate. Also, take into account the color of the floor, as well as the porcelain and vanity. Resurfacing or getting a new toilet or tub is an option, but not a cheap one. It is better to pick a paint color that will look nice with your existing fixtures.

Also decide on any borders or stencils you would like to do. I have boring, sand-colored walls in my favorite bathroom, which I dressed up with a fish border I painted using stencils. The bright tropical fish draw the eyes upward, making the room seem larger, and they are out of the way of any mishaps that might damage the lower paint. If you don't have the patience for stencils, a wallpaper border that coordinates with your wall color will work nicely to add some color and interest to your walls.

Remember that wall color is relatively easy to change, especially in a small room such as a bathroom. If a family member wants a bright, obnoxious color, this may not be a battle you want to pick! Let the person choose their fun color, and put your foot down when it comes to decorating bigger rooms or making more costly decisions that are harder to reverse.

No matter what color you pick, it is probably possible to have pain that color mixed from the paint base you chose. Go to a store like the Home Depot, or even Wal Mart, and the person in the paint department should be able to mix you what you want. You will choose from a large number of color strips, then select a can of the base you want to use (remember, glossy, high endurance, and easy to clean!)

You can also take in a paint chip or piece of fabric or paper and have it tested for its color. The employee can then mix you a wall color that exactly matches the sample you brought. You could have an exact match for your favorite towels or carpet, or for the wall color in another room.

Learn more about this author, Raven Lebeau.
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