5 Colors You Should Never Paint Your Bathroom

Bathrooms are some of the most used and personal spaces in our homes. It is an area utilized for self-care, where we begin and end each day. Our bathrooms significantly set the tone for how we feel as we wake up and get ready for work and how restful we feel saying goodnight to another day. LinkedIn reports that a person will spend a year and a half of their life in the bathroom, so how we choose to decorate these spaces is essential to our daily dopamine.

One of the first things our eyes always notice when we walk into a room is the color of the walls, even if we do not make a conscious note of it. The room's backdrop directly affects everything else in its wake. How you see décor against blue walls will be very different from how you see it with brown ones. Colors also influence our moods; some feel happy and calm, while others feel tense and glum. Typically, people want their bathrooms to evoke a feeling of serenity and zen, similar to that of a spa. When designing your bathroom, the color will be the primary component to decide on. Here are five colors you should never paint your bathroom if you are looking for a peaceful and refreshing space.

White is often a go-to color for many as it is quite versatile and works well with minimalist styles for a spacious look. However, a stark white tends to feel very sterile, brisk, and as if you are walking into a hospital. It doesn't offer much warmth and stains easily. Maria Killam points out that white walls don't look truly white for long as they are highly reflective. Natural light is a must-have in a comfortable bathroom, and if you happen to live next to a red-brick building, expect to find that tint resting on your white walls. You can go on Pinterest and see thousands of photos of beautiful white bathrooms, but life is not an Instagram filter, and it is not the most practical color to splash onto a room. 

If you are dwelling on white as a top choice for your bathroom, look into off-white and cream hues instead. These creamy whites will offer a warmer atmosphere, less reflection, and still give a clean look.

It would be best to always avoid red paint in any room that's not intended to be shocking and overstimulating. Our culture has created a very eerie sense of red rooms as they are used in numerous thriller and horror films such as "The Shining" and "Twin Peaks." In popular shows like "The Haunting of Hill House," red doors have also been portrayed to symbolize an entrance into unknown danger.

Remodel or Move notes that red walls drown out other accents and décor and are exceptionally tricky to pair with different colors. Red is a risky move for your bathroom, even if you only paint wall trimming or window panes. It is a very distracting color that will consume the entire room along with your thoughts, creating an unsuitable environment for unwinding. Minor pops of color in wall art or decorations will be bold enough to give the room your desired red look.

The reason you should keep pinks out of your bathroom has naught to do with it being unappealing but because it speaks a particular tone into the room. In 2016 we saw an explosion of millennial pink and the dramatic tone it set for a space. Peach rose to the top of the color chart in the 50s and 80s, and now looks a bit outdated. But truthfully, pinks have been incorporated into design and art for a very long time. Design Art Practice outlines how famous artists like Picasso, Malisse, and Fragonard used pink in some of their iconic pieces.

Pyaarnation describes how pink gives a youthful and playful essence, not precisely one that eases the mind early in the morning or late before bed. These pronounced colors can feel very overdone if too much of it is in one space. Since bathrooms are not typically the largest rooms in the home, walls in these colors will feel overwhelming most of the time. If pinks and peaches are right up your alley, think about infusing the room with accents and decor rather than basting the entirety of the walls. Another option would be to find muted or dusty shades that will settle more pleasantly with the mind's eye.

Black walls make a daring statement to a room, unlike most colors. Its darkness brings out the details in every crevice of the room and is a popular choice for those seeking striking design. Given that some of the most critical factors in our bathrooms include lighting and space, you should steer clear from painting your bathroom walls black. It will suck away much of the natural lighting and give the room a stuffy and claustrophobic feel.

Sharper Impressions Painting recommends using black for crisp accents in your hardware, tile, and marble. This will still give your room the distinctive element that black presents while keeping lighting a priority. It is important not to suffocate the room in such an enveloping hue, so a singular accent wall is another excellent way to go if you are inclined to the color. Also, consider how hard it is to paint over black. When choosing lighter colors for your bathroom walls, you are allowing yourself easier flexibility to repaint if desired.

At first glance, gold paint has a sophisticated and elegant edge that might seem perfect for your bathroom but tends to look outdated. Popular in the 70s, this color was marketed as trendy and earthy. But gold can easily look more like a muddy yellow, making the room dull, especially if paired with darker accents. Vintage is back; however, it needs to feature a fresh flair that doesn't look perished but rather well-loved. Yellow is a hard shade to get right; gold feels too gaudy, and true yellow feels too abrasive.

Benjamin Moore's yellow palette highlights hues calming to the mind, such as Golden Straw, Hawthorne Yellow, and even a very subtle shade of Man on the Moon. Gold and brass tend to work best on décor and hardware, which offers multifaceted possibilities for every aesthetic. Greens and blues are other colors to consider that offer a soothing and down-to-earth effect. Whatever color you choose to paint your bathroom, prioritize a stressless and tranquil experience.