Jonathan’s Expert Bathroom Painting Tips for Beginners
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The bathroom can be a tricky spot when it comes to choosing (and applying) the right paint color. And if you’ve never tackled a bathroom paint project before, you might be curious about what makes it different from any other room in the house. The main answer? Moisture, lighting, and fixtures. Depending on your bathroom’s natural and artificial light, the paint color you choose could look a lot different than it would in another space. Your fixtures play a big role in how cohesive and intentional your paint looks. And because your bathroom sees a lot of moisture, you also want to be sure you’re choosing the right primer and sheen, too, to be able to withstand the humidity and frequent cleaning.
With all this in mind, Jonathan wanted to share his best bathroom painting tips for beginners with you today. As a pro in the industry, he’s had plenty of experience painting, repainting, and designing bathrooms of all sizes and styles, and he wants you to be as informed as possible when you go into your next bathroom renovation project. Watch the full video on YouTube to get all of his genius bathroom painting tips (and even some bonus hacks along the way!), and be sure to subscribe to the @DrewandJonathan YouTube channel for more videos like this.
Jonathan’s Best Tips for Picking a Bathroom Paint Color
Tip #1: Choose the Right Primer
“You need to have a good bond to the walls,” Jonathan says. “99% of the problems in bathrooms, with paint peeling or sloughing off, is because of humidity.” On paint cans, they’ll usually have a note that mentions if it’s meant for bathrooms, so keep an eye out for that while you’re shopping to make sure it’s able to hold up well in those conditions.
Tip #2: Think About How You Want Your Space to Feel
“Is this where you get ready every morning? Go lighter, and more energizing,” Jonathan says. “Want it to feel calm? Try deeper blues or muted greens. Is this for the kids? Go bright and playful. A guest bath? Make it bold and memorable. Decide on the purpose and the feeling first, and then it’s much easier to figure out a color after that.”
Tip #3: Test Your Lighting
Oftentimes in bathrooms, you’ll see brighter, more daylight bulbs, rather than warm. This is important to keep in mind while determining your paint color, since you’ll want to make sure that the shade you choose will play well with the brighter lighting. “Get those big paint chips or sample colors, and put it on the actual wall in the bathroom so you can see what it feels like against your millwork; your vanity; your fixtures; your tiles,” Jonathan says.
Tip #4: Choose Colors That Feel Authentically You
“Every week, there’s something trending on social media,” he says. “Push that noise aside, and think about what you really love and what you want to feel in that space. The colors that last are the colors that feel like you—not the colors that feel right now.”
Tip #5: Work With the Things You Can’t Change
If you’re not starting from a blank slate or doing a full remodel (with new countertops, fixtures, vanities, etc. that you can choose to go together), then you have to work around the pieces you can’t switch out, and pick colors that complement them. That doesn’t mean you can’t look at design photos or magazines to get the wheels turning! But don’t fight against the items you have—instead, use them as a tool of inspiration to blend your paint colors in mindfully.
Tip #6: Get Creative With How You Apply Paint
“It’s not all or nothing when it comes to color!” he says. “You can change things up—do a feature wall. You can change the ceiling to a different color, you can mix it up and have the lower half of the wall divided by a piece of molding and have a different color on the upper half.” There are so many ways to play around with paint to make your space feel interesting and uniquely yours.
Putting It All Together
“Follow this framework, and you’re not gambling on paint colors anymore,” Jonathan says, “You’re making an informed, intentional choice. It’s the difference between walking into a bathroom that you just tolerate, and walking into a space that you genuinely love.”
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Bree Pulver O'Hagan
Bree is the Senior Digital Editor at DrewandJonathan.com. In the past, she’s worked for publications focused on home improvement and sustainable living. Bree’s Pinterest board is filled with cozy textures; vintage patterns; sculptural furniture; and moody, warm-toned colors. She has a degree concentrated in the intersection of writing and architecture, which influences her passion for exploring creative solutions to unusual home layouts and stylish renter-friendly decor. She’s a self-proclaimed pro at finding the best antique furniture in the most unlikely of places (but her cat Blue can certainly back these claims).
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