The 5 Worst Colors For a Small Bathroom

light and airy bathroom with pale blue walls, window and roll-top bath

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball, photography James Merrell)

Jump to category:

1. White
2. Pale Grays
3. Black
4. Overly Saturated Hues
5. Cool Blues & Greens

We’ve loved seeing small bathroom design trends shift toward being braver and bolder with color. However, not all hues are suited to small spaces, and designers warn that some shades are best avoided when square footage is limited.

While small spaces might sometimes feel awkward or tricky to perfect, often, powder rooms or small bathrooms are the perfect place to harness your creativity. Pocket-sized in the best possible way, embracing a rich, earthy paint color creates a statement that instantly invites guests inside.

1. White

Bathroom with wood panelling, cream walls, wooden floor, mr and mrs sink and gold sconces — Traditional yet elevated, this timeless bathroom designed by Leonora Birts dons a cream paint. Farrow & Ball's Cream would introduce warmth into a typically clinical room, as would Benjamin Moore's Ballet White.

It comes as no surprise that stark whites have been left out of this year's bathroom color trends. A shade that tends to feel cold, they don't do small bathrooms any justice.

Lauren Rasken, founder of Lauren A Balkan Designs, explains, 'The worst colors for a small bathroom are stark, cool-toned whites. While pure white is often assumed to make spaces feel larger, it can read flat and clinical, exaggerating shadows and making small rooms feel colder and more cramped.'

Keeley Sutcliffe, Design Manager at BC Designs, agrees, 'Stark, bright white is often assumed to be the safest option for a small bathroom, yet it can be one of the most unforgiving choices in a confined setting. In compact rooms, white tends to exaggerate shadows, corners and changes in plane, which makes the space feel more clinical and less comfortable to use on a daily basis. Under artificial lighting, it can also take on a harsh tone that strips the room of any sense of warmth or softness.'

You don't have to avoid all white paints, just look for colors with a little warmth and richness. Lauren explains, 'Instead, warm white, soft ivories and beige-toned materials, paired with layered lighting and natural textures, reflect gently and create the illusion of space without sacrificing warmth.'

2. Pale Grays

Blue-gray washed bathroom area featuring a pendant light, gold framed oil painting, and mirror — Not all grays are bad in small bathrooms, in fact, richer grays with warmth will enrich your space. Try Livid by Little Greene or the richer Pompeian Gray for a dose of luxury.

While some of the darker hues among the best gray paints might work in a small bathroom, cooler-toned grays lacking depth are best avoided.

Interior designer Nina Litchfield explains, 'On the flip side, the biggest mistake I see is people defaulting to flat grays or cold, "dull" whites in an attempt to make the room feel larger. When you combine those tones with the bright white task lighting typical of bathrooms, the result is often quite sterile and, honestly, a bit unbearable to spend time in.'

Interior designer Millie Turner agrees, 'I also tend to steer away from very cool, stark grays, which can feel gloomy and uninviting under artificial lighting.' Whether you're injecting some character into a powder room or redesigning you en suite shower room, always aim to create contrast, explains Millie. 'More than any specific shade, what I try to avoid is a lack of contrast. When everything is one pale tone, walls, vanity and floor, a small room can feel flat and undefined. Even in a lighter scheme, I will always bring in depth through cabinetry, hardware or pattern so the space still feels considered and layered.'

3. Black

small bathroom with black paneling and radiator, wallpaper with orange trees on black background, mirror — While this powder room is balanced with a vibrant wallpaper, black paint can tend to feel overwhelming in small spaces. If you want to create a moody space, a dark navy like Sherwin-Williams Naval or Farrow & Ball's Brinjal, a deep plum hue.

Dark paint colors are ideal for making a room feel snug, but it's worth knowing that when it comes to decorating with black, that rule doesn't always apply. Not only can the shade be tricky to style, it can also make a small bathroom feel even smaller.

It's sometimes thought black is a color that makes a bathroom looks more expensive, but in a confined space, it can only emphasise its smaller proportions, giving the eye little to focus on. Grazzie Wilson, Head of Creative at Ca’ Pietra, explains, 'Flat black can feel heavy and uncompromising in a small bathroom, particularly when applied across large areas without relief.'

She adds, 'In compact spaces, black tends to absorb light aggressively, which can make the room feel compressed and demanding unless the proportions, lighting, and finishes are very carefully handled. Without texture or tonal variation, it often lacks the nuance needed to work comfortably at close quarters.'

Decorating with a moody color palette isn't a total no-go though, Grazzie explains, 'While darker shades can be successful when they have warmth or movement, a uniform black surface risks feeling severe, making fittings and junctions stand out too sharply and drawing attention to the room’s limited scale rather than softening it.'

4. Overly Saturated Hues

dark burgundy red powder bathroom with panelled walls and wallpaper above, with a mid century mirror, vintage wall sconces, and a traditional sink on a brass stand — By no means steer clear of color in a small bathroom, just keep it on the warmer side. This powder room designed by Studio Duggan feels invitingly snug, all made possible with a burgundy wallpaper and paint color, similar to Little Greene's Bronze Red.

Colorful bathrooms are a joy to get ready in, but always keep in mind that overly saturated tones can dominate small spaces and only emphasize the room's confines.

Nina explains, 'I’d also be wary of colors that are too oversaturated or neon. While I love a bold choice, a color that is too "loud" can quickly become claustrophobic when it’s bouncing off four walls in a tight space. It’s all about finding that balance between a "pop" of personality and a color that actually feels lived-in.'

Adam agrees that while some colors make a bathroom feel happy, others are best avoided in smaller spaces. 'Highly saturated brights, such as strong reds, yellows or electric blues, can also be problematic in small bathrooms because they dominate the space very quickly and can feel intense to live with on a daily basis. While these colors can look appealing in small doses, using them across large areas often creates a sense of pressure rather than personality, and they can be difficult to balance with fittings and finishes without the room starting to feel disjointed.'

Helen Shaw, Marketing Director at Benjamin Moore, adds, 'It is also important not to choose a paint color that recasts light in an artificial or unflattering way – colors such as bright blues, greens, and yellows can have this effect and can cause problems when applying make-up or grooming.'

5. Cool Blues & Greens

small powder room with striped green floor tiles, green panelling, a small vanity sink, floral wallpaper and a pink mirror flanked by gold and green sconces — Richer blues and greens will inject some character into your small bathroom. Try Yonder by Farrow & Ball, the ultimate mid-tone blue best for creating vibrancy. Or, for a more pared-back look, try the enduringly classic Georgian Green by Benjamin Moore.

Not all pale blue paints are a no-go in small bathrooms, but cooler tones are best avoided if you want a space that feels bigger than it is.

Helen explains, 'As bathrooms are full of hard surfaces from tiles and mirrors to fixtures, it’s best to steer clear of strong shades with cool undertones.'

Interior designer Leonara Birts adds, 'I think with bathrooms, you have to avoid cold colors. Bathrooms should be inviting spaces you want to be able to relax in. Certain shades of blues or greens can feel quite cold.'

If you're a lover of pastel schemes, try warmer pinks or blues instead, advises Leonora. 'I tend to go for either neutral palettes or softer pinks and blues alongside cream on the woodwork, making sure you add some pretty fabrics to the room in the blinds, gathered shades or chair cushions and good levels of lighting (no spots!) that can be dimmable.'

While cooler tones and overly saturated brights are best avoided in small bathrooms, plenty of other shades are worth considering. Whether it's a moody jewel tone or an organic, earthy hue, opting for colors with depth will instantly make a compact bathroom feel more inspiring.

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