Small Bathroom Color Ideas: Helping Spaces Feel Larger

At one point in our lives, all of us can relate to the want/desire for a larger bathroom. When we first move off to college or get our first apartment, bathroom situations are less than desirable, for the most part. I remember my first apartment in my early 20s; my bathroom must have been no larger than an old-fashioned phone booth, and of course, it had to be shared! 

People who live in cities are typically accustomed to the smaller layout of bathrooms, and even those in the suburbs may have a half-bath in their home that feels like a walk-in closet. Truly, I don’t think anyone I know would reject the opportunity for more bathroom space; just like kitchen countertops, bathrooms rarely feel like they’re big enough! 

That was my inspiration for this article; I don’t want people to be claustrophobic in their bathrooms. The bathroom is a place to collect yourself, prepare for the day, and refresh your mind; that’s impossible if you feel confined! Fear not; I’m here to provide some small bathroom color ideas to help create a larger, more open, and airy-feeling space in your home!

Small Bathroom Color Ideas – Revisiting Some Color Theory

For the frequent readers of my blog, you’ll know that as a color specialist, I like to rehash some color theories and strategies to help preface all my suggestions, so let’s do a quick refresher here. 

Darker, richer, more saturated colors make spaces feel more intimate, cozier and focused. Great examples are saturated slate blues, taupe, blacks, and warmer colors like the colors in the terracotta family. You’ll often see these darker colors used in interior design to create the illusion of intimacy. 

Lighter colors with less saturation and intensity, such as pastels and other white-infused pale colors, create the feeling of levity and openness while refracting more light; this makes spaces feel bigger, more accepting, more airy, energized, and less constrained. To make a space feel larger than its square footage, I suggest gravitating towards lighter color options. 

Small Bathroom Color Ideas – Let the Light Shine In!

The biggest asset someone can use to optimize a small bathroom is bringing in as much natural light as possible, and if not natural light, as much manufactured light. Bouncing light around the bathroom and illuminating corners and crevices will help “open up” the space tremendously. Creating an expansive atmosphere is the goal, and natural light helps our minds feel more connected with nature and the outside world. Always incorporate as much lighting as possible into your small spaces, especially the bathroom. 

Colors for “Airiness”

If you’d like some refreshing, inspired, and alternative colors other than white for your bathroom, there’s something great for everyone’s tastes! Now, please don’t think I’m against bathrooms with stark white walls, but it’s not the only option for an airy bathroom, so let’s go over some other color possibilities. 

• Light purples

To quote myself from a previous blog, “Pastel colors are low-saturation colors intended to be soothing and non-obtrusive; simply, pastel colors are pale, muted versions of the bolder colors we see on the color wheel, whatever colors they are.”

Pastel purples work wonderfully for bathrooms because they are the lightest version of an already calm-natured color. Purple is a calming, soothing, wise color, and at very low saturation points, it can refract light and maintain its character.

• Light greens

Greens with low-saturation points mixed with whites, light greys, and even blues will help a space feel more connected with nature, expansive, and easy on the senses. There’s a refreshing tranquility to green, and painting a small bathroom a light green, such as a soft mint, will do wonders to make the space feel connected to the outside world. 

• Grey-blues

Cool colors, especially greys and blues, tend to recede within spaces; they don’t make their presence immediately felt, which helps the room almost feel “borderless,” like you’re stepping into a lovely field with a wide open sky. While I do feel that greys have been overplayed for bathrooms, especially in minimalist arrangements, using a blue-grey will be simultaneously calming, expansive, and dynamic. 

• Soft peach

While you’d be correct to say that peach is a variation of orange, I like to think of it as a delicate version of terra cotta. You can use a very soft/white peach to add just a tint of warmth to a bathroom without feeling it smaller. If you opt for a slightly warm pastel in your bathroom, just make sure to balance it out with cooler selections for the accents, such as white bathroom trim or stained wood cabinetry. 

Of course, it needs to be said that I am not just talking about paint colors. Colors can be added to the room with colorful rugs, towels, artwork, or even wall or floor tiles. I will talk about tile flooring and wallpaper in other blog posts, but my goal here is to talk about the “feel” of the room, wherever you decide to add your color of choice! 

Light and Color are Your Allies 

Regardless of the space in your home, bathroom or not, using the right combination of color and light can help even the smallest spaces feel more open and inviting! If you’d like to explore color arrangements for your small bathroom, check out my Color911 color app! You will find a variety of color themes to choose from, find what inspires you, and use it as your guide. This blog post and the Color911 app will help you choose the best colors for your home!