Colour Consultation: A Fresh Face For an Almond/Bone Bathroom
Partner Post: The Best Paint Colours for an Almond Bathroom
When you think of the word almond, you might get the munchies. However, when I think of that word I get slightly nauseous. Why? Because when I think of almond, I think of bathrooms. And when I think of almond bathrooms, I get a little twitchy, as bathrooms with that particular colour of fixtures can be a real bugger to update!
But I like a challenge. Anyone can rip out a bathroom and start from scratch, but it’s pretty darned satisfying to save money and work with what ya got!
So I was RELIEVED when I looked at my client’s photos, showing a space with almond/bone fixtures, a neutral beige floor (PRAISE THE LORD) and a countertop that was slightly warmer toned, but relatively easy to work with. Phew.
Now that doesn’t mean that everything was easy-peasy from there, but it does mean that our options were a bit more varied courtesy of the flooring and countertop. Had those items been ‘true to their era’ – blue, dusty rose or (heaven forbid) forest green, it would have been a different story (involving a funnel and lots of wine. Wait, it kind of involves that anyway…).
My client bought the ‘Create Your Own Bathroom‘ package and selected the following topics:
- Paint colour for the walls
- Paint colour for the trim
- Paint colour for the oak vanity
And BTW, thank you to my lover-ly client for sending along the after photos for me!
Before, it was a ‘work-in-progress’…
And here’s how it all turned out!
Based on the photos of the bathroom and her questionnaire answers, I came up with 3 options for the walls, along with vanity and trim options. Of those, she chose SW Magnetic Gray for the walls, BM White Dove trim and SW Night Owl for the oak vanity.
As you can see, the neutral floor tile made life SO much easier and even the tile detail around the walk-in shower was easy enough to manage.
In this next photo, you can see the almond tub in its full nutty glory!
And after, MUCH more relaxing!
Notice the painted trim/door. We went with White Dove to add a slightly more fresh vibe. I worried that a more tan/beige tone would date the space too much, but didn’t want a white that was too stark/harsh.
Read more: Ideas to Update an Almond Bathroom
In the future, I might use an almond colour caulk, rather than white. And thank you for asking, I DO have an embarrassing story involving caulk! When I worked at Home Depot, we had a painting seminar in which we learned about the finer virtues of ‘caulking’. And I let EVERYONE know how much I loved caulk. Yup. Good times. They subsequently let me know that it was called ‘caulking – always caulking’. Duly noted.
If they were to use the same knobs/finish on the cabinet pulls it would be the icing on the cake! However the fleur de lis knobs might be a personal/memory thing, so I totally get it if that’s the case!
And the crowning glory…get it? The throne? Even the LOO looks better!
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Chat soon,
Read more
Ideas to Update an Almond Bathroom
The Best Paint Colours for an Almond or Bone Bathroom
It’s hard to believe what a difference your color choices made in updating that bathroom. Another fine job, Kylie!
I really like the colors chosen. That said, it is such a shame that they did not replace the floor tile as in my view, it (the existing floor), ruins the whole look. Many underestimate how much flooring matters. And I am not a fan of the countertop and sinks. Why go halfway in renovating? They could have done so much more to create a better aesthetic.
Author
Hi Terri! Sometimes it’s about finding that happy place between the ideal world and the real one! There’s a HUGE cost/labour difference between a project that involves replacing the tile/countertop and a project that is simply simply a few gallons of paint (and a lot of sweat ;)! I think it turned out great for being a budget-friendly update! Not everyone has the funds to do it all at once 🙂
What a great transformation! I think the colors used made all the difference in the world. And speaking as one who is getting ready to tear out a peach tile floor, I think the floor is fine! Thanks for posting.
Author
And you KNOW I can’t wait to see it all done!!!!
Another great option for those blasted beige bathtubs! I have one, and followed your advice in a previous post to paint the walls BM Smoked Oyster. Get compliments all the time! Love your blog!
I can’t wait either!
We invested in the “matching” caulk for the grout we used in our hallway bathroom and our master bathroom (2 different colors, both remodeled last year) and it was unbelievable how far from being remotely complimentary, let alone “matching” it was. The caulk and grout was the same manufacturer – they should have matched. We had the best of intentions and it was extremely disappointing.
OMG, the transformation is fantastic! I recently completely gutted and renovated 2 bathrooms and it is quite costly. You did a fantastic job with just paint, new knobs, faucets and mirrors . Well done!
Agree and understand that sometimes the funds are simply NOT available. Soooo….
Very well done Kylie. Your brilliant colour selections were indispensable in modernizing this very ‘dated’ bathroom… WITHOUT breaking the bank,. The mIrror contributes enormously to the overall “look”.
This is an excellent example of what a little paint can do….WHEN COLOURS ARE WELL SELECTED.
Your Home Depot story. Bwahahaha!
AND the accessories – love the piece of pottery on the tub – what a nice touch! The whole room turned out beautifully. Personally, I wouldn’t have gone this route. That’s why I follow you faithfully, to guide me where I am afraid to go!
I think it was insensitive and rather ignorant of Terri to make her comment regarding redoing all the fixtures. Firstly, I am sure the homeowners had considered a total reno and decided to do what was right for them given their budget. Also, other factors can come into play, such as the environment. If the bathroom was totally functional, in sound shape and of good quality (e.g. oak cabinets) why rip it all out and have it taken to a land fill? Any replacement fixtures and cabinets, particularly budget friendly, are usually manufactured in Asia, possibly using MDF and other products bad for the environment. Thanks Kylie for your response. The bathroom looks wonderful and thumbs up to the home owners for doing what was right for them.
I wholeheartedly agree! My husband wants to update our gorgeous but “outdated” home. I say when you file for bankruptcy, the new homeowners will at least love the house! No keeping up withe latest trends for me. Our home is 20 years old and is beautiful. The “brown” trend was beautiful then, why change to keep up with the Jonses? It would be easier to buy a new home. LOL
Hi Kylie,
thank you for this great posting! I’m wondering if you’ve recommended “Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring” LVP to any of your clients? I will be updating two bathrooms in our new florida beach house (they have the aforementioned bone fixtures and ugly 4 x 4 floor tiles.) I hear that the LVP is waterproof and can be placed right on top of the floor tiles, as long as the floor tiles are in good shape and the concrete slab underneath is sound. I love the idea of doing it on a budget…we will most likely not rip out the bone colored tub or the beige wall tiles in the shower, but we will replace the vanities, tear out the floral wallpaper and paint the walls and trim, add a modern frameless shower door, and (hopefully) use LVP over the current floor tile. I’d love to hear your thoughts on LVP! Thank you!
Author
Hi Laura! Well, back in the day there weren’t great luxury vinyls, so I’m still a bit sceptical of them. However, they HAVE come a long way. I would think you’d need to make sure it’s all level, so there aren’t any noticeable dips where the grout is and make sure the tile isn’t shiny and is nice and abrasive. PERSONALLY…it makes me nervous. If I did it, I would only buy a high quality one with a big name brand behind it. They say you ‘can’, so I would say as long as you buy a good product/do your prep that it SHOULD be fine 🙂 Not sure if that will help much!
Hi Kylie
I’m wondering if you would have chosen a lighter color…perhaps SW Creamy if this had been a smaller, windowless bathroom?
Author
Hi Sarah! I find that in smaller windowless rooms, Creamy can get a bit TOO warm/yellowed, so probably not…
did you sand and prime the cabinets first? did you prime the walls first? I am planning on using this gray to cover our bright yellow walls and leaning towards the real dark gray/blueish for the oak cabinets.
Author
Hi Kelly, I’m not sure if they did or not, but i HOPE they did! I highly recommend it. When I did my oak cabinets at our last home I gave them a basic scuff sand/cleaning and then did a quality stain sealing primer (Kilz from H.Depot works great). As for walls, yes, if they are yellow I would absolutely prime!
~Kylie
Just went with your color choices for my small almond bathroom. Thanks. What color towels would you suggest?
Love how this turned out! Just wondering what other color combinations you gave her to choose from for walls, trim and cabinets?
Author
Hi Chanda, thank you for asking! I do have to be careful as while she gave me permission to use the photos, she did purchase the package, so I can’t give it all away ;).
Hi Kylie,
I just came across this post and I must say what a transformation you have made. I have the same issue with bone color fixtures but they are in perfect shape so I was planning to keep them but paint the walls. I am going to use these colors but I just have one question for you. I wanted to put wall tiles around the bathtub. Would you please let me know which tiles color go? I was planning to put the big marble looks tile, just not sure what color would go. My bathroom is small. Your response would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!!!
Author
Oooo, the idea of marble with bone fixtures makes me REALLY REALLY NERVOUS as marble generally leans cooool. Now, some marbles have some gold veining, but I really don’t think that’s enough to make it work. You’ll want to find some tiles that have the same bone colour in them quite definitively :). I know, not what you wanted to hear ;).