Same color as your cabinet

White would highlight the vanity more. If the whole lower part of the wall is black the vanity will not stand out at all.

Leave it white and put in wallpaper above the rail.

Powder Room- Los Angeles, California · More Info

Beauty and the Baths: Jewel Box Powder Room · More Info

San Francisco Victorian · More Info

I'd paint it white but paint the upper portion a pastel color (blue? yellow?) or wallpaper top portion in a black & white (with possibly a 3rd color).

Personally I like the black. More dramatic and not the safe choice. Just keep the woodwork white.

White. It's classic and beautiful. Dark would create a cave.

Sabrina has given you the greatest idea! Wallpaper isn’t what it was 25 years ago so it’s really worth looking into. And talk about awesome designs, colors and dimension! And it’s much easier to put up than the wallpaper we all remember from long ago. Look online at them and see all your choices 😉

I think black on the bottom would be overkill and take away from all the other beautiful black accents that stand out now, so I would paint it same as trim. But for the top, boy oh boy, I would be tempted to explore wallpaper.

I like it as is. Black is cool but not necessary.
It’s bright and airy. Looking lovely.

(Love the wallpaper idea💖)

Bead board white and if you wish a color (black, grey) or wallpaper above the rail. If paper seems too much of a committment then all white walls and white beadboard with black glossy window trim with a beautiful curtain fabric.

I love these wallpapers for your space. They are outragously expensive though.

Schumacher x Celerie Kemble Creeping Fern Fabric, Basalt · More Info

Schumacher Whirlpool Printed Wallpaper, Black Plum · More Info

Sample - Schumacher Herringbone Paperweave Wallpaper, Black · More Info

What is the ceiling height? is there an overhead light/candleier? I would leave the BB white and paint it a gloss. Wallpaper wall and paint the ceiling black with a nice crown moulding in white.and a great light/chandlier.

Leave the beadboard white and find a fabulous wallpaper (less $$ than @Kendra’s gorgeous examples). Your vanity is lovely so don’t touch that.

If you don’t want wallpaper, the sage-green-bottom-white top is also very pretty.

Love the wallpaper idea best, but it that’s not for you I would paint the same as the wall color in a semi gloss and all the trim too.

I would leave the bottom white also as many others have said. Wallpaper in an open simple black and white pattern somewhat like Kendrah's first Schumacher fern pattern but with less pattern. There are also wall artists that can hand paint a simple open black and white pattern in your walls. To me the other grey walls and ceilings make the room too dark. If there is too much black and white you could always paint the ceiling a VERY pale aquamarine blue to open up the ceiling space.

I know it's not what you asked, but really, put wallpaper above the chair rail. I'm using Sanderson's Fan Palm in charcoal in my guest bath with a black tiled shower. It's dramatic but there are thousands of papers less expensive than Sanderson or Schumaker, and you'll fall in love with one! Otherwise, paint above the chair rail black.

IMO wall paper above and then paint that a color form the wallpaper. I would never paint a bathroom black unless it is just a powder room

I would leave the wainscoting white, but change the color of the wall. Wallpaper is a no go for a full bath, in my opinion, but you could add interest with stenciling on the walls that can give a similar look to wallpaper.

Definitely leave the beadboard white and paint the wall a darker color, not necessarily as dark as the cabinets. If it’s in the buget i like the black and white wall paper ideas as a stunning option.

I really don't think you are limited to black or white. You can do pretty much any color you want with the neutral fixtures and flooring you have chosen. Having said that, I prefer wainscott to be painted the same as the trim, whether it is white, or a color.

Just finishing up my small laundry room in a black and white wallpaper, I think it would look great in your bath too!

I like peel and stick wallpaper to make a bathroom special.

Bright white!

I would use the dark squares colour that’s in the floor right now to trim around window casing as well as the lower portion of the room .

White (absolutely)

I like white wainscoting with a fun color on the wall.

Everything is connected. Your baseboard and trim are white in this room and likely others. Therefore, the beadboard would typically be white. What colors are in your adjoining rooms? If you have a pattern bedspread or rug you love, pick the brightest color out of it that you love, and make that your bathroom wall color above the beadboard. Unless you're loving the wallpaper idea.

A light grey - meeting in the middle to tie white & black together ❤️

Hi dbhoffman, first and foremost, what would YOU like to see and how would YOU like to feel when you are in that bathroom? Since it is a guest bath, do you want to make your guests feel so comfortable that they turn their vacay into a permanent stay? lol

You have a Victorian cottage style going, with some zen spa accents (soap, dish, candle) so I'd keep the Victorian style. Do not paint beadboard paneling wainscot black--it will take you a month and about 6 coats of paint to make black completely cover the white, and you have the crevices at the bead that need to be kept sharp. Six coats of paint will obliterate the bead.

Black walls only work in small powder rooms, and you must have a lot of bling to dress it up like a "little black dress". Your guest bath is too large to have black walls. Keep the beadboard white, if it is still only the primer stage, paint it a semi-gloss white, same as the trim.

Wallpaper would look fabulous above the beadboard, with an appropriate sized cove moulding at the ceiling. Don't get elaborate on that moulding, because you have a relaxed, Victorian cottage look, not a formal Victorian look. I wouldn't choose a busy pattern or a small pattern as you have a busy floor. You are going to have a lot of wallpaper and the pattern will be at eye level. You have a lovely piece of artwork--a charcoal sketch--that you can accentuate with the proper wallpaper.

If you can lay a piece of painter's tape straight, you can always forego the expense of wallpaper, and "fake" it with paint. A soft gray would work well. You can get a soft gray in an eggshell finish, and then get a small can of that same gray in a gloss finish. Alternate large sections of eggshell finish with small "stripes" of gloss finish. You can even do this technique with white paint---in case you are worried about clashing with the wood/brown items in the bath. You are not limited to stripes either--a checkerboard pattern would work, if it is large squares 8" x8" or more if it works with the measurements. If you do the squares, you can add a light texture by using a disposable chippy brush to brush horizontally in one gloss finish square and vertically in the adjoining gloss square. If you do squares, you will need an equal amount of eggshell finish and gloss finish. If you paint the walls and use the different finishes, you can add more artwork to the walls without worrying about matching anything up or covering up a pattern. Paint is a lot less expensive than wallpaper, and if you don't like the paint color or design, just paint over it or paper over it.

Let us all know what you decided--post "after" photos! :-)

Leave the paneling white, paint the ugly black cabinet white also (or buy a new white one). Paint the wall above the paneling a pastel color of your choice - pink, blue, yellow or green - in pastel shade.

We have white beadboard in a bathroom, and I love it. The beadboard does require a lot of dusting due to towels, clothing removal, etc. I think that black would be a nightmare to keep clean.

Oh! I so agree with the above comment. I have white bead board in my powder room and after a number of years. I can’t wait to replace it. Through the years I have come to love just a simple glazed tile halfway up the wall. So easy to wipe down. Always looks clean.

I would paint just the top border, a color close to your cabinet.

BLUE OR RED