Choosing Beautiful Surfaces for Your Bathroom

by Lauren Busser Direct from the Designers™’ Editorial Director

Choosing the colors and surfaces for any room should be fun, but it can also be overwhelming. The bathroom is one particularly tricky place to pick the perfect colors because light plays such a big factor in the space. When it comes to picking your perfect bathroom color we have a few tips to help guide you to the perfect surfaces for you and your new space, from floor to ceiling.

Sometimes you need to add a little extra light to your bathroom in order for the space to work. This LAMPS PLUS® bathroom adds light around the mirror in the form of a Lighting on the Square Bronze 28 1/2” Wide Bath Wall Light and a Lighting on the Square Bronze 15 ½” High Wall Sconce. These contemporary light fixtures work great with any geometric design and the bronze finish perfectly complements the wood vanity.

Put Light First

The light in your bathroom should have a primary influence on your decision. Really dark colors look fabulous but you need to make sure that your bathroom gets enough natural light or are supplementing your bathroom light with other lighting. Remember that in your bathroom you want good visibility for shaving, makeup and general grooming and if you overemphasize dark colors and finishes they may appear to diminish the available lighting, making the room seem darker than it is.

Kohler® and Benjamin Moore® teamed up to design this Northern Roots Bathroom. The color on the walls is Gray Mirage from Benjamin Moore® in Aura® Bath & Spa Paint. It coordinates beautifully with naturalistic tile and a beautiful almond colored Bancroft tub from Kohler®. The result is a beautiful on-trend bathroom that is cozy and relaxing.

Choose Your Bathroom Paint in Your Space

You always want to choose the paint and surface colors for your bathroom with the available lighting in mind. Since bathroom lighting is different than the lighting in any other room of the house, a color that looks beautiful in your living room might look completely different under the bathroom lighting.

For a beautifully natural-looking hardwood floor try Bellawood® Natural Cherry Prefinished Hardwood Flooring from Lumber Liquidators®.

Match it to Your Flooring and Countertops

One of the best ways to choose a paint color that will work harmoniously with your other surfaces is to look at your flooring and countertops. Since these surfaces offer a bit more permanence than a paint color, you can select a color that goes with multiple color families, which provides a bit more flexibility. It is also a good idea to make these two surfaces the lightest or darkest colors in your color scheme. The result will make your bathroom pop.

This beautiful Benjamin Moore® bathroom uses a selection of cool hues to create a unified look. The walls are a pale green called urban nature, the ceiling and trim are in white dove, and a carrington beige accent completes the look.

Match Your Undertones

When you go shopping for paint chips you quickly realize that there is a spectrum of grays, reds, blues, and greens that you might choose for your space. The difference in all these colors is the undertone. For example, you may find red or blue leaning purples, or grays with a touch of purple underneath.

When you go shopping for paints, the same strip holds a family with the same undertones. If you want to unify your design and you are using multiple colors then you can use colors on the same card for a monochromatic look that is still unified.

Remember that when it comes to your bathroom, you should be able to create a relaxing space that you can unwind in during the day. A color palette can help enhance that effect and create a beautiful space for you to enjoy. Following a couple of these tips, you will be on your way to a beautiful and relaxing bathroom in no time.

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