37 Bathroom Color Ideas to Brighten Your Lackluster Loo
Take the plunge with a transformative splash of orange sherbert or mint green paint
Sure, you could spend months—and thousands of dollars—on a bathroom remodel, but why not simply transform your bathroom with a bold new hue? After all, bathroom color ideas abound, whether you go for a coat of paint or a tiled wall. The relatively small spaces are the perfect place to play with paint or tile, which can stand up to splashes and steam better than wallpaper. The color you choose can really set the tone for the entire design and the finished space, whether you go for a bright jewel-box feel or a light and serene retreat. Bathroom design is oftentimes difficult to spice up given the limited amount of space available for decor, so the palette you choose is of the utmost importance. Check out the bathroom color ideas below for plenty of inspiration to get you started.
Photo: Lance Gerber1/37Cherry Red
A bright cherry red makes an undeniable statement in any room but is particularly unexpected—and impactful—in a bathroom. In a Pasadena home, designer Leah Ring of Los Angeles–based Another Human incorporated glossy Heath Ceramic tiles in Campari Red on the lower half of the wall and installed a coordinating toile de jouy wallpaper by Cole & Son above.
Photo: Rachel Smith2/37Peach
The perfect middle ground between pink and orange, soft peach adds warmth to a bathroom and can be a unique alternative to deeper neutrals such as taupe or beige. In the playful peachy bathroom of a London home by Owl Design, a curved tadelakt, or Moroccan plaster, wall conceals the shower and sets the tone for the space.
Photo: Brittany Ambridge3/37Emerald
Like their precious namesakes, jewel tones add drama and a sense of luxury, and this emerald green bathroom is proof. AD PRO Directory designer Peti Lau coated the walls of a Hollywood Hills bathroom with emerald green Venetian plaster paint to compliment the room’s vintage tile. Lau added drama by painting the tin ceiling a glossy black.
Photo: Michael Sinclair4/37Mocha
Mocha Mouse, Pantone’s 2025 color of the year, is a sophisticated variation of earthy brown that works as well in a bathroom as it does in a dining or living room. Maddux Creative added depth and complimented the free-standing copper tub by incorporating three shades of the hue on the tadelakt plaster walls, floor, and vanities of an en suite bathroom in a London home.
Photo: Haris Kenjar5/37Orchid Pink
AD PRO Directory designer Heidi Caillier made tile the star of this bathroom in a home on Fox Island in Washington state. Solid Fireclay tiles in a soft, romantic shade of orchid pink balance out the detailed pattern of the terra-cotta tiles on the lower wall and floor, acting almost as a neutral.
Photo: Sean Litchfield6/37Plum
A deep shade of purple, such as plum, can add drama to a bathroom. In the Art Deco–inspired bathroom of a Brookline, Massachusetts, home, designer Cecilia Casagrande of Boston’s Casagrande Studio lined the shower in plum ceramic tiles and painted the bathroom vanity in Farrow & Ball’s Brinjal paint.
Photo: Jen Trahan7/37Off-White
A soft off-white feels clean and classic without the starkness of a bright white. Los Angeles–based designer Alex Yeske, a member of the AD PRO Directory, painted the walls of a Cooperstown, New York, bathroom in Farrow & Ball’s Schoolhouse White and used a muted shade of blue on the trim for contrast.
Photo: Christopher Delaney8/37Pumpkin
Two complementary orange hues add warmth and a connection to nature in the bathroom of a 100-year-old home renovated by Morgan Studio, a Martha’s Vineyard–based multidisciplinary design firm. “This bathroom was inspired by the Menemsha Beach sunsets on Martha’s Vineyard, where this cottage is situated,” says designer Lauren Morgan. “At golden hour, the house glows shades of yellow and orange, and so we reflected those colors in a vivid gold gradient in the shower and with more subdued butter hues throughout the bathroom.”
Photo: Yoshihiro Makino9/37Mustard
Los Angeles–based AD PRO Directory firm And And And Studio doesn’t design boring bathrooms, and this mustard yellow space is no exception. The firm painted the walls and vanity in the cheery statement hue and used a coordinating grout to take the look delightfully over-the-top. The white tiles and marble countertop balance the bold color and keep the space feeling bright rather than overwhelming.
Photo: Anna Stathaki10/37Rose
A deep pinkish-red, rose offers a sophisticated take on the hue that often appears in juvenile spaces. Designer Lizzie Green used rose zellige tiles to add instant warmth to the bathroom of a north London town house and chose fabrics for the Roman shades and sconces that would compliment the striking color. Designer Lorri Hicks Cazenave of San Francisco–based Hicks Cazenave Interior Design is also a fan of rosy colors that feel like they have an inner glow. “They reflect warm light around the room onto your face and skin, work magically with minimal natural light, and spill out to adjacent rooms in an inviting way,” she says.
Photo: Kasia Gatkowska11/37Orange sherbet
Though some orange tones may be overpowering, orange sherbet can provide a welcome spark to a space. When Job Smeets of Studio Job put a carnival-like spin on an Amsterdam penthouse, he didn’t bother toning things down in the bathroom, where he installed vivid orange tiles on the walls and floors. White vintage sinks balance the whimsical elements of the renovation, such as the checkerboard-accented doors and colorful custom ceiling light.
Photo: Oberto Gili12/37Bright white
This classic shade creates a crisp look and reflects light, which helps small bathrooms feel just a little bit bigger. Choose a hue that matches your tile and bath furnishings to keep the look cohesive. Here, a true white brightens a bathroom in Martha’s Vineyard.
Photo: Frank Frances13/37Seafoam green
This country estate designed by Sheila Bridges leans traditional and shows just how spirited that style can be. Seafoam green half-wall tiling commands a rather petite guest bathroom, and even if tiling and a full-scale remodel isn’t in the cards for your project, the space proves how wonderfully the color can transform a room.
Photo: Matthieu Salvaing14/37Dark teal
Plenty of interior designers talk about creating “jewel-box moments” with bathrooms, but designer J.J. Martin took this principle to new heights in her own Milan apartment. Her vintage necklace collection lines the bathroom wall painted in dark teal, one of the best colors if you’re hoping for a moody space.
Photo: William Waldron15/37Pink
Pink creates a flattering glow and feeling of warmth in a bathroom. Pairing it with white or black, as Jamie Drake did in his Manhattan primary bath, adds a classic element of contrast that keeps a pink bathroom looking modern rather than girly. Gleaming metallic accents, such as the faucets, vanity, and mirrors, also bring in a bit of edge.
Photo: Eric Piasecki16/37Rust
Though orange can be quite a bold color for a bathroom, never mind a powder room, this persimmon-y shade is just the thing to complement this Macaubas Gold quartzite vanity custom made by the apartment’s designer, Bruce Bierman. Keeping the color palette neutral beyond the walls and the vanity ensures that this space sticks the landing.
Photo: Francis Amiand17/37Black
Nothing adds contrast and drama quite like black. Pair the dark shade with white for a graphic look that’s still bright, or go bold and create a moody space by pairing it with darker hues. Here, designer Laura Gonzalez used black to highlight the woodwork in the bathroom of a Paris apartment.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn18/37Yellow
A sunny yellow adds a cheerful and playful vibe to even out a more traditional bathroom. This bright marigold shade, which designer Katie Ridder used in her Millbrook, New York, home, is energetic yet classic thanks to the white trim. This is a color that will help you wake up in the morning!
Photo: Pieter Estersohn19/37Blue-gray
Blue-gray has a bit more depth than pale gray or powder blue, but it’s still serene. Here, Thom Filicia used a Benjamin Moore paint to cover the beadboard walls and ceilings in the bathroom of a lake house.
Photo: Patrick Cline20/37Mint green
A soft and minty green sets a tranquil tone in the room and evokes the calm of nature. Designer Sasha Bikoff painted a client’s bathroom in a cool green to make the space feel larger and capture the look of an Italian villa.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn21/37Warm white
It’s no surprise that classic white is one of the best bathroom paint colors. In fact, white remains the most popular color for bathroom walls, according to the 2025 US Houzz Bathroom Trends Study. Creamy whites with warm undertones can make darker spaces feel less stark and create the feel of a calming retreat. Here, in a home designed by Carrier & Co., soft white walls are accentuated by marble floors and metallic accents in a Long Island bath.
Photo: Matthieu Salvaing; Styling: Carolina Irving22/37Cobalt blue
Few color combinations are as iconic as blue and white. The classic duo looks fantastic in a bath, where cobalt blue and crisp white can brighten the space. Pierre Sauvage added extra drama by using a high-gloss finish in his Paris bathroom.
Photo: Durston Saylor23/37Gold
All-white cabinetry and fixtures line this bathroom by interior designers Cullman & Kravis, but a gold ceiling and gold accents steal the show. The shining gold ceiling is a particularly nice touch and offers a bather a particularly luxe view while taking a soak.
Photo: William Abranowicz24/37Tomato red
Plenty of bathrooms aim to be as subdued as possible, but for those who are intrigued by the idea of a bold bathroom, bright red is a perfect pick. In one of the bathrooms Kate Rheinstein Brodsky designed, she opted to add the more commanding color to the floor, balancing the room so it doesn’t feel too dominated by its pointed ceiling.
Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna25/37Bright green
A light green makeover by designers Luke Edward Hall and Duncan Campbell gave this bathroom a one-of-a-kind retro vibe. Whether or not you’re ready to commit to a light green ceiling and light green walls, this space’s well-placed window shows how useful an abundance of natural light can be whenever you’re exploring more daring color ideas. Paneling on the wall above the bathtub adds texture.
Photo: Eric Piasecki26/37Aqua blue
Cool tones that evoke the water instantly create a spa-like space. The pale blue-green works well in modern and traditional spaces, such as this bathroom in a French château renovated by Timothy Corrigan, where the aqua blue interior paint complements the ornate architecture.
Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna27/37Light gray
Gray is as on-trend for the bathroom as it is for the rest of the home. The soft and sophisticated shade looks great with white bathtubs and sinks, and can highlight the natural beauty of marble floors or tile, as seen here in a Daniel Sachs–designed space.
Photo: Ricardo Labougle28/37Robin’s-egg blue
Sometimes an accent wall is actually the ceiling—just take the bathroom at stylist Mieke ten Have’s 18th-century barn-turned-home for instance. A robin’s-egg blue shade on the ceiling veers far away from expected farmhouse styles and makes an aged structure feel surprisingly youthful.
Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna29/37Butter yellow
Butter yellow offers something a tad more whimsical than a simple white bathroom, but it doesn’t need to be the center of attention either. Here, in a home designed by Marco Scarani in collaboration with French architect and decorator Michel Pinet, the subdued yellow tone offsets the attention-grabbing Atelier D’Offard wallpaper.
Photo: David Marlow30/37Silver
A fluted mirror vanity base, inspired by the work of iconic interior designer Dorothy Draper, sets the tone in this LA home’s primary bathroom by Craig Wright. The silver walls and ceiling maintain the intended air of Hollywood glamour.
Photo: Francois Halard31/37Cream
A deep cream tone offsets the drama of Blue Lias stone in a Pierre Yovanovitch–designed Paris apartment. The subtle shade grounds the room without tampering down the space’s personality.
Photo: Simon Upton32/37Grape purple
Window coverings, bath mats, and shower curtains can all be used to add a pop of color to a small space, and in a bathroom at Sienna Miller’s Gaby Dellal–designed home, grape purple is all over. Beyond color inspiration, this bathroom shows how to bring the home decor style of the rest of your abode into the bathroom.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn33/37Farmhouse red
When combined with beadboard wainscoting, this farmhouse red wall color instills a distinctly cottage-like impression in this Adirondacks, New York, home. Designer Thom Filicia’s choice of matte slate accents add an air of sophistication, which creates a bathroom look that’s sophisticated and still easy to DIY.
Photo: Jenna Peffley34/37Sand
In Justina Blakeney’s primary bathroom, sand tones dominate. Though there is plenty of green in the space, desert hues balance the room. Sand toned wallpaper, shower tiling, and a beigey cream bath mat appear in the bright bathroom.
Photo: Douglas Friedman35/37Kelly green
Black-and-white envelopes Stacey Bendet’s bathroom, with the floors covered in striped floor tiles and the walls lined in a checkerboard pattern. Designer Louise Kugelberg enlivened the whole apartment, creating a sense of joyful eclecticism that’s perfectly exemplified by the green accents.
Photo: Douglas Friedman36/37Coral
Coral-colored cement tiles add a whimsical air to this bathroom by Victor Legorreta and Ken Fulk. Whether coral is worked in with paint or tile, it adds a fun and tropical feel to any bathroom.
Photo: Oberto Gili37/37Pistachio
Other shades of green can bring in an energetic flavor to a space, but pistachio evokes a sense of continental sophistication. This is heightened even further with pistachio green drapery, seating, and a fireplace in this English country house that was reimagined by Ptolemy Dean Architects and Spencer-Churchill Designs.
Frequently asked questions
What is a timeless bathroom color?
When it comes to bathroom decor ideas, white never goes out of style. Cool whites will create a crisp and clean look, and off-whites will warm up a dark space. For a look that’s on trend, try complementing white with a dark accent color, such as navy blue, hunter green, or black.
How do you pick the right bathroom color?
When choosing your paint color, keep the style of your space in mind. Is your bathroom sleek and modern with a clean-lined tub and vanity, or is it a traditional space with moldings and more ornate features? The streamlined architecture of a modern bathroom pairs well with certain bathroom color schemes—think crisp whites, pretty pastels, and bright and bold hues, as opposed to more muted tones.
Traditional spaces look great painted in nearly any color. Softer shades can create a calming environment, and brighter colors can make a statement. Think about how the moldings and ceiling will play into your color scheme: White trim is a classic look that can let darker colors stand out. Painting the trim and ceiling the same color as the walls can give the bathroom an enveloping feel.
Should you paint the bathroom a light or dark color?
Light bathroom paint colors can help reflect light, making them a great choice for small or windowless spaces. But you could also embrace the darkness, or lack of square footage, with a rich and moody hue. Whether you’re making major changes to your space or just ready for a quick update, these colors will bring new life to your bathroom.
A stark white bathroom can be restorative, but it can be difficult to style properly. Since there's not a lot of room for furnishings or artwork in a small bathroom, the color you choose for paint or tile is often the biggest statement.
What is the best color for a small bathroom?
While you may think that you need a light color, such as white, beige, or gray, for a small bathroom, a petite space is actually a great place for bold color trends to shine. “Small bathrooms are jewel boxes for rich materials and color,” says designer Lauren Morgan. “We use bold colors and patterns that are sometimes a slight departure from larger adjacent spaces.” Morgan adds that the firm likes to choose more saturated shades for small bathrooms, but they make sure to keep the color light in tone so that the room doesn’t feel smaller than it actually is.
Lorri Hicks Cazenave also goes for brilliant color in small bathrooms. “Deep greens or inky blues work beautifully in a compact space,” says Hicks Cazenave. “Because the scale is contained, it can handle bold pattern, strong color, and thoughtful detail. It’s a chance to lean in rather than make the room disappear.”
Which bathroom colors should you avoid?
No colors are off-limits for bathrooms, but some shades work better than others. Hicks Cazenave advises against dull hues like flat builder beiges and washed-out whites. “In a small space, safe choices tend to disappear—and not in a good way,” she says. “Color and pattern give a small bath a sense of story and intention.”
And it’s not just your walls you need to consider. Morgan says to avoid dark colors, such as charcoal, hunter green, chocolate, and plum, on a bathroom ceiling. “The nuance in darker colors is lost here,” she says.
Like Hicks Cazenave, Morgan agrees that boring colors have no place in the bathroom. “Avoid cool white tile and walls that feel sterile and staid,” says the designer. “There is an opportunity for detail in color and pattern in a small room—don’t be afraid to reflect it on the floor, walls, or in the tile.”
But the designer also urges homeowners to show restraint when going for bold elements. “Choose one area to exercise creativity and let the other elements in the room take a supporting role,” she says.
