Colour choices to make your Powder Room look bigger

Stuck with a small bathroom? Don’t worry, you are not alone.

A small powder room is a reality and a struggle for many, especially for those living in larger cities. Limited natural night and the demands of squeezing in many fixtures can make the space even more challenging.

There are many ways of making the powder room appear more spacious, e.g, mirroring a wall, using multiple mirrors, increasing natural light, frameless shower enclosure, using horizontal floor lines, etc. While these are good ideas to implement, budget and feasibility might be restraining factors.

In such cases, a fresh coat of paint would be the simplest and most affordable way of refreshing your powder room. Yes, paint works like magic in smaller bathrooms and leaves an everlasting impact. Wall paint basically works as an illusion, tricking the brain into believing the space is larger than it seems.

In this article, we share a few ideas on how you can use colour to your advantage and make your small-sized powder room feel bigger.

Image – Max Vakhtbovych/ Pexels

• Paint the ceiling the same colour as the floor and walls. A white ceiling with darker wall colours will make the ceiling appear lower and hence the room will look smaller.
• Another simple trick to create an illusion of space is to paint the woodwork, trim, and doors in the same colour as the walls.
• High or semi-gloss paint reflects light, repels moisture, is easy to maintain, and gives an enhanced perception of space
• Pale and cool colours work in a similar fashion as they reflect light and make the powder room feel bigger.  
• Intersecting lines and planes make the room more segmented and smaller.
• It is important to not skimp on the quality. Good quality paint is extremely vital. Moisture affects paint and you would end up with peeled walls if you have opted for low-quality wall paint.
• Avoid small-sized black and white check tiles as these make the space appear closed and smaller.
• Lighter-coloured tiles work the same way as light-coloured paints and enhance the perception of space.

Soft, neutral colours

Wall colour also affects how you look in the mirror and thus it is important to choose the right kind of colours for your bathroom walls.

Light colours such as white, crème, beige, and pastel blue open up the room and create visual expansiveness. Using softer hues makes the room eye-catching and soothing.

Classic white paint is the best one for a small bathroom. If you feel it is dull, then you can purchase bold vibrant accessories that would liven up the space.

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Off-white is bright, yet warm. It is widely popular as it is not bland and does not appear flat on the walls.

Pale Blue is another neutral tone that works well to increase the appearance of space. It is light in appeal and reflects light.

Beige is a classic colour. It can open the cramped space easily, is a versatile shade and would add charm to your powder room.

Ivory is one colour with which you can never go wrong. It will make the room appear large and works well with most other colours.

Make friends with darker tones

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arker earthy tones are dramatic, instantly enriching and add layers to the room. These tones can work well in even small-sized powder rooms if there are no contrasting elements.  

You can create variety by using various shades of the same hue.

The Lovely Shades of Grey

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Grey can appear as a cold tone sometimes. But when matched with the right colours and accessories, it can be a warm and welcoming hue. A soothing grey would make the room inviting, create an illusion of light and the room would appear more spacious and larger.

There are various shades of grey available in the market.

Shades of Nature

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You can bring nature inside your powder room by using colours that represent nature. Yellows and greens create a soothing ambience and enlarge the space. Ginger ale, lime green, and sage green are a few of the shades that captivate your senses and create an illusion of space even in the smallest area available.

These shades work best when paired with white floor tiles or carpets.

Though moody hues like dark rich green add a hint of sophistication and drama, they would not work well in small-sized powder rooms.

Tiles

Large plain floor tiles work better in small-sized bathrooms. The higher number of dividing lines between small tiles makes the room look and feel cramped. Also, larger tiles are easier to clean and maintain.

Image – Max Vakhtbovych/ Pexels

Using same-coloured tiles for the floor and walls opens the space by eliminating dividing lines.

In case, your powder room is partly tiled, then paint the walls in the same colour as the tiles for achieving a seamless transition. Horizontal floor tiles help in widening the space and work wonders in narrow powder rooms.

Installing tiles all the way to the ceiling gives the impression of a higher ceiling.

As with wall paints, lighter-coloured tiles are a better choice for small-sized powder rooms.