The Best Paint Colors for Small Bathrooms

A purposeful palette can make cramped corners feel more spacious, amplify light in dim areas and even turn a quick trip to the washroom into a brief retreat. Big claims for little spaces, we know, but that’s the power of a well-chosen shade of bathroom paint. Need a bit of help finding the hue that’s right for you and yours? Join us in a survey of chic paint colors — like the pale, blue-undertoned lilac that brings this elegant, transitional bathroom to life — to inspire your next transformation.

Every detail counts in a snug powder room like this one, and HGTV Smart Home designer Tiffany Brooks grew up and outward from the neutral base she established with pale plank flooring and an off-white vanity by selecting a floral-patterned vessel sink, an opulent rose-gold faucet and — saving the best for last — a saturated plum with fuchsia undertones for the walls. A massive principal bath enveloped in a color like this might feel overwhelming; here, that paint choice (Framboise, Sherwin-Williams) contrasts beautifully with the room’s paler elements, highlights its warm metal hardware and gives the room an intimate feel.

This ultra-compact, contemporary corner vanity’s honey-hued wood glows against the powder room’s dark walls. Choose off-black paint to draw the eye to medium-toned wood like the pieces you see here, then turn up the contrast with a few graphic black-and-white accessories like the towels and bowl.

Drawing direct inspiration from historic officers’ jackets with crisp tailoring and gold buttons, this stately powder room’s design feels utterly timeless (and is pitch-perfect for a Victorian home in Washington, D.C.). The deep blue paint gains dimension as natural light throws geometric shadows against the window and interior molding, and the lozenge-shaped mirror and sconces both match the sink’s hardware and evoke polished details on a serviceperson’s uniform.

If you prefer layering paler, complementary blues to splashing out on a single bold color, consider this coastal guest bath in HGTV Dream Home 2024, where the vanity cabinet’s gray-blue evolves into Atlantic aqua (with a hand towel in a similar-but-not-matchy-matchy tone) on the wall. These ocean-blue variations suit both the gray-veined white quartz on the vanity countertop and the showstopping coral-framed mirror above it; this is a very sophisticated riff on beachy style.

Prop stylist Erik Staalberg loved the vivid, original tile and fixtures in his historic Los Angeles home. The murky, chocolate-brown paint the previous owners had paired with the bathroom’s canary yellow details, on the other hand, had to go. The fresh pastel green he chose to replace it counterbalances the room’s warm, historic tones; to refresh a space with a similarly era-specific tint, look for not-too-saturated colors with a hint of coolness to give the eye a place to rest.

Thanks to its shiplap walls’ moody tone, this thoughtfully-tailored powder room feels contemporary and rustic all at once. That cool, deep hue lets design details like the graphic, Mediterranean floor tiles and an atmospheric black-and-white photograph draw the eye; it also suits the organic look of the waxed-oak vanity and its dramatic soapstone sink. If you’re on the fence about introducing color to a small room, audition a dark, understated green like this one; you might just find, as designers have been arguing for some time, that it functions as a neutral.

If Easter-egg hues feel jarring and you can’t bring yourself to brush lifeless greige across your walls, consider meeting in the middle with a whisper-light beige like this one. Deployed to add dimension to a guest bath in HGTV Dream Home 2025, this color has gray and green elements that complement the shower tiles’ variegated-jade tones.

Cultivate classic Hollywood-Regency glamour with a warm, sandy tone that tips over into blush with a slight rosy undertone. This gender-neutral yet decidedly-romantic powder room doesn’t feel too precious, thanks to its cheerful mix of materials (cool chrome and warm brass and woven water hyacinth and glass slabs!), but its character is distinct and delightful.

If you’re ready for a more visible commitment to blush, choose an ever-so-slightly pinker hue like the one in this eclectic contemporary guest bath. Darkened to a rose-quartz tone for the floor’s hex tiles and reflected in salon-style artwork arranged on the walls adjoining the console sink in the corner, this is a base color that suits many design styles — and all visitors. (Both natural light and pinky hues like this one create a flattering backdrop for peeks in the mirror.)

For maximum drama in a minimal footprint, it’s hard to beat showstopping onyx walls like the ones in this powder room. Artworks and objects pop against a velvety, fathomless background like this, as do high-contrast tiles. If you’ve got natural light to spare (like the generous window across from the vanity here), don’t be shy about going dark.

Once a pantry and now a jewel box, this powder room features a brass-accented, Italian-marble sink that nestles like an heirloom against the moss-toned walls. Use a hue like this one to draw the eye to opulent installations (here, a curvaceous mirror and the artistic sconces flanking it) and shrug off the lack of natural light. No windows? No problem; this mood is all about intimacy.