Freshen Up Your Bath with Color

source: Living Design Home

Recently, my roommate decided to redo our second bathroom, a rather small one with little natural light. She asked me what shade of brown I thought would go best on the walls and showed me a couple of color tiles. My first reaction? "Don't go with brown - this bathroom is dark enough as it is!"

But seeing as this is her house and not mine, and she really wanted brown, I told her the lighter shade would probably be better. Thankfully, she went with it and has now moved on to decisions regarding tile (again with the dark browns).

All this got me thinking about what colors I would prefer in my bathroom should I ever acquire a bathroom I could call my own. There is really no right or wrong when it comes to colors - it's very subjective - but some choices are definitely better than others, especially when taking into consideration lighting, room size, ceiling height, etc.

Mood becomes very important in determining colors as well. Color affects mood. How do I want to feel when I'm in my bathroom? Relaxed? Energized? I think a combination of colors (what real designers would call a color scheme) does the trick with no one color truly dominating the room.

So, with that said, I've come up with several color schemes that seem to suit me - and, hopefully, you.

• Vibrant, yet Tranquil - terra cotta orange walls with natural, earthy tile floors, and sea blue accents

• Soothing, yet Energetic - light blue walls with slate tile floors (hints of blue, green, natural), and true red accents

• Earthy, yet Formal - natural, creamy walls and floors with dark red cabinetry, and white accents

Now, you may be saying to yourself "Phew!"...as in "Yuck!" If that's the case, then take matters into your own hands and develop your own color schemes.

Below is a list of colors and their associated moods to get you started!

• Blue: tranquil, soothing
• Orange: warm, vibrant
• Red: sensual, energetic
• Green: fresh, restful
• Yellow: cheerful, sunny
• Purple: decadent, luxurious
• Black: formal, elegant
• White: pure, simple
• Naturals: earthy, relaxing

You can also utilize a color wheel to determine what colors compliment each other to create a gorgeous color scheme.

source: Aboff's