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eveandjack

Bathroom colour choice Nightmare!!

6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

We are at the end of renovating our bathroom and have hit a stumbling block or as it is now a complete blank on how to select a paint colour to go with our tiles.

As you can see from the first picture of it finished the bathroom is in a natural white which has completely washed the colours out of the tiles and its very much like a hospital toilet. We are now in a quandary of what to choose.


We've had 7 different pots of tester paints which are very much on the natural stone look colours but it just isn't working for us. We want to bring the warmth out of the tiles that was there when there was no paint on the wall and it was just the cement sheeting, that has gone now its been painted. Its hard to see but we have white penny round tiles behind the sink and they have completely disappeared as we went too light. We want them to be apparent.


We have had testers on the brown grey/grey brown scale but nothing seems to look right. We want things to contrast to an extent (like the white cupboard doors on the left at the back that are quite hard to see on the finished picture) but we are worried about making it too dark. We have considered making the sink wall a feature wall but not sure if its better just to change the entire colour scheme.

Can anyone give us advise please as we are 3 weeks on trying to solve this and have hit a dead end.


Much appreciated in advance.

Thanks Eve









Comments (33)

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    The white walls do look quite stark. You mentioned you tested some brown/greys. Can you please include the names - it would helpful to see what didn't work. I would try Benjamin Moore Calm 2111-70 which compliments the tone of the tiles as they appear in the tiles. Another great option would be Benjamin Moore Gray Owl 2137-60. It's a bit darker than the Calm and grayer. Make sure you get a paint formulated for bathrooms like Benjamin Moore Aura Bath & Spa to prevent mold and mildew.

    eveandjack thanked KDC Virtual Color Consulting
  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Thanks for your great response. We have tried (all Dulux)

    dieskau

    ancient ruin

    beige antiquity

    royal beige quarter

    male quarter

    We only patch tested these but didnt feel confident enough to do the entire room based on them. We have even considered changing the drawer fronts to wood to add warmth.

    Thanks again.

    Eve

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I don't think I would change the door fronts quite yet. The colors you have tested look very beige - try something more gray. Also, remember when you test samples to try them a couple of feet apart from each other. If you try them touching one another your eyes will have a hard time telling them apart. Have you considered a tall narrow side cabinet next to the sink for linens or extra toiletries? It will help fill the space so the room won't feel so cold.

  • 6 years ago

    Ok I guess we are panicking a bit that nothing has worked that's why we said wood! We really like your suggestions so far.

    No we haven't considered a tall cabinet. How close proximity are you thinking to the sink?

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    And what color cabinet sorry?

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I don't know how much space you have but I would put it on the left of the vanity if that's a solid wall - it's tough to see from the photo. Something like the one below would work and would fill all those empty walls.


  • 6 years ago

    Where is your lighting? What bulbs are you planning? I would look up some threads about lighting and white cabinets before painting anything. What you paint is going to look very different under proper bathroom lighting.


    eveandjack thanked Mrs. S
  • 6 years ago

    Aah yes I see, yes that's definitely an option we will consider. What is your opinion on Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray HC 170 for this room? I saw it along side the two you recommended.

  • 6 years ago

    Smokey Taupe BM is a gorgeous greige and has warmth. It would look super with your room.

    eveandjack thanked Yayagal
  • PRO
    6 years ago

    It might feel a little cold but I agree with the earlier comment about lighting. It will have a huge impact on how you see color so make sure to take that into consideration.

    eveandjack thanked KDC Virtual Color Consulting
  • 6 years ago

    The lighting is 2 down lights and they are a warm light that can be dimmed.

  • 6 years ago

    Smokey Taupe looks very similar to Dieskau I love the color but it just didnt really work.

  • 6 years ago

    Here's a very handy chart of colors that might work. You can print it out too. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=benjamin+moore+creamy&id=0E89E5B6B69F9D73EC33A29D937EFB22B78FB556&FORM=IQFRBA


    eveandjack thanked Yayagal
  • 6 years ago

    Thanks that's great.

  • 6 years ago

    How about forgetting about a neutral and painting the walls a favorite color?

  • 6 years ago

    Is there a reason why you didn't use all that space to the right of the vanity?

    If you liked the look of the cement sheeting, why don't you find a match for that color?

  • 6 years ago

    No there's no reason why we just haven't got that far yet!

    We tried the cement sheet color match but didn't work. The reflections of the sheet changed the color and we couldn't replicate it.

  • 6 years ago

    Yes we had considered that as well as light wood for drawer fronts

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Being in the process of a bath remodel, I think you may just be in that place that is still hard to visualize. I like what you have so far, plus some of the suggestions here. Mine are: *Don't paint vanity, it is contemporary and your countertop adds the warmth. (esp. if your move toward a gray based paint color). * A pair of sconce lights on either side of the mirror would add interest & ambient lighting. * Wallpapering your focal point wall is temporary & less expensive than tiling. *Consider a bench under the window to the left of vanity for function and aesthetics. * Add a large succulent plant beside your shower to give color and life to the sterile environment. * Keep the other lines clean & neat as you add your personal belongings and accent colors. I'm sure you will love your new room!

    eveandjack thanked Business_Name_Placeholder
  • 6 years ago

    What is your favorite color, and what colors do you have in other parts of your home?

    Not related to color, but I'm curious what I'm looking at in your pictures: Are there 2 showers, a shower and a steam room? I can't really tell what the big glass box is, and there appears to be another glass door on the other side of the toilet. What's there?

    eveandjack thanked AJCN
  • 6 years ago

    Fav colour is probably light blue. I buy a lot of black and gray clothes. Our house is a shrine to Antique White USA haha and Natural white.

    There's only one shower, 1 toilet and no steam-room. The other glass door is the door off the shower before it was put on!


  • 6 years ago

    vshidal01 - thanks for your input we are going to get a plant and a seat/bench and also a tall shelf unit.

  • 6 years ago

    i would find a warm vintage piece to put in the empty space. this room needs some personality!

    eveandjack thanked Suzanne Devane
  • 6 years ago

    Fav colour is probably light blue

    There is your answer! Find a light blue you love that will work with the tile.

  • 6 years ago

    Sherwin Williams fan deck card #s 233, 234, 225 have a lot of blue/grays to choose from. They are all in the gray family but have blue undertones so they don’t scream BLUE like “baby boy nursery.”

    I love light gray/blue. I used SW Monorail Silver (card # 233) in my kitchen/family. It didn’t work in my bathroom and I ended up with SW crushed ice. In my bedroom, I tried SW Passive and Olympus White but ended up going more to a green undertone and used SW Silverpoint.

    Good luck!

    eveandjack thanked AJCN
  • 6 years ago

    How about wallpaper with a pussy willow print on one wall? Depending on your lighting and the background color of the paper, using a pale blue or aqua paint would be lovely. I saw a model home several years ago with that color combination and it was gorgeous. Good luck!

  • 6 years ago

    Olympus White will read too cool and blue for that desired warm look. Perhaps SW 6204 Sea Salt or 6211 Rainwashed. Both are greener and warmer.

    eveandjack thanked User
  • 6 years ago

    I also found Olympus white to be too cool for my bed or bath. The lighting and other finishes in the room will determine if it works. If you have a favorite piece of art, you can choose a color from that as well, even if that piece is not going to be in the bathroom.

    eveandjack thanked AJCN
  • 6 years ago

    We love the Olympus White with a Slate Tile accent, but the bath is grey/white with a skylight injecting warmth. With those windows, the lighter green/grays will mostly liven up and gain some desired of the warmth.

    eveandjack thanked User
  • 6 years ago

    I was surprised when I went to pick paint for the master bathroom and master bedroom. I thought I was going to easily go for a very light blue gray like I have in some other areas of my house. But the lighting just didn’t make those colors look good. So sometimes you have to be flexible and go for a different undertone. In my case it was going more towards the green undertones, like North Texas says. You just need to be flexible and find the undertone that looks best with your lighting.

  • 6 years ago

    Just thought I'd reply to show the end result. We went with the suggestion of Benjamin Moore Gray Owl 2137-60 on the feature wall and the same color in half strength for the rest. It's given it a very calming feeling as well as keeping the stone warm rather than cold. We added succulents here and there and also a bamboo corner shelf. We've got a picture currently being framed of some tropical plants for the left wall. Many thanks for all your suggestions. It was really appreciated. ureI



  • 6 years ago

    Looks wonderful! and thank you for returning to update. Love a happy resolution!

    eveandjack thanked salonva