Bathroom paint colors, in real bathrooms

Of the thirteen colors photographed here, only two are whites. The rest are grays, greens, browns, pinks, a plum, a blue and a terracotta, and four of those with a published LRV sit under 35. That is a small sample: it reflects the designers who have sent us rooms, not a survey of American bathrooms.

The split between bathrooms and powder rooms is telling too. The most decorative choices on the page, Brinjal, Pleat and the two Roman Clay finishes, are all in powder rooms, where there is no shower to plan around.

Each of the big three brands sells a paint made for this room. Benjamin Moore's Aura Bath & Spa is a matte it describes as 'our premium, matte finish bathroom paint offering unparalleled beauty in high humidity environments,' with a mildew-resistant coating. Sherwin-Williams recommends its Duration Home line for bathrooms, describing it as 'a high performing paint featuring exclusive technology that repels stains, blocks moisture and resists mildew.' Farrow & Ball describes its Modern Emulsion as washable and mold-protected, and calls it 'the best choice for kitchens and bathrooms.'

Note that Aura Bath & Spa and Modern Emulsion are both matte or near-matte, and Duration Home is also sold in a matte finish. The old rule that a bathroom must be semi-gloss is not what the brands' own bathroom products say. This Old House still suggests semi-gloss as 'more durable and moisture-resistant than eggshell,' so if you are not using a bath-specific product, a higher sheen remains the cautious choice.

The color you choose does not change any of this. Any of the colors on this page can be mixed in a bath-rated product, as long as the brand offers that product in that color, which is worth confirming at the counter.

Paint does not fix a ventilation problem. This Old House is direct: 'Proper ventilation is crucial for preventing moisture buildup that can lead to mold growth,' and it advises running the exhaust fan 'during showers and for at least 30 minutes afterward.'

Its prep advice is just as plain: clean the walls 'to remove any dirt, grime, or soap scum,' let them 'dry completely,' and apply a mold-resistant primer before the color coats.

With no shower, a powder room has none of the moisture constraints above, and designers treat it accordingly. Homes & Gardens calls these compact spaces 'some of the best places in the home to experiment with color,' noting 'the relatively low-risk nature of experimenting in a powder room.' Amanda Hauser of Butter+Velvet, quoted by Houzz, puts it simply: 'Don't be afraid to go bold in a small space.'

That is why the powder rooms on this page carry the plum, the green, the blue and the terracotta. If you want to try a color you are not sure you can live with, the powder room is the cheapest place to find out.

Designers disagree here, and both sides have a point. Anna Hill of Fenwick & Tilbrook, speaking to Ideal Home, calls the idea that dark colors make small rooms feel cramped a misconception, arguing they 'can help to blur the edge of a room, creating the illusion of depth.' For a windowless bathroom, Bailey Oates of Earthborn suggests a dark paint with warm undertones 'to help introduce softness.'

On the other side, designer Jennifer Baxter warns that in a small bathroom with limited natural light, 'a low-LRV color on every surface will make the room feel significantly smaller and darker regardless of the hue.' Lauren Saab of Saab Studios splits the difference: 'Dark colors aren't the problem—it's how they're used.'

The darkest color on this page by published LRV, Mississippi Mud at 7.41, is in a full bathroom, so it can be done. Before committing to a dark color, test a large sample in the room itself.

Two of the powder rooms on this page use Portola's Roman Clay, a plaster-look finish, not a paint. Portola is explicit that it 'is not suitable for wet areas, like inside showers.' Its Roman Clay Topcoat sealer helps, but Portola also says it 'does not waterproof or stain proof the finish,' and suggests 'multiple thin coats of the sealer' if the finish goes in a high-moisture area.

In other words, Roman Clay is a powder-room material, or a full-bath material only for walls well away from the shower.

Bathrooms are often lit almost entirely by artificial light, so the bulb matters as much as the paint. Behr notes that the color temperature of LED bulbs, 'especially 2700K versus 5000K, has a noticeable impact' on how whites and neutrals read. Look at your samples under the bulbs you will actually use, at night, with the vanity lights on.