With the busy lives we live today a bathroom can often be the one place in your home where you are guaranteed privacy and a little peace and quiet. No longer a place to fly in and out of each day, it has quickly become an important room of the home with relaxation being top priority. Choosing a color scheme for a bathroom has never been as important as it has become in modern day hectic times.
So, you are heading into the paint department and finally reach the overwhelming station filled with literally hundreds of colors in far too many different shades. On the lookout for something peaceful, yet energizing, you simply have no idea where to start in choosing the color much less the shade.
Forget the Rules of “Flow”
The bathroom is the one room in your home that you will rarely be forced to share with others. That said, should you still create “flow” between your bathroom and the rest of your home? Absolutely, not! So, your home is decorated in traditional modern design including straight symmetrical lines and black, silver, and white finishes. But, you dream of being on a luxurious soft sandy beach with the colors of the ocean, seashells scattered about, and a subtle calming breeze blowing in the smell of fresh clean salt water. Let your big dreams of the ocean become a small peaceful reality in your bathroom by forgetting the rules and making it what you want.
What better place to step outside of pleasing others and take a piece of what is yours then the one room in your home that far few travel in, and far fewer care about anyhow. This is your chance to do whatever you want, and that is quite exciting in the world of watching eyes and judging minds. Use your imagination in your bathroom and with a little work, some very strategically choosing of a color, you will be relaxing at the beach while laying in your own tub in no time.
Find Your Inspiration
Okay, its vacation time and you get the opportunity to go any place in the world. Where are you going and why? The answer to this question is the primary, and most important, step to choosing the color scheme of a bathroom. This is your escape so the inspiration behind it should be your little piece of heaven. Once you know where you are going and why you are going there, you will know just what colors to be looking at for your bathroom.
To get your creative juices flowing take a look at these common relaxation places:
- A Sandy Beach
- A Mountain Cabin Retreat
- A Private Prairie
- An Exotic Spa
- Back to the Past
- Into the Future
If the place of relaxation is not listed above, have no worry. Finding the colors for your inspiration can be done by simply locating a picture of your favorite spot. Perhaps you have visited there in the past and brought home pictures, flyers, or postcards, or if not, can find pictures on the internet, have resorts send out flyers, or locate postcards from friends living in the state of your destination.
Setting the Mood with Color
The general rule of color is choosing a soft and subtle color for the larger areas (walls), and putting in random splashes of accent colors with accessories, wall décor, and final finishes. This should be your basic idea in a bathroom as well. Here are some popular choices when choosing a color scheme for a bathroom.
Sandy Beach
Walls: Light to Medium Shades of Blue – Representing the ocean.
Window and Shower Curtains: Beige or Off White – Representing Sand.
Accessories (towels, etc.): Crisp White, Dark Blue, Aqua Green, Muted Browns.
Fixtures & Finishes: Silver or White.
Mountain Cabin Retreat
Walls: Light to Medium Shades of Green – Representing Forestry Scenery.
Window and Shower Curtains: Shades of Brown and Autumn Reds. – Representing Fall Forests.
Accessories (towels, etc.): Browns, Greens, Blues, Pine Yellows, and Autumn Reds or Oranges.
Fixtures & Finishes: Natural Wood or Brown Colors.
Tip: To do this there is a formula which is often used by real interior designers. Try it out!
- Look at your inspiration picture and identify the color which you see the most of – this will be your wall color or base color.
- Find the color that you see the second most of – this will be your primary accent color.
- Look very close and identify the colors which you may have almost missed – these will be your secondary accent colors.
Keep it Professional
To keep your bathroom looking professionally designed keep away from over-the-top inspiration such as going overboard with images or specific theme decorations, buying generic or overbearing curtains with dated patterns (sailboats, lighthouses, etc.), and putting too much emphasis on any one color element. Adding these items to your bathroom is encouraged, however keep it clean and keep it simple when pulling themed items into the room.
Choosing the Proper Finish in Paint
To properly paint a bathroom, much of the work in choosing the finish is already done for you. It is recommended that all places with high humidity or running water be painted with a semi-gloss or high-gloss paint. Painting with a semi-gloss or high-gloss paint will provide a bit of protection for your walls because the gloss works as a minor moisture barrier. Choosing a satin, flat, or eggshell finish will not provide this protection and could quickly deteriorate in quality making your paint look dated, washed out, and faded.
Unlike the many other rooms of your home, the bathroom can certainly be tailored to your own style without worry of other opinions. Feel free to make it your own knowing that this room is specially designed to help you unwind with in a little peaceful retreat, something so necessary in your busy life. Choosing a color scheme for a bathroom is the first step to setting the mood for relaxation, thus providing you with an energizing boost each and everyday. Take advantage of this chance to improve your own person well-being!
