Once-Trendy Bathroom Paint Colors To Avoid Using In 2024, According To Our Paint Experts

Paint is among the easiest and most inexpensive ways to make your home feel refreshed. So, if there is one aspect of your home that can follow trends, it's your paint colors. All trends tend to go in and out of style as the years progress, and bathroom shades are no different. In years past, neutral shades have been popular. All-white bathrooms were the rage because they easily matched any kind of decor and evoked a squeaky-clean feeling. Gray finishes in the bathroom were popular for a similar reason but added a little edge and color to the space.

However, as the new year begins, new trends begin to set in. Interior designers and color experts have been analyzing the trends, taking note of what's been gaining popularity and what has been falling by the wayside. Many seem to have come to a consensus that the all-white bathroom is on its way out. In an exclusive interview with House Digest, four color experts explain what shades you may want to avoid in your bathroom in 2024 and options to replace them with to be more on-trend.

Gray was a popular shade throughout the home in the last decade, but the popularity is waning due to its austere feeling. "Gray was once a very popular bathroom color, but we've now seen less of it due to other emerging trends," Sue Wadden, Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin-Williams, says in an exclusive interview with House Digest. Because gray comes off feeling cold, many opt to add warmth to their homes. "Warm whites and neutrals are rising in popularity overall, as well as wooden accents and cabinets in bathrooms. While gray colors look fine with natural elements, white and warmer neutrals are on the rise." Warm whites paired with natural wood provide a calming space to relax in. Consider wooden or woven furniture to add a natural accent.

Many are opting to bring nature into their space through colors. "We'll also continue seeing nature-inspired colors in bathrooms, leaning more towards lighter tones like airy blues such as our 2024 Color of the Year Upward SW 6239 or Aleutian SW 6241 to give it a spa-like feel. We believe homeowners are seeking to create bathrooms that feel like sanctuaries, so leaning towards these lighter and spa-like colors is ideal to evoke calmness and peace in a space. We also believe homeowners are leaning more towards minimalistic looks in bathrooms –- they're staying away from dark hues or dramatic, bold colors, which can be fun in some spaces but won't evoke the same feeling of respite."

While some homeowners have opted for the light, calming, spa-like bathroom, others are on the other side of the spectrum. Andre Kazimierski, the CEO of Improovy Painters Chicago, tells House Digest, "The three bathroom paint colors I would say are out of style as we head into 2024 would be basic white, greys, and light blue. White has been heading out of trend for a while now ... just because it doesn't provide much interest for the eye and doesn't have much sense of atmosphere. [R]eplace it with a light neutral instead, preferably something with more warmth, like a warm beige." Stark whites, while providing a clean look, can lack personality and feel cold. Many home trends are leaving stark white behind for creams and beiges that add a more comforting feel to the space.

As stated, gray is facing a similar fate. "Grey has been in style for quite a while, but I'm seeing less and less of it," Kazimierski says. "I would probably also recommend another warmer neutral in its place for the same reason. Light blue has always been a pretty popular color for bathrooms, but it can start to look a bit washed out and boring! I would recommend replacing it with something a bit more saturated, like a deep green or blue. These will add some more visual interest and coziness to your bathroom." Porsche Irish Green from Backdrop offers a rich, natural color for a bathroom.

Many contemporary homeowners want their bathroom to be as relaxing as it is functional. Sue Kim, Director of Color Marketing for Valspar, tells House Digest how she chooses bathroom colors. "Today's bathroom is more than a function; it's an experience. It's the place where you start and end your day. As we navigate through the constant changes in life outside of the home, the personal space at home, like the bathroom, can provide a place of wellness for the mind and soul."

"[Gray] has been and still is popular for the home, but the color family has become a foundational color and is giving way to more colorful shades," Kim explains. "[Whites] and off-whites are often used as entire spaces because of their simplicity and ease of retouching." Though these colors are popular for base colors or accents, they're no longer the main shade. Instead, homeowners are looking for tranquil, nature-inspired paint colors, like Valspar Cozy White, 3008-10C, which pairs well with "[n]atural materials like wood, wicker, or indoor plants."

"A peaceful and tranquil mood comes from water-inspired blue color. A green-balanced color like Valspar Renew Blue, 8003-37D, leans into nature-inspired elements and evokes a feeling of wellness at home," suggests Kim. "For a small bathroom, personalization is important and expresses a unique style through rich teals like Valspar Everglade Deck, 5011-5. When a small space is adorned with one color, even on the ceiling, the immersive dark tone helps to create a memorable mood."

While all-white bathrooms may be on their way out, there are still some concepts where white remains popular. "I don't see us retiring any of those colors for bathrooms this year," Michelle Marceny, Principal Color Designer of The Color Concierge, tells House Digest, referring to white, gray, and light blue. "The biggest reason is that we see coastal interiors as a growing trend and spa-like bathrooms as a timeless classic for bathrooms that will always be around. Both coastal and timeless interiors tend to integrate all those colors, white, gray, and light blue."

The classic coastal interior saw a rise in popularity as the reinvited Coastal Grandmother Style, which embraces the comforting and nostalgic feelings of a grandmother's beach cottage by using modern natural materials.

"If anything, we see an evolution (not a revolution) to cooler light blues and much lighter grays," Marceny explains. "A great example of that was the Shewrin-Williams Color of the year, Upward, which is a very Coastal color that would be seen in any bathroom as a spa-like color. It has cool violet undertones for a very nautical vibe. I also see warm, light blue-green colors such as Sherwin-Williams Rainwashed and Benjamin Moore Woodlawn Green. Other colors that may be added to the mix are blue-green grays such as Benjamin Moore Gray Cashmere and Sherwin-Williams Sea Salt. What these all have in common is that they are all Coastal Interior colors, which is a strong trend this year."