Paint colors for your home, inside and out
Green · Bathroom · colors from 3 paintings
Three greens measured from paintings work well in a bathroom: a light one for walls, a warm mid-tone for a calm backdrop, and a deeper green for a vanity or cabinet. Each one comes with its LRV, undertone and closest paint matches. Three companion colors from the same paintings cover trim, wood and one bold piece.
Quick answer
Use #BEC78A on the walls of a small or dim bathroom, and #7E8F70 on a vanity or cabinet. Add #ECE4CB for trim and towels and #81503B for wood.
A light green with an LRV of 54, so it bounces light around a small or dim bathroom. Measured from The Essex Canal by Albert Pinkham Ryder, it works best on all four walls.
From The Essex Canal, Albert Pinkham Ryder
A mid-tone with an LRV of 36 and a warm yellow undertone, so it reads as soft stone more than clear green. Measured from Mount Washington by Winslow Homer, it suits walls in a bathroom with good daylight and brass or wood fittings.
From Mount Washington, Winslow Homer
A mid-tone green with an LRV of 25, calm and enclosed on walls and well suited to a vanity or cabinet. Measured from Auvers, Panoramic View by Paul Cezanne, it looks best against lighter walls or cream trim.
From Auvers, Panoramic View, Paul Cezanne
A very light cream with an LRV of 78 and a warm yellow undertone. Measured from Auvers, Panoramic View by Paul Cezanne, it suits trim, ceiling and towels beside any of the three greens.
From Auvers, Panoramic View, Paul Cezanne
A deep red-orange with an LRV of 11 that contrasts with green. Measured from Mount Washington by Winslow Homer, it suits wood such as a vanity top, shelf or mirror frame.
From Mount Washington, Winslow Homer
A deep olive with a warm yellow undertone and an LRV of 11. Measured from The Essex Canal by Albert Pinkham Ryder, it works for one bold piece, such as a painted door or cabinet.
From The Essex Canal, Albert Pinkham Ryder
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
| Color | Neutral daylight | North light | South light | Evening lamps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Canal Green | ||||
| Warm Stone Sage | ||||
| Dusty Leaf Green | ||||
| Warm Cream |
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is The Essex Canal.
Start with how much light the room gets. The lightest green here, #BEC78A from Albert Pinkham Ryder's The Essex Canal, has an LRV of 54. It bounces the most light, so it suits a small bathroom or one with a single small window. The mid-tone #A5A28F has an LRV of 36, and #7E8F70 has an LRV of 25. Both feel calmer and more enclosed, which works best with good daylight.
Then look at undertone. #BEC78A and #7E8F70 lean green, so the color reads as green right away. #A5A28F has a warm yellow undertone and reads more like soft stone. Choose it if you want a quiet backdrop for brass, wood or cream towels.
Finally, decide which surface gets the color. A light green can cover all four walls. A mid-tone green can take the walls in a bright room, or it can go on a vanity or cabinet while the walls stay pale.
For trim and ceiling, use #ECE4CB, the very light cream with a warm yellow undertone and an LRV of 78. It is lighter than all three greens, so it frames the walls without a sharp edge. The closest paints measured are Sherwin-Williams SW 6413 Restoration Ivory, Behr 740C-2 Cozy Cottage and Farrow & Ball No. 2012 House White, all near-identical.
For wood, such as a vanity top, mirror frame or shelf, try #81503B. It is a deep, warm red-orange with an LRV of 11. Red-orange sits opposite green, so it adds contrast without fighting the walls. For one bold piece, such as a painted door or cabinet, #615E31 is a deep olive with an LRV of 11. In a small room, use only one of the two dark colors.
For flooring, cream, warm white or natural wood tones follow the warm undertones in these colors. Cool blue-gray tile can make the yellow-leaning greens look flat, so hold a sample against the tile before you commit.
Light changes every color on this page. A north-facing bathroom gets cooler daylight, which pulls greens toward gray. South and west windows bring warmer light, which warms all of them and brings out the yellow in #A5A28F.
Bathrooms often have small windows, so artificial light matters. Warm bulbs add yellow to the greens. Cooler bulbs push them toward blue and make mid-tones look grayer. Look at the color next to the mirror with the vanity lights on, since that is where you will see it most.
LRV helps you predict the result. In a dim room, #BEC78A at LRV 54 will look deeper than a chip held in daylight. #7E8F70 at LRV 25 and the darks at LRV 11 absorb more light, so plan for brighter bulbs, or use a light ceiling and trim to balance them.
Test before you buy gallons. Paint each sample on a large board, about two feet square, and leave a white border around it. Do not rely on small patches on the wall, because the old color changes how the new one looks.
Move the boards around the room. Check them in the morning, at midday and in the evening, and again with the lights on and the door closed. Hold them next to the tile, the vanity, the towels and any wood you plan to keep.
The paint matches here are the closest found by measurement, not exact copies. Sherwin-Williams SW 6716 Dancing Green and Valspar 6003-6A Everglade Glen are near-identical to #BEC78A, and Behr M330-4 Morning Tea is very close. For a bathroom, check the can label for a finish made for damp rooms.
A light green such as #BEC78A is the safest choice. Its LRV of 54 reflects more light than the mid-tones, which helps a small room feel open.
Yes, but use it with care. #7E8F70 has an LRV of 25 and works on walls in a bright room. #615E31 has an LRV of 11, so it suits a door or cabinet better than four walls.
A warm cream such as #ECE4CB works with all three greens. Its LRV of 78 is lighter than the walls, so it frames them softly.
Sherwin-Williams SW 6716 Dancing Green and Valspar 6003-6A Everglade Glen are the near-identical matches measured. Behr M330-4 Morning Tea is very close.
Warm bulbs keep the greens soft and add a little yellow. Cooler bulbs push them toward blue and gray. Test your sample under the bulbs you plan to use.
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Peach Bathroom Paint Colors
Small Bathroom Paint Colors with No Windows
North Facing Bathroom Paint Colors: Warm Tans for Cool Light
Emerald Green Bedroom Paint: Shades Measured from Paintings
Black Accent Wall in a Living Room: Colors That Work
Cool Bedroom Colors: Soft Blues and Grays for Calm Walls
Painting images: The Art Institute of Chicago, public domain (CC0). Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
