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Choosing a Paint Color for Our Small, Windowless Bathroom

August 24, 2017

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This post is sponsored by HANDy Paint Products.

I didn’t think we’d ever get to the point of painting this little bathroom and yet, this week the time came to pick a color and paint that tiny bit of wall this windowless room has. A small room with no windows can present a challenge when it comes to choosing a paint color. Your instinct might tell you, “I want this room to be light and bright so I’m going to paint the walls white!” But unless you have extremely perfect artificial lighting, it isn’t going to look good, it’s going to look dingy.

We had a few goals for the paint color in this room:

We wanted it to feel light.
We wanted it to feel warm.
We wanted it to complement a reflection (you should automatically nix any sort of bright green in a bathroom unless you want to see yourself looking ill every day).
We wanted it to pop against the tile.

No matter what kind of room you’re painting, don’t attempt to choose a paint color without actually being in that room with the lighting (and light bulbs if it’s windowless!) you plan on having so you can see the colors in the light they will be in. After sitting in the bathroom with my swatch books, I narrowed it down to two Farrow & Ball colors: Calamine (a beautiful, neutral pink with an unfortunate name) and Shadow White (and warm, light griege).

We ultimately decided on Calamine because it popped so beautifully against the tile and we knew the girls would love it. After painting the ceiling a bright white, we popped out the disposable liner and put in a fresh one for the wall color.

We’ve talked about our love for the HANDy Paint Products before, but they really nailed the design of this tray. It can hold a full gallon of paint, which means less time wasted refilling, and it has ergonomic handles on both sides which makes transporting it a breeze. Plus, it has a magnet I can easily store my brush on when not in use. They really thought of everything.

This room only took Chris about 15 minutes to roll and I don’t even think he had to move his feet (haha!), but the cutting in took me about 45. However, with each stroke, I fell more in love. It’s warm, soft, and inviting and still feels like a neutral thanks to those undertones. I don’t even miss a window in here.

We’re so close to finishing this room (finally!) and could barely wait for the paint to dry so we could start loading in final the final pieces–mirrors, art, more lighting, a linen closet! We’re officially in the home stretch!

 

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What do you think?

  1. Justine says:

    Hi! I’m curious as to what color temperature lighting you have in this bathroom? We’re trying to decide on a color for a small bathroom with a very tiny window and Calamine & Pink Ground look rather unfortunate with the existing warm, sort of dim lighting we have.

  2. Laura says:

    What light bulbs do you use in this bathroom?

  3. Ashley says:

    Julia, do you guys typically use a specific type of paint on the bathroom vs a bedroom? We are about to paint ours and I’m wondering if I should use something that is particularly for rooms with higher humidity. Any brand recommendations?

    • Julia says:

      Paint has come such a long way. As long as you go with a good quality paint, in my opinion, there’s no reason to go with anything too glossy. I usually do satin for a bathroom.

  4. Kari Terhark says:

    Hi :-) I love this! Do you have an opinion on Farrow and Ball Tunsgate green for a windowless bathroom? I’m considering this but haven’t made up my mind. Thank you!

  5. Halie says:

    Where did you get your vanity? Is it linked somewhere?

  6. Danielle says:

    The bathroom looks great! It looks like you cut in after you painted the walls. Is there any rhyme or reason why this might be beneficial or is it just your preference? Thanks!

  7. Steven says:

    The room is coming along very nice! Im very curious why you guys didn’t go for a wall mounted toilet. In Holland almost everybody choses a wall mounted toilet when they redo a toilet or bathroom. Just wondering why that isn’t the trend in the US.

  8. Gable says:

    I loved the colour that you chose! I think the bathroom looks absolutely stunning! Great job!

  9. Kalila says:

    The bathroom is looking amazing! I love the paint color and was wondering, do you think it’s a good idea to invest in a paint/color fan deck? If so, what are your favorite brands and where is a good place to purchase one?

  10. Rosie says:

    Wow, that color really makes the rest of the room pop in just the right way. And I can only imagine that the warm pink will make for such complimentary complexions in the mirror. Such a lovely choice!

  11. Marianne says:

    I’ve been trying to do a bathroom like this myself. Please tell me about the flooring. Is it tile or vinyl and where I can purchase. Thank you for the inspiration.

  12. Anna says:

    You guys, I LOVE how this room is looking! Thanks for the awesome inspo!!!

  13. Shelley says:

    Looking good! The paint compliments the tile and the brass hardware so nicely. Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

  14. Cair says:

    That is the perfect color for that room. I love it in spite of the thought of calamine lotion giving me the heebie-jeebies.

  15. Caitlin says:

    Hi! What are the dimensions of the bathroom? We have a small shared bathroom for the kiddos and would love to put in a double vanity, but I can’t figure out the layout. Ps – paint color is gorge!

  16. K.M. says:

    Love, love, love your color choice! So feminine and pretty but balanced so nicely with the slightly more masculine flooring. Can’t wait for the final reveal!

  17. Debbie C says:

    That pink is perfect in there! Oh this bathroom…so so pretty!

  18. Melissa says:

    This looks fantastic! My daughters’ bathroom is a similar layout. If your bathroom is on an exterior wall, did you consider adding a window? That’s something I’ve been mulling around and was wondering if you had any insight? Thanks so much for sharing your amazing projects!

  19. Ashley R says:

    I saw the paint chips in stories and I thought the same thing about the name calamine. I have vivid memories of being covered in the lotion by the same name when I was 7! But that color really is beautiful. The bathroom is looking so good!!

  20. Christina says:

    I have the smallest powder room on the first floor and it’s super boring with no windows. No tile on the walls. Any suggestions for paint color? ..it’s going to be bare walls .I have some blushes on the wall now but I’m second guessing it. I wish I had that bathroom in my house!

  21. Amanda says:

    Stunning! And worth the wait. Can’t wait to see the final reveal.

  22. Emily Ward says:

    Very beautiful! Perfect for your sweet daughters! This labor and effort is an expression of love for them ❤️ Can’t wait to see the final details!!!

  23. Amber Britt says:

    Gorgeous! Would love a post about how to mix different finishes in the fixtures / hardware. I am always so boring and try to match them all, but you have mixed your fixtures and hardware seamlessly.

  24. Bonita says:

    This is absolutely stunning! You do an amazing job designing and putting everything together.

  25. Hannah Speyers says:

    It looks beautiful! I love everything. We are filing a small bathroom in our basement soon and I’m waffling on grout color for the walls. What color grout did you use for the subway tile? Thanks!

  26. Noelle says:

    Hi! It looks beautiful! Love the pink. We recently renovated our windowless small bathroom as well and did a similar style with white subway tile and a light gray/blue wall color. Are you planning to do a shower curtain rod? If so, will it be in chrome? We have dark bronze door hardware as well and tried a dark bronze curtain rod to match it. It looks okay, but I think I am going to switch to chrome to match the shower fixtures. Thanks!

  27. Sara says:

    It’s amazing, very good choice! I love everything about this bathroom!

  28. Lisa says:

    It looks so good! That paint color name made me laugh. It is unfortunate, but very accurate. It’s got me wondering where calamine lotion got its name??

  29. Lori says:

    I love our HANDy paint tray! Seriously the best. Can’t wait for the reveal!

  30. Lynn says:

    OMG that’s adorable! I am in the midst of a bathroom reno as well, but with just me and my husband, I don’t think he will be down with the pink! <3

  31. Mary says:

    This is just beautiful! So excited to see it all put together. I am so sorry if you’ve answered this question elsewhere, but where do you get your Farrow and Ball color mixed so that you get the right undertones and depth of color?

  32. Katie Cooley says:

    Can you link the tub faucet and handle, please? We are building right now and I love the look of the tub faucet/handle for my daughter’s bathroom. Looks great!!

  33. Nicole says:

    The room is looking so good! I can’t wait to see it finished ????

  34. Hilary says:

    I LOVE this wall color. I am decidedly not a pink loving girl, but this color could change that. So perfect!

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