Match paint colors with bathroom decor.
Painting an old half-bathroom offers a budget-friendly option for refreshing the look of your space. Choose a paint color that brings out your bathroom cabinets and countertops, while highlighting hues of your linens or bathroom d cor. Selecting a bright color typically opens up a small area such as a half-bathroom, making it appear larger; dark shades create a closed-in and cozy feel.
Instructions
1. Take pictures of your old half-bathroom from different angles. Take close-up shots of the flooring, cabinets, trim and countertops. Print the pictures and bring them to the paint store with you.
2. Decide whether you want to feel open or cozy. Bright hues of yellow, light blues, pastels and shades of cream or white reflect light, opening small spaces. Dark colors such as deep purples, blues, greens, browns and reds tend to make a room feel den-like.
3. Go to a paint store and hold various color swatches up to your pictures. Narrow the selection by choosing the colors that complement your flooring, cabinet and countertop colors while achieving the look and feel you desire.
4. Purchase paint in your chosen color. Satin, semi-gloss and high-gloss paints do not absorb moisture, which helps prevent mold from growing in your bathroom. If your half-bathroom doesn't have moisture issues, any sheen will do.
5. Remove your bathroom mirror, any switchplates, pictures, d cor and rugs, as well as any screws or nails in the wall. Repair the nail holes with spackling.
6. Prepare your half-bathroom for the painting process. Cover your toilet, sink, cabinets and floor with drop cloths or old sheets to protect the surfaces from dripping paint.
7. Use masking tape along the top of your baseboards and/or window trim, and along the ceiling where it meets the walls you are painting.
8. Pour paint into the roller tray. Using a trim brush, paint the wall-ceiling and the baseboard line of one wall.
9. Using a roller, paint the rest of the wall. Painting one wall at a time prevents the "cut-in" paint from resembling a stripe, which happens if it dries before you paint the rest of the wall.
10. Continue painting the rest of your half-bathroom walls, using the trim brush and roller. Allow the paint to dry for three to four hours before applying a second coat.
11. Remove masking tape before paint is fully dry. Score edges with a razor blade if paint is too thick. Replace mirror, switchplates, rugs, etc.
Tags: your half-bathroom, your bathroom, before paint, masking tape, mirror switchplates, paint rest, paint rest wall