Can you help me choose colors for this small bathroom?

Lil darlin
by Lil darlin

I have been trying to change my bathroom for years from the time I bought my house. I am going to do but I keep running into problems with colors. I want to do gray walls and I am replacing the floor, vanity and sink. I just dont know what colors to do for the floor, vanity and sink. The last pic is something I like. So I am looking for a clean and fresh look.

  12 answers
  • Gk Gk on Jan 06, 2020

    Hello! I love the picture of what you like! I would just mimic what you see in your picture. You can add the wainscoting and paint it white. The trim is white also if you want to change that as well. You can paint your vanity gray like shown and buy a new vanity top and faucets if you want to keep the vanity you have and you can wallpaper the top portion of the walls or stencil for this look. The floors are plain white tiles. It doesn't look like the tiles have any other color in them but it's hard to tell by the picture. I also think some water resistant plank flooring would look good. A gray paint color that I like is called Monument by Pittsburgh Paints/Nautica. It is a bit darker than the color of this vanity but it might be a good starting point for you. I used it to paint my closet doors in my dining room and bedroom.

  • Mogie Mogie on Jan 06, 2020

    This is what I did when wanting to change the master bathroom. I started with a new shower curtain. I know that doesn't sound exciting but that is how I decided on my colors (which ended up being yellow, gray and white). Since there were peonies on my shower curtain I got a stencil set at amazon.com of peonies and ended up stenciling that on my garage basket and a metal first aid container.

    Go to amazon.com to look for shower curtains. The amount to choose from is amazing. You can then work from that and figure out your colors and any themes. I also went with some wall decals of butterflies and the words in cursive "Spread your wings and fly".

    Ended up getting a few pieces at the Goodwill and spray painting yellow.

    • Kelly Denoyer Russell Kelly Denoyer Russell on Jan 11, 2020

      I agree. Sometimes you need an inspiration piece. One year I picked out dishes I loved and then took the plate to the paint store and had this brick red picked for the walls above the wainscoting.

  • Nan W. Nan W. on Jan 06, 2020

    Lil: I like that you are going in a neutral direction! ...you won't easily tire of it! Also... I like the look of the large mirror in the small bathroom --- really amplifies the space!

  • Scarlet Paolicchi Scarlet Paolicchi on Jan 06, 2020

    I love the idea of a grey bathroom with white tile floors a darker grey vanity and a white sink or a marble grey and white sink. Here is some inspiration https://www.hometalk.com/diy/paint/the-power-of-paint-shades-of-grey-apartment-bathroom-reveal-paintjob-12881655

  • For a small bathroom, I would go with white walls and a gray vanity... white sink. That is what we have in my bathroom and I love it. I stenciled one of the walls. Here is a photo of it: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzv2IdAhiFt/

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Jan 06, 2020

    Go with either multi colored tile or wood look. Both will work with any colors you choose.

  • Deb K Deb K on Jan 06, 2020

    Hi Lil, I think gray is awesome!! I have all grey flooring in our house, lino and carpet, there is no reason you can't do grey walls and flooring, just stay on the same tones on the color pallete. Do what you love, and remember, just changing the shower curtain gives you a great change in decor.

  • My Family Thyme My Family Thyme on Jan 06, 2020

    Hi! I love a gray bathroom and your ideas to update. About 1 1/2 years ago, I updated my bathroom floor using tile floor stickers. It was inexpensive, yet made a big impact. I wrote about it on my blog: Updating the Bathroom Floor with Tile Stickers. I hope this is helpful to you!

    • Lil darlin Lil darlin on Jan 07, 2020

      That looks good! I dont know if i will be able to do that because I have carpet then i think two layers of ugly linoleum


  • Michelle Michelle on Jan 06, 2020

    I have a tiny bathroom . I used white tile halfway around ,white sink and toilet. Used upper wall for color, Either wallpaper or your accent color. I love stained glass, so I hung that accent piece over my window and used the colors in that , blue, burgundy, etc to have changeable towels etc

  • Dee Dee on Jan 07, 2020

    Hi Lil: I love your vanity, I think it would look great painted a dark gray. Be careful when you choose gray, because it can have an underlying color such as purple. I learned the hard way and had to repaint. I like the grays with brown or blue undertones. If you decide to paint your vanity measure the top. Home Depot will get custom sizes if needed. I would then get a shower curtain with nice colors and choose what accessories you want from the shower curtain colors. Gray and white is a staple color. I would paint the walls light gray and get beadboard for the bottom, and paint it white. If you do not want lots of color, gray, silver and black go great together. A nice chrome faucet would look great as well as a new mirror. Kirklands and Home Goods have nice inexpensive mirrors.

  • Lifestyles Homes Lifestyles Homes on Jan 07, 2020
    Start with the expensive components, as it’s free to have that gallon on $23 paint modified and a $15 shower curtain can be dyed. (Done it for $4).

    Expensive = the countertop on the vanity.

    Expensive should be the flooring, as water infiltration is a nemesis in bathrooms.


    Can’t pick paint colors? Then pick up 100 chips, no I am not kidding, if you can’t pick paint colors. Tape your Top 10 to the wall for 2 days. Mark in the back your favorites in day and night. If on the border, go lighter, as having it “fixed” for free only means going darker.


    Prep work is everything. Humidity & water are the reasons why flooring buckles and bathrooms don’t breathe.


    Invest in your health with a new minimum 70 CFM fan, that’s the current minimum Health Code.

  • Susan Keaton Susan Keaton on Jan 08, 2020

    I just finished my bath remodel and posted it here. I went with a really nice barnwood waterproof, 6” plank vinyl floor from Home Depot. It is installed directly over the ceramic tile, has grooves and knots and looks great. Hope that helps.