12 Best Paint Colors for Small Bathrooms

From bold hues to calming shades, color experts say these are the best small bathroom paint colors.

Bathrooms are more than just a functional space for personal hygiene. They’re also a space to relax, rejuvenate, and energize. For that reason, your bathroom color scheme should facilitate these activities.

Color is a powerful tool employed by interior designers to shape the atmosphere and mood of a space. Some paint colors make a bathroom feel bright and energizing, while others feel calm and relaxed. With this in mind, we turned to the paint and color experts for their opinions on the best paint colors for small bathrooms.

"Bathrooms are a space of sanctuary, where one can just ‘switch off’ from the day to day, so decorate your space with this in mind and consider colors that soothe and offer a greater sense of well-being," says Patrick O’Donnell, international brand ambassador for Farrow & Ball.

These are the top paint colors for small bathrooms, according to color experts.

Relax with Warm Peach Tones

Begin and end your day surrounded by Pink 02, a warm peachy shade that is both fresh and physically soothing. "Bathrooms suit being decorated with soft, spa-like tones that feel earthy and grounding," says Tash Bradley, Lick’s director of interior design and color psychologist. In a small bathroom, she recommends minimizing contrast as much as possible—for example, taking the color from the walls onto the doors, woodwork, and ceiling. "This is where color drenching comes into play, wrapping a whole room with your color of choice and, in this instance, a calming, neutral one."

If you don’t fancy pink, look to warm neutral shades, like Taupe 03 Soho Roc House, Beige 01, or Beige 03 instead. "The warm undertone of these paint colors looks amazing with a clean white tile and brass fittings," Bradley says.

Paint Color: Pink 02 by Lick

Related: Color Drenching Is the All-in Paint Trend to Try for a Soothing Space

Set the Mood with Deep Blue

Restore your mind, body, and home with Everglade Deck by Valspar, a dark midnight blue that balances elegance and calm. "Even a small space needs a distinctive mood that starts and ends your day or becomes a delightful experience for your guests," says Sue Kim, Valspar's director of color marketing. Wrap the color around the room and add a lux look with brass fittings. Add personality to your small bathroom with a display of collected trinkets and treasures amongst your necessities. "The textures and design of small items enhance the everyday luxury in small bathroom spaces," Kim says.

Paint Color: Everglade Deck by Valspar

Related: 14 Ideas for Blue Paint Colors for Perfectly-Hued Walls

Play It Safe with White

Are you looking for a reliable and versatile neutral? Try Behr’s 2023 Color of the Year Blank Canvas (DC-003), a warm white that freshens every bathroom.
"Blank Canvas is a great choice for a small bathroom as the warm undertones transform the space," says Erika Woelfel, vice president of color and creative services at Behr Paint Company. "The welcoming white creates an expansive and clean background for endless design possibilities."

Pair it with white tiles for a monochromatic look, or introduce a pop of color on the bathroom vanity or trim. According to Woelfel, Vine Leaf, from Behr’s Designer Collection palette, or Smokey Pink, from their 2023 Trends palette, pair exceptionally well with this shade of white.

Paint Color: Blank Canvas by Behr

Add Modern Elegance with Mauve

Welcome a touch of romance to your small bathroom with a blush pink shade like Glamour HGSW6031. "Blush tones and modern mauves are beautiful bathroom shades, balancing a rosy hue with a neutral undertone," says Ashley Banbury, color marketing manager for HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams. The beige undertone gives the pink hue a mature, sophisticated, and elegant edge, and its near-neutral quality means you can dress it up or down to suit a classic or modern aesthetic. Banbury suggests pairing it with warm whites and neutrals to embrace a sophisticated, polished space or adding surprise depth with a Poetry Plum HGSW6019 ceiling.

Paint Color: Glamour HGSW6031 by HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams

Create Contrast with Majestic Blue

Add drama to your bathroom with a deep azure hue, like Cascades SW 7623. Gray, yellow, and blue undertones give this dark, majestic blue shade a rich, complex, and unique character that instantly elevates a small bathroom. "Adding this pop of color to an accent wall will create a sophisticated mystique to any small-spaced bathroom," says Sue Wadden, Sherwin-Williams' director of color marketing. Create high contrast by pairing it with brilliant white subway tiles and compliment the paint’s yellow undertones with brass fittings. White wainscoting breaks up the dark shade in this bathroom to maintain the feeling of a bright and energizing space.

Paint Color: Cascades SW 7623 by Sherwin-Williams

Go Bold with Rich Green

Small bathrooms, particularly guest bathrooms and powder rooms, lend themselves to experimenting with bold colors and patterns. "Embrace that it is a smaller bathroom and celebrate brighter colors," suggests Bradley. She recommends going bold with a rich shade, like Green 02, and using the color-drenching approach for a fully immersive experience. "Candlelight looks amazing against a blue undertone, so strong greens are a fantastic option for someone who often takes long, candlelit baths," she says. She suggests contrasting the cool undertones with brass bathroom features to create a striking contrast and luxurious look.

Paint Color: Green 02 by Lick

Achieve Calm with Warm Taupe

Are you looking for a way to make your small bathroom both bright and cozy? Shoji White SW 7042 by Sherwin-Williams achieves just that. "Lining bathroom walls in this warm and creamy white that marries modern lines with soft touches creates the ultimate escape in a small bathroom space," Wadden says. She suggests creating a focal point in a warm contrasting hue, like this warm taupe accent wall, to create depth and interest. The neutral color palette, gold fittings, marble finishes, wooden vanity, and waffle cotton towels make this small bathroom a calming space.

Paint Color: Shoji White SW 7042 by Sherwin-Williams

Related: The 8 Best Bathroom Vanities of 2023 for Style and Storage

Bring the Outdoors In with Fresh Green

Celebrate nature's soothing and restorative qualities in your small bathroom with Bassett Hall Green CW-480 by Benjamin Moore, a fresh mid-tone green infused with a soft gray undertone. "With a touch of warm gray, Bassett Hall Green feels fresh yet comforting and restorative," says Hannah Yeo, color marketing and development manager at Benjamin Moore. "It’s a great color to bring the outdoors in, especially when paired with a crisp off-white like Harwood Putty CW-5 and natural wood floors, like in this bathroom." She recommends mixing in brass or copper accents through bathroom fittings for a touch of luxe.

Paint Color: Bassett Hall Green CW-480 by Benjamin Moore

Related: The Top Green Paint Colors Designers Swear By

Create a Calm Oasis with Green-Gray

"Soft and comfortable, Sea Salt HGSW6204 is another perfect shade for a small bathroom," Banbury says. "Welcoming and inviting, the tranquility of this light green-gray crafts a space that helps quiet the mind to relax and unwind—perfect for a spa-like retreat."

Sage green is a nature-inspired shade with innately calming and therapeutic qualities. Its muted tone makes it a reliable base for endless style and color combinations. Banbury recommends pairing it with brass finishes and natural textures like wood, rattan, clay, and cotton to create a beautiful organic oasis of calm.

Paint Color: Sea Salt HGSW6204 by HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams

Add Height with Calming Pink

Turn your bathroom into a welcoming space that oozes comfort, warmth, and calm with Setting Plaster, Farrow & Ball’s infamous dusty plaster pink. "Softer pinks—those without too much blue through them—can be very flattering and a great color choice for a small bathroom," O’Donnell says. "Setting Plaster and Pink Ground both have an underlying warmth, and their gentle tones are impactful, but without overpowering the space." If your small bathroom has a low ceiling, O’Donnell suggests taking the color onto the ceiling to give the impression of height.

Paint Color: Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball

Embrace Moody Charcoal Tones

Lean into the darkness of a small bathroom with a handsome, dark, cool gray, like Benjamin Moore’s Charcoal Slate HC-178. "This moody hue transforms the space into a timeless design that feels dramatic and sleek," Yeo says. "From wall to ceiling, Charcoal Slate can blur the edges of the walls, making a small powder room appear larger than it is."

If you’re not into dark bathrooms, Yeo recommends balancing the dark gray shade with lighter colors, like in this small bathroom design. "The white tiles, tub, and ceiling bring a neutral balance to this beautiful bathroom," she says.

Paint Color: Charcoal Slate HC-178 by Benjamin Moore

Related: Top 10 Expert-Recommended Gray Paint Colors, Plus How to Pick One

Freshen Up with Minty Green

Start each day feeling fresh and invigorated with Valspar’s Mint Whisper, a cool, light mint green. "This crisp hue brings a sense of peace—and nature’s positivity—indoors," says Kim, who recommends pairing it with a bright white. "The combination of mint and white keeps small spaces feeling light and airy," she explains. While mint green is frequently associated with refreshment and cleanliness, the hue also inspires creativity, heightening your shower thoughts and revelations.

Paint Color: Mint Whisper by Valspar

Related: The 10 Best White Paint Colors That Experts Swear By

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