Marble tub surrounds make any bath elegant. Learn how to spotlight them with paint color to enhance their natural beauty.

Marble, known for its elegance and classic good looks, is the chameleon of the bathroom, able to span the range of styles from cool and contemporary to warmly traditional. National Kitchen & Bath Association's Bob Garner says it's particularly popular when used as a tub surround.

Many bathrooms have a marble tub surround with gray veining. To bring out the beauty of the stone, Becky Spak, senior designer with Sherwin-Williams, recommends choosing a deep violet paint. "Like the gray in the marble," Becky says, "purple is a cool color, but the deep shade creates some visual interest that plays nicely off the cool tones."

If you prefer to balance the coolness of the marble with some warmth, try a blue or green with a yellow undertone. "These are colors that are between cool and warm," says Donna Schroeder, Color Design Specialist with Dutch Boy paints, "and they can bridge the cool/warm gap."