Whether you are building new house, or remodeling an existing bathroom, choosing a color scheme for the master bathroom is key. Use the right palette and you have a bathroom you can enjoy for years to come; choosing the wrong colors--avocado or seafoam green, anyone--is an expensive mistake that will limit your decorating choices and the value of your home.
Matching the Master Bedroom
So you love zebra prints. Or maybe chocolate brown with hot pink. You've decorated bedroom with these colors, and of course you want the master bath to match. Not so fast. Before you install that black and white marble floor or that chocolate brown toilet and sink, reconsider. You'll be glad you did.
While it is easy to recarpet or repaint the master bedroom when your obsession with all things animal print fades, redecorating a bathroom with black fixtures and brown-tiled walls is a much more expensive and difficult proposition. When you choose flooring, tile and fixtures for your master bath, don't wed yourself to the color or decorating themes you are using in your master bedroom. Think ahead, and go neutral.
Thinking Neutral
If you've ever seen a house with an avocado green bathtub, or a seafoam green tiled shower, then you've seen bad decorating decisions at their worst. That tub was just the thing in the 1970s, and seafoam green was one of the hottest decor colors of the 1980s; but now, they not only look dated, they also limit decorating options for those bathrooms and detract from the home's value.
Keep in mind that the browns and pinks and blues and yellows that are so popular today are tomorrow's avocado and seafoam. When it comes to choosing tile, flooring, and fixtures for your master bath, stay away from the trendy colors. Choose neutrals, such as white, almond and taupe. Use the pinks and browns and the zebra prints in decorative accents li such as paint or wallpaper, curtains, shower curtains and accessories.
Adding Interest
So you think neutrals are boring, that they make a bathroom look ordinary and mass-produced; that doesn't have to be the case.
Start with the fixtures: toilet, sink or vanity and shower or tub surround. While these are the most important aspects of the bathroom, in the best bathroom designs, they "disappear," fading into the background, while the decorative accessories take center stage. Fixtures in neutral colors disappear more easily, creating a canvas for your accessories.
Add interest in the bathroom with bold paint colors that match those in the master bedroom. Go dramatic with light fixtures that both illuminate the room and make a statement. Use bath furniture, such as shelving and hampers, that reflects the style of the master bedroom while also creating attractive storage.
Of course, neutrals don't have to be boring. Although it is usually found in neutral tans and grays, no one would say travertine tile doesn't give a rich, finished look to a bathroom. A beautiful pedestal sink can make a statement in white or taupe, and a clear glass shower door with an interesting pattern is timeless and attractive.
Tags: your master, master bath, master bedroom, seafoam green, avocado green