Asked on Jun 26, 2014

Need paint color for tiny farmhouse bathroom

Karil G.
by Karil G.
We are in the process of remodeling our small master bathroom. We put up white subway tiles that are going to have dark gray grout. We converted a dresser and to a vanity that is painted with Annie Sloan chock paint in old white. It has a dark stained wood top with a white sink. I would love to use my old shower curtain that is brown and white and blue. I'm going to put up beaverboard wallpaper two thirds up the wall and I think I'm going to paint it white. But I can't decide on that or what the rest of the walls should be. Help?
Shower curtain
Vanity and sink
Shower before dark grout
  25 answers
  • Mary Byrne Mary Byrne on Jun 26, 2014
    I would paint the rest of the wall a light blue to match the blue in the shower curtain.
  • P.j. C P.j. C on Jun 26, 2014
    I agree with painting the upper wall light blue. Blue, white, & brown are a great combination---love the shower curtain, also the tile & vanity! (BTW, it's called "beadboard". ;-)
  • Sylvia M Sylvia M on Jun 26, 2014
    I would dare to go brown. :-)
  • Vicki James Vicki James on Jun 26, 2014
    I agree too... light blue. But what is bearverboard wallpaper?
  • Crystal Parish Crystal Parish on Jun 26, 2014
    Do the light blue with browm trim
  • Therese C Therese C on Jun 26, 2014
    Arctic Blue would be beautiful in this bathroom!
  • Teri Teri on Jun 26, 2014
    I agree with the light blue paint suggestion, but then I'm in the midst of redoing my bathroom in white and blue, so I might be biased, lol. Sylvia M. suggested brown, and I think that would be very pretty, but you described the room as small, and a dark color might make the room feel very small and cave-like where a light color would help to open it up. Just my 2 cents.
  • Kristy Champion Kristy Champion on Jun 26, 2014
    Love that shower curtain. Agree with others....go with light blue. Can't tell for sure from the picture, but appears there is a REALLY light shade of blue in that curtain......almost an "ice blue" shade. I would use that, if possible. Beaver board is not a type. It's a real thing It's a common wall covering type in older homes. It's a textured wood-fiber type paper. http://inspectapedia.com/interiors/BeaverBoard186-DFs.jpg
  • Kristy Champion Kristy Champion on Jun 26, 2014
    I meant...not a typo ;-)
  • Tracy Fernandez Jamison Tracy Fernandez Jamison on Jun 26, 2014
    Check out the color called Sea Salt!
  • Jo Jo on Jun 26, 2014
    I. Would do brown ... would look amazing with the white subway! We are doing our master bath now too. We did white subway with a dark off black, basically a dark grey cabinet and grey walls. All fixtures are chrome. Painting the ceiling a very, very light sky blue. Accents are light blue towels. Even with the greys, it has a very airy feeling.
  • Elaine Simmons Elaine Simmons on Jun 26, 2014
    Her "beaverboard" mistake reminded me of a mistake a woman made on another board I post on. She said "doggie dog" instead of " dog eat dog" haha
  • Elizabeth P Elizabeth P on Jun 26, 2014
    I would pick up that blue in the shower curtain for upper walls, then use brown accents.
  • Sandie Lori Sandie Lori on Jun 26, 2014
    Without a doubt I'd do the blue that's in your shower curtain...it's such a beautiful rich color and in small rooms you don't use a dark color such as brown...that blue would really make it pop and I love your curtain...can't wait to see the finish project! :) Good luck..I'm sure it will be beautiful
  • P.j. C P.j. C on Jun 26, 2014
    After seeing the photo & doing some research, I recall seeing beaverboard sometime in the past. I still think the homeowner intends to use beadboard wallpaper, because all the advice I read (This Old House & other old house forums) say beaverboard is similar to cardboard, prone to warping (esp. so in a humid environment), & basically an outdated building material that should be removed. It was primarily used to sheath homes or in unfinished spaces like attics & chicken coops, or applied over cracked plaster walls. That doesn't appear to fit the decor she has in mind & with nice subway tile, even if it were painted. There IS a beadboard style anaglypta (embossed paintable) wallcovering though, hard to detect from actual beadboard until up close. If not, the beaverboard wallpaper she refers to may be another anaglypta texture that looks like the old stuff.
  • Wanda sinnema Wanda sinnema on Jun 26, 2014
    I love the colors in the shower curtain,,,,,,,, I'd go with a light greyish blue.... to pick up the colors in that..I woudl also reuse that somehow,,
  • Wanda sinnema Wanda sinnema on Jun 26, 2014
    I would also go ligher rather than darker if its very small,, if it has a window you could go darker,,,, otherwise it may feel like a closet..turned bathroom
  • Bonnie G Bonnie G on Jun 27, 2014
    the Frozen color blue would go beautiful with the shower curtains. OR Sherwin Williams has Pottery Barn colors and the Blue ICE would be beautiful also.
  • Sandy Dearinger Waters Sandy Dearinger Waters on Jun 27, 2014
    I would replace that bathtub
  • Karil G. Karil G. on Jun 27, 2014
    Thanks so much for all the wonderful replies!! Before we started the Reno the bathroom had the same shower curtain and I did paint the room in the brown! I loved it but was thinking if I ever wanted to choose another curtain I would rather not have brown. I think we are going with a lighter blue that is in the curtain(which is more a turquoise color) I haven't been able to find anything I love as much! And BTW I totally meant bead board wallpaper lol . I just didn't check it after I voice texted. They sell it at lowes. Pics to come soon thanks!!
  • Doreen Marie Camplone Doreen Marie Camplone on Jun 27, 2014
    What ever color the grout is, a greyish blue, And work around that? N u can use that gorgeous curtain!
  • Lilli H Lilli H on Jun 27, 2014
    Lol! I almost asked what beaverboard is until I read further. :)
  • Kris {Driven By Decor} Kris {Driven By Decor} on Jun 29, 2014
    If you want to pick up the blue in your shower curtain, try BM's Kentucky Haze - it's a gorgeous color!
  • Karil G. Karil G. on Aug 03, 2014
    Finally finished!! I went with a lighter blue. We actually mixed it ourselves, had some paint I had picked up off the oops rack. But now I'm thinking I want to put up a white ruffled curtain! Oh well, here are some pics.
  • LeeAnn Gerleman LeeAnn Gerleman on Jan 14, 2015
    I like that beautiful blue you used. It looks really nice. I was thinking more of a light taupe color. but this blue is pretty and matches everything.