I like the copper red too!

My first thought was a light aqua or turquoise.

Chocolate brown and aqua, teal, nile green, shocking pink, scarlet, tangerine, lemon yellow, emerald or crisp white or a pale cream/taupe

It plays well with a lot of colors.

Consider going for a chocolate/other color animal print scheme with bright rugs and art work.

This one made me laugh, but you can see how the tones are working. Go big or go home is someone's moto, here.

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[Contemporary Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2103) by Other Metro Interior Designers & Decorators A3Design

Or open up that wall and install glass so more light gets in there. More tone on tone.

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[Contemporary Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2103) by London Interior Designers & Decorators Kia Designs

Over all, I think keeping it light and using a big, vibrant painting is the way to go.

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[Contemporary Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2103) by Long Beach Design-Build Firms Zieba Builders, Inc.

I think the big issue regardless of hue is going to be the saturation of the color. The existing lighting may not be able to handle a very saturated color. This isn't a restroom in a restaurant or club that can be dark and dramatic because you don't have to see very much while you are in there. If this is your primary every day bathroom you have to be able to light it enough to see clearly at least some of the time.

I'm going to disagree with Palimpsest here. I have a small half bath with no windows in it, and I recently painted it in a chocolate brown, much darker than what was there before. It is gorgeous, and I absolutely love it. It has a wonderful feel, luxurious and rich, and seeing is not an issue at all. Ceiling and trim are white (BM White Dove), though, which I would say is a must in a windowless bathroom with saturated color on the walls, as the light will reflect off the ceiling and back into the room.

It does not feel dark in there at all.

A half bath is a different story than a full bath. I'm not at all afraid of color, I had a windowless area that was painted black, but I could feel it getting darker and darker as I rolled on the paint. It's a matter of light reflectance value.

If it's a matter of putting on makeup, shaving and other personal hygiene stuff good lighting will make a difference.

Oooh I'm gonna agree that copper red is the winner!

My master bath is not lit well and even though the can lights (a problem themselves) produce 200 watts at the mirror, I'm at the one window in the morning (east facing) so that I can SEE...or I go outside.

My dining room is almost black, and I love it, but I would not want to have a dark MBA. I'm near-sighted and heading toward needing bifocals. That may be contributing to my problem!

If you want to paint the walls, I like the copper red color. Otherwise I like Annie's green/beige color palette in the accessories.

I would go with an off-white, then add color with big art are suggested earlier. Any "color" on the wall is just going to make the brown more obvious.

But Alex, as you say, your master bath is not well lit. Lighting is the key, not paint hue.

A client of mine just had her master bath completely renovated. The entire bathroom is done in deep milk chocolatey browns, including the trim. This bathroom is absolutely gorgeous. It has one window, but the lighting is good, including two sconces on each side of the sink mirror. When done right and accounted for, IMO there is nothing more beautiful than saturated colors, esp. earthy colors.

Swentastic and Busybee, that Copper Red interacts with her shower tiles perfectly, no?

I also vote for light walls and big art, if you have the wall for it. It feels too dark with the saturated colors and the lighter ones don't really do anything different than the existing wall color, IMO. But, we are judging based on the one photo- maybe the actual space is larger or more brightly lit than it appears

I agree completely but we all know I'm not the best person to ask about colors, either. I wish OP would come back and tell us what they think!

Tibbrix do you have pics of that chocolate brown bathroom? I'm still struggling with a paint color for mine (with tile affectionately called "poopy brown") and would love to see what someone else went with.

The copper red is nice, but I would suggest a robin's egg blue -- not a really strong blue, and with a hint of green. That might have been what they were trying for but missed.

I actually quite like the tile and If it were mine, I would make it shine with a white-ish wall and ceiling and use the blue in towels, rugs etc.

Add me to the aqua-light turquoise column. That was my first thought. Or, something skewing more towards pale blue (with or without a hint of aqua).

If it were my bathroom, I'd go with white walls to really show off the brown. But the OP stated in her OP that she loves color, and saturated color and that she doesn't care for brown. A light color will make the brown stand out in stark contrast. A more saturated color won't.

Swen, here are pics (three, in separate posts) of the bathroom. The color is BM Whitall Brown. I went with it because I love the color. However, if I were to do it again, I'd go with a darker and slightly warmer brown. and I"m an idiot. Don't know what I was thinking, but I did NOT paint the ceiling of this bathroom, just the other with the pine ceiling. The dark brown REALLY compliments the pine ceiling because of the knots. The ceiling makes the brown look almost like leather, very rustic. It's gorgeous. But, this bathroom has a light fixture with three bulbs the are in glass shades but pointed downward, so the lighting in the bathroom is very good. I absolute could put makeup on in this bathroom.

Pic #2 - pardon the rust drip.

Pic #3

http://www.housebeautiful.com/_mobile/decorating/fabulous-designer-foyers#slide-1

I hope linking this works on my phone.
Well, it doesn't, so please go through the link to the brown foyer with hot pink settee.

Here is a link that might be useful: Brown and hot pink

I'd paper it and paint the ceiling in one of the paper colors

How about wallpaper?

Ralph Lauren Yacare Crocodile in Saddle:

This post was edited by awm03 on Tue, Dec 16, 14 at 14:04

Ralph Lauren Yacare Crocodile Red:

This post was edited by awm03 on Tue, Dec 16, 14 at 14:05

Tib, OP's pic may just be a bad one but the amount of light seems lacking. However, she/he stated that white walls are preferred with objects in the room providing the wow color. So, using artwork against light walls would be in keeping with the stated design style.

Maybe we can see more of an overview of the room? What lighting exists, windows, etc.

alex, you are absolutely right! She did say that, and I apologize for misrepresenting it!

I do think, though, that painting the walls white or a light color will actually make the brown stand out MORE. Also not really a good idea to put artwork in bathrooms because of the dampness. She likes big splotches of color, but in a bathroom, that is the walls. And don't get me wrong, I think white or beige walls would be gorgeous in there, but they will be a stark contrast to the brown, which will make the brown stand out more.

Eh, I do all the time. Just not EXPENSIVE pieces!

I like the colors in this room. Pretend the stairs are the shower.
Think about other elements in the room to add texture, color accents and cohesiveness.

What about metal or wood art painted bright colors.

Bring out the orange tones in the slate floor.

Love your shower and the crazy wall tile on the mirror wall. But blah to the wall color and ick to the sink cabinet.

I would paint in either a warm peachy color, or a vibrant golden yellow. Replace or paint over the cabinet facing, probably with a cream. Or better yet, replace the sink entirely to get rid of the ick cabinet and dark counter- replace it with a warm wood and creamy stone. Replace the steel/silvery metals with copper.

BeesNeeds, I think you're confusing one of the color examples with the OPs bathroom. You only see the shower, wall, and the reflection of the toilet in the door.

It looks like my second photo of the vanity area didn't load.

No, no window or other source of natural light in the bathroom. The condo, like many in the downtown Chicago area, was a conversion from something else before it became condos. In this case, it was a large office building. Basically, this means that all the windows are on one wall and the rest of the walls don't have windows. Unless you get a corner unit, which goes for a lot more money.

There might be some fancy tile going on, but really the unit as a whole is quite modest for the area. Our realtor said we were 'bargain shopping.' Which didn't bother me, because, totally true.

Size wise it will be the largest bathroom we've ever had (bathroom in our old place not large enough to swing a cat in, not even a rather small and agreeable kitten), but it is long and narrow, making for awkward layout. It also has two doors, plus the door to a small linen closet. As for the lights, there are three pretty bright sconces by the vanity, plus a couple more can lights than are shown. As is, the room is bright enough to get the job done.

I agree that dark and dramatic might be best left to powder rooms. I think the deep reds and purples might be a little claustrophobic in room without windows.

On the other hand, painting the walls white and using bright art, furniture and accessories for color is exactly what I'm planning to do with the rest of the condo. So the bathroom should be a little different than the rest of the house.

I think what I like best is the medium orange in the response by Beverly27 and oddly, the wallpaper choice by Palimpset. That crazy floral is exactly the sort of thing I get into. The only thing I worry about is that DH loves long, hot showers and I'm not sure how the wallpaper would do in lots of steam and moisture. But if I had a powder room, that wallpaper would go in there for sure. By the way, what is that wallpaper anyway? I might want to use it in some other context, maybe an accent wall in the den or by the fireplace.

Or maybe the bright coral. Or the deeper orange suggested by Anniedeignaugh. That crazy saturated 70s look can be kind of awesome.

I think the thing about the 70s palette is that it used brown as just another color, as opposed to how it seems to be used now as one of many neutrals that you're supposed to layer on top of each other.

That's kind of what really bugs me is when you've got a room with multiple neutrals in it. Like you've got a lot of dark wood, plus brown tile, and natural stone counters plus the walls are taupe, then you've got dark khaki accents and a warm white ceiling.

I like the dark brown in the small powder room, because to me, that's using brown as a color. It's making a statement. It's not just some base that's meant for the color of the month accessories to pop from.

Do you have a vent fan in there? If you use it during the shower and about 20-30 min afterwards, then wallpaper is an alternative. Just make sure that the installer is really good at their job and the vent works. If both parties hold up their end, then it should be ok. My grandmother and great aunt were design professionals and didn't hesitate to use paper in rooms that could get moist. They made sure to install it correctly AND took care to maintain. That said, floral and busy slate kind of duke it out in situ. Not to mention the glass mosaic to consider.

I understand that you want to vary the design of your rooms. I can't commit to a style throughout my modestly sized home unless it can be called eclectic. However, if there was ever the perfect application of your preferred style, that bathroom is it. Brown doesn't have to dominate to be palatable.

I'd move the boxes for the sconces to mid-mirror height - more flattering light for grooming. Paint the walls a warmer tone. Remove the towel ring and place options on both sides of the vanity below the mirrors. Put a persian/turkish/fun rug on the floor.

Ok, maybe it's the wine but I'm having trouble figuring out the floor plan from your pics. Where are the shower & toilet in relation to the vanity? To the left? Is that just a wall to the right where the door swings?

The layout is a little weird and if I had a lot of money, I'd change it. It's a lot of square footage for a bathroom, but maybe not as well laid out as it could be. Maybe they did the best they could with plumbing considerations? I've included a full floor plan of the condo.

For the vanity pic, that's the door from the hallway/entry. To the left, not visible, is the door to the master bedroom. Also not visible to the left is a shallow linen closet, almost more of a cabinet really. To the right is the shower and toilet. The toilet isn't visible in the pictures really, just the edge of it.

Like I said, I could definitely see using the wallpaper elsewhere in my new place, as an accent wall. The house I grew up in has wallpaper in every room except the bathroom. There's still part of me that doesn't think a room looks finished without it.

If it were my one and only bath I would keep it light and have it blend with what you are doing with the rest of your house: white and colorful art etc. Your place is small and it would really be better imo to keep it all unified. That is just me and that is how I think the bath with no windows and dark everything would look the best. However, I am not you. I cannot imagine anything but light walls in there. If you love orange and do not mind a darker bath then by all means go for it. We are all different and that is why the paint companies, wallpaper suppliers etc. all make thousands upon thousands of choices in every color and every mix of color.

Keep us posted!

You could always just paper one wall as an accent wall and then use the paint colors from it to do the rest of the room....

I thought they'd improved wallpaper and glue and have some now that are specifically for bathrooms. My broker's master bath is wallpapered, and this is not only in a bathroom but on Cape Cod, and near the water. No problems.

If you Google wallpapering bathrooms, you'll see a lot of "Used to beâ¦but now you can.." comments.

I agree w/Aktillery about keeping the bathroom somewhat uniform with the rest of the condo, i.e.: white walls. How about an accent wall in the bathroom using Pal's wallpaper, or another? Maybe the wall behind the vanity so that as yo walk in, you're looking at the wallpaper?

Here is a link that might be useful: Wallpapering bathrooms

That particular paper is Thibaut Coco. It's vinyl coated and washable so it should do pretty well properly installed and with the use of the vent fan. The current wallpaper in my parents' house has been up for about 27 years and survived though a couple of grandchildren who apparently didn't know what a vent fan was. The other thing that may help is that since it opens to the master bedroom you may end up keeping at least that door open so the steam build up may not be that excessive.

Some random pics with brown mosaics

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--- I'd just go for some art work.

I agree with the lighter walls and brighter art/towels/accessories.

The other option I would consider would be a pumpkin color. I used one in my kid's bath with dark tile floor and vanity, but my bath tub, and surround tile and trim is white. It is a very flattering color.

this may seem like an odd suggestion, but you might want to consider switching out your plumbing fixtures to a bright chrome or polished nickle...i did that in my smallish bath that has travertine and windowless (read: dark)...having a bit of fixture 'bling' brightened it up...yours looks like brushed nickle

agree with the posters suggesting you stay with your white theme and use art for the color you are craving....the jewel and darker tones posted just seem to 'compete' with the tile (which i think is quite lovely)

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:2142555}}

What about a sage green or maybe the third green from the top in Annie's first design seed? I think green and brown make a lovely natural/earthy look without hearkening to the 70s or being bland like beige walls might.

What a great use of space. I like the angles and the bathroom is quite large and open. Whatever you decide, just remember you will see it from the kitchen space.

I think Pal's flowered wallpaper looks so nice because the background is brown. Adding the brown actually makes the shower less brown. Does anyone know what I mean?

I do, emmarene, and completely agree.

I also know what you mean, and totally agree, emmarene...all the other flat wall colors merely provide contrast to the brown, not take away any of the " brownness"..but I just hate wallpaper because it is to tightly repetitive. TOTALLY biased opinion here, because I'm a decorative painter, but if I were the OP I would consider consulting a decorative painter to come up with something unique that works with the brown, OR look for a paper with less...repetition.

ETA or go with the pale neutral wall w/ colorful artwork option but I believe the OP has ruled that out.

This post was edited by coll_123 on Wed, Dec 17, 14 at 21:13

I don't usually gravitate to green colors, but in my newly remodeled beige/brownguest bathroom I selected Behr Dew Drop which is a very pale green grey and it works beautifully.
Its actually (to me) a cheery green gray.

For brights, I love coral and teal with brown, though not for the paint. I'd brighten the room with ivory or white, and add color other ways.

How about Tomatofreaks's Gidden Thai Silk she has on another thread. A gorgeous, very subtle but sophisticated pink.

The Thai Silk comment is at 14:10. And with one wall with Pal's wallpaperâ¦very pretty bathroom!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomatofreak/Thai Silk