Dark Colors That Will Make Your Small Bathroom Feel Bigger

When it comes to optimizing space in your home, bathrooms can feel a bit tricky. A bathroom's key fixtures and appliances are difficult to rearrange, and essential for daily life. To create the illusion of a bigger room in small, sometimes cramped spaces, homeowners have to get a little creative with their interior design, often utilizing the help of stylish bathroom paint colors.

Using a darker paint color to open up a room is one trick that expert designers swear by.  Dark paint absorbs light instead of reflecting it, which can create an illusion of depth and add dimension to smaller spaces. In an interview with Livingetc, interior design expert Kathryn Findlay revealed, "A dark accent wall can add contrast and dimension, while visually enlarging the space, and going dark in a small space can give your eye a much-needed place to land or highlight a focal point."

This trick is ideal for DIY enthusiasts because it's an approachable and affordable way to make your bathroom feel bigger, without making expensive renovations or remodeling.  You can either fully commit to painting your entire bathroom or just add a pop of color with an eye-catching accent wall. To get started, all you need is brushes, primer, and a dark paint color of your choice. Here are nine stunning dark paint colors to consider when picking the perfect shade for your small bathroom. 

Hunter Green 2041-10 is one of Benjamin Moore's best-selling colors for a reason. This rich, jewel-toned green looks luxurious, and evokes serenity. Hunter Green would look right at home in art deco inspired homes, and compliments gold or silver bathroom fixtures with ease. This color pairs best with lighter, warm neutrals, like sandy taupe, and soft beiges. Rich shades of green are popular with interior design experts. So much so that HGTV's Joanna Gaines revealed green is her favorite color. 

Sherwin-Williams' Night Out SW 9560 is an expert pick from the paint company's designer color collection. If you want a darker neutral that isn't too moody, Night Out is both balanced and refined. This soothing, cool gray color would fit seamlessly in homes with a more industrial or modern design. It pairs harmoniously with other neutral shades, like pale warm grays or creamy off-whites. It could contrast beautifully with brassy or metallic accents in your bathroom, and is subtle enough to work well with intricate tiling. 

Bucktrout Brown CW-180 from Benjamin Moore is elegant and timeless. This velvet dark brown has warm undertones that are welcoming and inviting. The deep shade is similar to dark wood and can add an earthy touch to your bathroom's interior design. Bucktrout Brown paint can create a moody backdrop that flawlessly contrasts lighter accent colors and glossy metal fixtures. The color can add a sense of historical charm to your bathroom, and plays nicely with a variety of colors, from smoky, warm tans to dusty, rosy mauves. 

Benjamin Moore's Hidden Sapphire CSP-690 is an opulent blue shade with a royal aura. The shimmering, dark teal is reminiscent of the seaside and perfect for homeowners looking for a brighter, more playful color to use in their bathrooms.  Hidden Sapphire is versatile and pairs beautifully with other lighter blues, sage greens, and soft, sandy neutrals. In interior design, blue paint is famous for promoting relaxation and tranquility, making Hidden Sapphire a serene addition to your bathroom. 

There's an element of sophistication to the rich, dark gray hues of Iron Ore SW 7069, which could be why the shade was named Sherwin-Williams' color of the month in previous years. Warm-toned gray paint colors can keep home design neutral, but cozy. This color is ideal for bathrooms with ample amounts of sunlight to illuminate the charcoal-colored hue. While flat, black paint colors are often too intense, Iron Ore is a softer, more approachable alternative. This shade is perfect for accent walls, and complements colors like caramel browns, bold reds, and eggshell whites. 

Expressive Plum SW 6271 by Sherwin-Williams is a muted purple with depth and refinement. If dark grays feel too boring but bright blues feel too bold, Expressive Plum is a compromise that's understated and eloquent. In the sunlight, the shade is a deep lilac, and after dark, it settles into a velvet brown color. This versatile shade can add personality to your bathroom, as well as a feminine touch with the paint's rosy undertones. It pairs well with crisp shades of white and also with greyish beiges. 

Using earthy shades of green in your bathroom can incorporate elements of nature into your home's design and create a relaxing environment for you to unwind in. Benjamin Moore's Vintage Vogue 462 is perfect for this. The smoky, olive-green shade feels both welcoming and fashionable. It is perfect for more rustic home designs, and can even fit in with understated, "quiet luxury" décor. Vintage Vogue's enduring charm can liven up crowded bathrooms, and pairs well with paler shades of green and warm browns. 

Gentleman's Gray 2062-20 is another relaxing shade that can ground your home. Benjamin Moore describes this color as "A blackened teal blue beloved for its balance of richness and restraint." Gentleman's Gray has cool blue undertones that are not fussy and can be used throughout the entire bathroom without being too distracting. This best-selling color complements rosy neutrals, chalky whites, and satiny pinks with gray undertones. If jewel-toned blues are too eye-catching for your taste, this reserved shade could be the perfect balance. 

Bewitched CSP-450 from Benjamin Moore is a sumptuous shade of oxblood red, one of the trendiest colors of 2025. The hottest color trend of the year pairs perfectly with dark wood and would be the ideal shade for an accent wall in bathrooms with dark wood cabinets. While oxblood is a braver color choice for a bathroom, it is perfect for homeowners who want to make a statement and don't shy away from more indulgent interior design. The Bewitched shade complements more reserved color palettes with creamy grays and soothing stone-colored neutrals.