Color Your Way to a Better Mood: Bathroom Design Tips
by Kirill Kutsak , 4 min reading time
By choosing a dominant color for your bathroom, you can transform it from relaxing and cool (blue tones) to energizing (warm orange hues). This often-overlooked concept is one of the most crucial factors in creating a harmonious and cohesive atmosphere throughout your home.
Today, we will explore whether color truly affects mood and how this principle applies in similar examples.
Table of Contents
- How Color Affects Mood in Interior Design
- Creating a Balanced Bathroom Palette
- Advanced Tips for Choosing Bathroom Colors
- What Is the Best Color for a Small Bathroom?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How Color Affects Mood in Interior Design
Mental Health America (mhanational.org) states: "Bright, warm colors are best for rooms used for entertaining, such as dining rooms or kitchens, while cool colors work best in relaxing spaces like bedrooms or even bathrooms."
Identifying the mood you want for your bathroom is the first step. Think about the feeling you get when you enter your ideal bathroom and recreate it through color choices.
Popular choices include blue, green, gray, and white—these are safe bets and a solid base to build from. For example, green extends to olive, which works especially well on woodwork.
Beige and coffee tones are a middle ground, and they also work well, as proven by countless hotel bathrooms.
Orange is great for an energizing vibe, while red is rarely used in bathrooms, especially small ones. However, there is a time and place for it—for example, red can work well on ceilings.
Definitely check out the color wheel. The concept of color theory, including complementary and analogous relationships, is fascinating and will help with our second step. This brings us to:
Creating a Balanced Bathroom Palette
The second step is to use the 60-30-10 rule, which states: 60% for the dominant color, 30% for the secondary color, and 10% for accents, such as shower curtains. This rule works especially well in spaces like bathrooms, kitchens, and living rooms, but is less effective for custom or maximalist designs.
If you're stuck on choosing the right colors, go back to the basics and focus on the feeling you want your bathroom to evoke. Check out annual best design color trends or draw inspiration from another room in your house. Selecting a favorite color from an existing space can help create a cohesive look throughout your home.
Advanced Tips for Choosing Bathroom Colors
But don't rush! Before finalizing your color selection, be sure to check it under different lighting—both figuratively and literally.
Try digital visualization apps that can show how colors will look in a specific space. Also, even if you're confident in your choices, it's best to use paint samples first and observe how they appear throughout the day under different lighting conditions.
Here are some additional tips you should definitely try:
- Combine textures as well as colors. Matte and glossy finishes can work together in the same room.
- Pair your colors with natural materials like wood and stone to create a harmonious look.
- Use LED lighting fixtures with adjustable color temperatures to enhance your color choices and add extra depth to your palette.
Related: LED Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Prettiest of Them All?
What Is the Best Color for a Small Bathroom?
White, light blues, and soft greens are considered the best options, as they make the bathroom feel larger visually.
Other good choices include light grays and cream colors. If you want something a bit more unusual, consider mint—it also works well in limited spaces.
Conclusion
Bathroom colors are not just an aesthetic - they are another weapon in a designer's stash, as they can work subtly and tie the bathroom together. Use it to your advantage and transform the feeling of the perfect bathroom into a concept that corresponds with your ideal colors.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How does color affect mood?
Color plays a big role in mood psychology. For example, in home design, blue and green are associated with nature and promote relaxation, while warm tones create a cozy and energizing feel.
Does color affect taste?
Definitely. Warmer tones like red and yellow stimulate appetite, which is why they are often used in restaurants, diners, and logos.
