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abby_kessler18

What Color Walls for Windowless Bathroom?

last month



So, the tile is done, and the corner toilet and low profile vanity are yet to be installed. I'm reusing my vanity to save on cost, and I'd like to paint it, too (the laminate has yellowed, but the porcelain is in perfect condition). I was thinking of painting the vanity the same color as whatever I paint the wall to give the illusion of more width in the narrow room. My new hardware (already purchased) is mostly gold + a little bit of matte black.


If I pull from the tile, I could paint the entire room a sage green, but it'll be quite cavelike (which could still work...this is not my main bathroom, and I'm not opposed to moody vibes). If I paint the walls a white color it'll be lighter/brighter....but, a more "discontinuous" look between the back feature wall and the tub alcove.


If you have particular brands/colors in mind, I'd appreciate your suggestions!






Comments (133)

  • last month

    Since all the greens look "off" next to this very metameric tile, I'm starting to wonder if I should ditch green altogether and find a complementary color. The Moroccan look can accommodate bringing in a different color. I don't like grays, but otherwise open to the possibilities.





  • last month
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    Ask if they can match the gold in the tile. They can cut the tint up to 50% to lighten it.

    Or the dark green looks solid with no specks and cut that.

  • PRO
    last month

    Here are all the colours you'll find in your tiles.

    60 percent of a room should be in your primary colour

    30 percent in your secondary hue, and

    10 percent in an accent shade


    Abby Kessler thanked lisedv
  • last month

    Thanks for this, Lisedv, The yellow and orange versions stress me out just looking at them. If I can't resolve the "greens", I may have to go white (or black and white). Also thinking about maybe green on ceiling and white on walls (because if the green color is a little "off" on the ceiling, at least it's on a different plane than the wall tiles). Also, wondering this morning about intentionally choosing a DIFFERENT green (instead of these greens that are "slightly off". Like a dark forest green or mid tone teal. If gold, I'd want it to be a calming more browned down version....not matching the intense shade in the tile.

  • last month

    If you go with a green you may have to choose something that Looks like the green in the tile overall, without matching the specific green.

    For one, the green on the tile is not a solid green. For another it is interacting with the darker green outlines, the copper brown color and the white as well as the gold, which solid colored walls are not. The darker green outlines don't look green much of the time, they look grey. Any of the colors actually matched and pulled out individually all seem a bit too bright (the green) or a little harsh (the copper or gold), IMO, completely on their own.

    So you may want to match the overall impression of the green in the tile, which I think is much greyer than the actual green that is in the tile.


    This happens when people try to match specific colors in Persian rugs for example. Some of the individual colors are quite harsh in isolation, and you don't even see those colors when you look at the rug as a whole, they really look like something else juxtaposed with other colors. I have several brown Persians that have very strong greens and blues in them that you would never want to pull out and Match, for example, and they don't look that intense in interaction with the other colors in the rug.

    Abby Kessler thanked palimpsest
  • last month

    Thanks, palimpsest. That is helpful.

  • PRO
    last month
    last modified: last month

    @Abby Kessler

    The only colours I like are either green or a warm white. I had sent you a few days ago the look of a warm white with the green ceiling, here it is again:


  • last month
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    Also I agree with the 3000K lighting temperature being a sweet spot. Technically yes, it is warm and will cast yellow especially in photos. But warm light is what we are acclimated to indoors, and it seems less harsh that something that simulates bright sunlight. There is a house I walk by on the way too and from work (usually in the dark) and whatever lighting they have in the kitchen is so harsh it looks like a warehouse or parking structure. It's so unpleasant. ( I even prefer 2700 in LR or BR. You are supposed to be winding down in the evenings, no to be stimulated)

    Abby Kessler thanked palimpsest
  • last month

    I agree. Most of my lighting is 2700 k and it is 3000 k in a few areas.

  • last month
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    I’m late to your party and haven’t read all the responses, so there is that, but I’ve read that green (one of my favorite colors) is not the best to use in a bathroom because the reflection on skin makes people look bilious. If you could find another color you like, it will be more flattering in the mirror. Sorry, if this had been mentioned.

    Abby Kessler thanked olychick
  • last month
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    Well, they did a ton of work today (they still have to "finish plumb" and replace hardware and faucets (it'll be mostly brushed gold with a bit of matte black). Now that more stuff is in the room and the lighting is vastly improved, I'm leaning toward white! (with black accents). If I keep heading in this direction, then my question will be which white (I like C2 whites, especially Coconut, which is a warm white. (Not crazy about cool whites, even though the white in the tile is coolish). The "white" wall on left is just plaster/joint compound.

    Also wondering if I should paint trim or doors black. A client who is an artist visited today and she said the black in the tile is actually a REALLY dark green. But, I just see it as black. She thought I should paint the entire room that "almost black" green", but, I don't think I want it to be that cave-like.

    Also, my contractor made me a linen closet (borrowing space from closet in adjoining room It's just plywood or melamine. I'm wondering if I should paint or stain it (both outside and inside).

    If you wonder why the mirror is set 12" above the vanity, I'm tall. I'm thinking a 2 or 3" deep black shelf under the mirror might visually connect the mirror with the sink better. Don't know what I'd put on the shelf, though :) The strip lights over the vanity were installed too low. Electrician will return and raise them almost to ceiling.


  • last month
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    Just had an aha moment! It seemed like every green paint I tried near the tile, made the tile turn an indeterminate dingy gray color.. So, I asked AI and got this response: "Yes, putting a brighter green near a grayer green will generally make the grayer green look more gray (or desaturated). This is due to a phenomenon called simultaneous contrast."

    Lesson learned. Given that I don't want walls that are MORE gray than my grayed-green tile....it's better to stick with white (or black) walls. The tiles appear more green (and vibrant) by contrast.

    I actually had a passing notion today that I should paint the walls pink, lol. Probably my subconscious wanting to accentuate the green in the tile. Reds are opposite green,..the contrast would make the green look greener.

  • PRO
    last month

    I would go with a warm white.

    Abby Kessler thanked lisedv
  • last month

    Just hit the motherload online. A few months ago, there were no photos of my tile. But, now






  • last month

    I kind of like the idea of painting the vanity C2 Mediterranean. (and all the walls and ceiling white)




  • last month

    I would add some ivory paints into the mix for the walls. White-white might detract from the warm feeling of your tiles. I have only ivories in my house because we have a lot of dark wood trim everywhere, including a tray ceiling in the great room. Look at SW Antique White and Creamy.

    The photos you found with your tile are amazing. It is definitely is a statement tile! (In a good way.)

    Abby Kessler thanked RedRyder
  • last month

    Have not read this thread. Your door color looks fantastic in here. Have you tried finding a paint that matches your door color?

    Abby Kessler thanked Kendrah
  • last month

    Hi Kendrah, In person, the door color makes the tile look too gray. I explained above in the thread.

  • last month
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    There is no green in the floor. The floor and tile do share:





    Ceiling paint color...that of the sink and the tub.

    Abby Kessler thanked elcieg
  • PRO
    last month

    I don't find the colour C2 Mediterranean for the vanity coordinates at all with the tiles.

    Abby Kessler thanked lisedv
  • last month

    Now I'm struggling with the whites. I've given up on colors and I want to paint the room white (I'll probably paint the vanity C2 Sage, unless I get a better idea).

    On the left is C2 Linger (the color of the adjacent hallway). Right lower = C2 Coconut. Right upper = C2 Canvas, which AI suggested, lol.

  • last month

    I kind of like the look of the unpainted plaster, lol. If I had the money and time, Tadelakt might look good in here, lol. (I don't want to go to that extreme).

  • last month

    Those examples have a tinge of pink on my iPad monitor. Does it look that way when you’re standing in the room?

  • last month

    Linger on the left has some something slightly pink in it. It turns cream and toward pink depending on light. Coconut on right is a warm white...more yellow.

  • last month

    Can you get more samples of some warm ivories? We are not in the room with you but it still feels “off” to me.

    I’m totally in love with your tile so I’m getting over-involved here….

  • last month

    I'm a lover of Benjamin Moore Maritime white. OC-5. Here is a pic of it in my former kitchen. I love that it looked a lot like the plaster walls!


    (The pics I see of it on the BM site are way more yellow than anywhere I have ever used it.)



    Abby Kessler thanked Kendrah
  • last month
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    Woohoo, I think I picked my white! (C2 Cotton). I like the vibe. It's described as ""natural linen white" that is "raw and unbleached" and "sleek, soft, and organic." I notice it looks good with the wood tone tile. It's not too yellow, but also not gray or stark.


    So, I'm going with C2 Cotton on the walls/ceiling, and C2 Sage on the vanity. I'm researching wood stains for the closet door and trim.

  • PRO
    last month

    C2 Cotton looks good on my screen, seens to pick-up on the white in the tile.

    Abby Kessler thanked lisedv
  • last month
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    I have this cacophony in the hallway. It doesn't bother me, but now I'm trying to figure out what to do with the hallway facing side of the bathroom door, which will mostly be left in this open position:




    (Two doors painted C2 Misty Morn and one door painted C2 Serendipity. Walls are C2 Linger. Planning to paint bathroom facing side of door C2 Cotton, same as the walls and ceiling.

  • last month

    C2 describes Cotton as A natural linen white. Raw and unbleached, this foundational white is sleek, soft, and organic. C2 describes Linger as A wistful, muted lavender with a whisper of grey. C2 describes Serendipity as "A soft, silvery green with a hint of grey. C2 describes Misty Morn as A hushed, ethereal blue with a soft grey undertone. C2 describes Sage as A timeless, greyed green with a soft, soothing quality. In case you can't see on your screen.


  • last month
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    I like the color of the vanity now. Or is that primer?

    Don't compare C2 to just the tile...the sink is a creamy off-white so make sure the two off-whites go together.

  • last month

    Well, the vanity is older and repurposed... a little warped and dinged...so I was planning to paint it to freshen it up and hide the flaws. If not for that, I wouldn't mind the color. But, NOW my brain is being fried again:



    THIS is C2 Sage. NONE of these greens match the tile. It's feeling impossible to match the tile at this point. Sage is yellower and brighter than the tile. You can only see it now because it's on a completely different plane. When you put ANY of these greens next to the tile, the tiles get murky, and I can't tell what is what. Maybe it's an okay but dramatic look? I'm very confused at this point. I'm seriously wondering about what it would look like to paint the vanity Misty Morn (the color of the blue door on the right). It would clash with the tile, but intentionally so. Or, maybe the Sage is fine, and I just have a very colorful garden of greens? I'm losing my mind, lol.

  • last month

    I REALLY like the C2 Cotton. It makes the tile (both floor tile and wall tile) look rich and lovely. The problem then becomes, what color do I paint the hallway door? Before painting it Sage, I painted it Cotton, which made the door look primed, but not painted...next to the Linger. And, the difference in undertones between C2 Sage and the tiles became very clear when I painted the hallway side of the bathroom door.

  • last month
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    I can't change the Linger. The Linger goes through my entire open kitchen/dining/hallway/living room. So, that's a given. In the larger spaces I painted doors, trim and everything Linger. You can see this hallway from the living room. It would look weird to have stark white doors (the Cotton looks stark next to the other hallway colors), so I painted the doors the color of the rooms they're in (Misty Morn and Serendipity). It currently works, and the new bathroom flows with all of it, too. But, the door transition is difficult and it's also making me question painting the vanity C2 Sage.

  • last month

    My doors are painted the colors of the rooms they are in, since they are mostly kept open into those rooms, so they are the "wrong "color closed.

    Abby Kessler thanked palimpsest
  • last month
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    In the latest photo of the vanity if looks pale green with an ivory top. I looked again and in another photo it's cream with a white top.

    I LOVE the deep Charcoal vanity that lisedv rendered.

    I thought it was decided not to try and match the green in the tile with paint, per commenters here and by the paint store.

    I also agree with Redryder... add some ivory paints into the mix for the walls. White-white might detract from the warm feeling of your tiles.

    Abby Kessler thanked tracefloyd
  • last month

    The color I chose, C2 Cotton is like a linen white. Like unbleached cotton. It's not stark. It's only stark as compared to the Linger and the mid tone paint colors in the hallway.

  • last month
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    The vanity is off white. It got dingy and yellowed over the years (I've had it since 2008).. For those reasons, I was planning to paint it (to give it "new life"). The topper is porcelain.


    I'm scared of actual gray. I have zero gray in my entire house (my neutrals are black, wood tones and warm whites. I tried painting my master bath a gray and it looked so disconnected from the adjacent bedroom. Wound up repainting it a warm white. Maybe I should paint the vanity black?

  • last month

    Not black for the vanity, Charcoal. Dark Charcoal IS a black, just not as stark. Like the one rendered by lisedv and the photo you posted with your tile in the kitchen with Charcoal cabs. Do that.

    Abby Kessler thanked tracefloyd
  • last month
    last modified: last month

    My kitchen has cherry cabinets. A dark "bordeaux" brown color. LOTS of browns in my open living room/dining room. The only black is the TV and some wrought iron accents. I'll check out the charcoals.

  • last month

    What about pulling out the yellow or brown/orange in the tile (not sure if my screen is accurate) - like a half-tint. Or staining the vanity similar to the brown/orange in the tile? The color of the vanity now is pretty close.

    Abby Kessler thanked longdins
  • 27 days ago
    last modified: 27 days ago

    So, I'm still going mental and actually paid a color consultant to pick the colors. She agreed with me that the mid tones will detract from the tiles. She likes C2 Cypress for the vanity color (I agree). She loves C2 Solo for the walls, and her 2nd choice is C2 Cricket White. I think I still prefer the C2 Cotton, but worry it'll look too stark. The yellowness in C2 Solo bugs me, but I'm second guessing myself because she loves it. The Cricket White looks a bit dinge compared to the other two whites, but if the whole room were painted that color, it might feel the most comfortable and cozy (or drab...I can't tell).


    Future vanity color.



    Bathroom as a whole.



    Cotton on top third of door.. Solo in middle third. Cricket White bottom third of door. Aargh!


    Same three whites with different lights on.

  • 26 days ago

    You have to take our votes with a grain of salt. We are seeing them on monitors, not IRL. I do like the top one best, and yes, I see the “too yellow” in the middle color.

    Abby Kessler thanked RedRyder
  • 26 days ago

    I would try SW Tricorn Black on the vanity. It's a cross between very dark green and black.

    Abby Kessler thanked dorothymooney
  • 24 days ago
    last modified: 24 days ago

    Hi everyone, I've settled on the colors. It's going to be C2 Cypress on the vanity and C2 Cricket White on the walls. I have another question. The tile work is gorgeous in the tub, and I really don't want to break the continuity of the tile by attaching clutter to it or putting permanent holes thru the tiles. Here's my contractor holding a wall basket I purchased to the wall. Because it's a different brand (Moen doesn't make wall baskets)...the gold finish on the basket is a bit different than the gold on the tub and sink hardware. More "cool" in tone. The only other place I could reach from the tub would be behind the entry door, which happens to be solid core I'm wondering if I should install a towel rod and wall basket to the door, or if that would look worse than putting the storage inside the tub. There's plenty of other storage in the bathroom, but not really suited for wet drippy items. I'm fairly minimalist, so that wall basket would offer plenty of room for my items (except for the towel) but I'm just not sure. Also, I'll have one 24" towel rod on the other side of the room (on the other side of the linen closet)...just not right next to the tub.


    The contractor would have to screw it into the tile. I told him to wait until I'm sure. I also don't really like the things that hang off the shower head. They don't perforate the tile, but they visually obstruct the tile. What are your thoughts?



    Here's the difference in undertone between the gold in the wire shelf and gold in my Moen hardware:


  • 22 days ago

    I am always hesitant to drill through shower wall tile.

    The color difference in the accessories isn’t terrible. If they’re not right next to each other, it will work.

    The door seems like the most practical place for a towel rod. They make double ones that only use one set of brackets if you
    need room for two towels. This one is on Wayfair.

    Abby Kessler thanked RedRyder
  • 22 days ago
    last modified: 22 days ago

    What about a stick-on shelf...no drilling.




    Abby Kessler thanked tracefloyd
  • 21 days ago

    Thanks, Tracefloyd and Redryder, I've been thinking about it, and I think I will install this one and drill it into the tile (on the grout line). It is slightly brassier in tone than the Moen suite, which is warmer/orangey-er. But, the hardware on the toilet is brassier, too, so maybe this will spread the brassy elements across the room and look more intentional. The color of the shelf blends into the tile fairly well, vs matte black would make it pop more (I'd rather it be subtle). The Hoinerus one had feedback of losing its adhesion over time. The bathroom I ripped out had a similar basket (in chrome) drilled into the tile. It held up well and I used it a lot.

  • 21 days ago

    Well I wasn't exactly recommending that particular shelf, the color seemed about right.

    I usually include the brand if I find something in the off chance an OP is interested and is willing to research it. I will rethink that in the future. I do not want to endorse crap, for sure.

    Abby Kessler thanked tracefloyd
  • 19 days ago
    last modified: 19 days ago

    Thoughts on shower curtain rod length and placement? I'm thinking of screwing it into the tile just inside the Schluter strips (because more of a gap between them might look strange?) It's a curved rod. I wound up with 2 of this shower curtain (long story). If I measure the curtain lengths minus 1" for the hanging holes which are set in 1", and if I include the tassels: 1 curtain is approximately 78-79" and the other is approximately 83"-84" in length. The double hooks extend 1 3/4" below the rod on one side and 1" below the rod on the other side (not sure which side gets the liner.)




    . My ceiling is 92" tall. The door swing reaches 79" and the top of the door molding it 81 3/4". Someone suggested lining it up with the door molding but I don't know if that's relevant.