Less land, less budget, and a greater need for utilities; a common scenario in 2022, right? No wonder spaces are cramped and left with no bays and windows.
So, if you have a windowless bathroom, you might need help with the light and visibility inside. The easiest way would obviously be to add more bulbs and mirrors. But you can also play with the wall colors and shades to make your bath brighter than before!
Today, I’ll tell you more about colors that will instantly revamp your bathroom with no windows!
Key Takeaways
- You can enliven a bathroom with no windows by using high LRV, glossy paint, and white to light gray dado tiles.
- High LRV, neutral colors like Beige, White, Cream, and Gray are perfect for a windowless bathroom to make it look more spacious.
- Pastel accent colors like Teal, Pink, Lilac, and Peach will add a fun pop to the space and modernize it, even without natural light!
- Just painting the wall with a bright color isn’t enough! You must take care of the lighting and ventilation for the best paint finish.
Do you want more tips? Just scroll through the article, and I’ll tell you all about it!
How to Start Choosing Colors for Bathrooms with No Windows?
Wall colors can change your dull, poorly-lit bath to something bright and refreshing. But you would need to use reflective, glossy colors and contrasts for that. So let’s have a look!
1. LRV
LRV, or the Light Reflectance Value, decides the brightness of most colors these days. For instance, an LRV of 10 hints at a darker tone. But a 90+ LRV shows fresh and light colors, perfect for compact spaces.
So, you can use paints with an LRV of more than 65 to enliven your windowless bathroom. If required, you can also lighten your color to increase the LRV. This will create a spacious, ‘daytime’ feel in the space without natural light.
2. Paint Finishes
The glossy the paint finish, the brighter the bathroom! That means shiny paint finishes will reflect more light and turn your dull bathroom into a clean one. In contrast, matte or flat finishes won’t reflect as much light and look dull in the absence of windows.
Avoid using high-gloss finishes as they might overwhelm smaller bathrooms. Instead, go with a mirror-like Duco or Pearl paint finish for narrower walls and partitions.
3. Dado Tiles
Another vital thing while painting a bathroom with no windows is the height and color of the Dado tiling.
If your bathroom has lighter dado tiles on an entire wall, you could use a lighter to medium-toned color for the top. This way, you’ll balance the tones and allow more light.
But if you have darker dado tiles for your ledge, you can use white, glossy paint for your walls and ceiling. This will reflect more light on the floor and make up for the absence of windows inside.
Top Paint Colors for a Bathroom with No Windows
If you have a bathroom with no windows, it’s best to use bright and warm paints that mimic the daylight. But are there any cool shades that could break the deal for you? Let’s see!
1. Soft Beige with Gray Undertone
A light beige with soft gray undertones will look as warm as natural light, even without windows. Beyond that, it’ll declutter the bathroom and turn it visually spacious and airy.
2. Yellowish White or Off White
A crisp, neutral white with a slight tinge of golden or yellow can make your walls look cozy and cohesive. You can also pair it with bronze or copper hardware to add the required sheen to a windowless bathroom.
3. Grayish Cool White
Yet another white! A cool blue-gray, glossy white reflects light and boosts the visibility inside. What’s more? You can pair the color with white or gray tiles and notice your bath looking big and clean, even without windows.
4. Pink-based Cream
A softer neutral such as Tallow by Farrow & Ball, FB 203, LRV 83 will warm up the bath and feel cozy inside. Here, you can pair it with Rose-gold tiles for a traditional look or crisp white tiles for a modern setting.
Either way, it’ll add a dawn-like touch to your bathroom and compensate for the lack of windows!
5. Soft Gray with Blue Undertone
A cool, bluish shade of gray is your go-to option for a deep, layered look. It’ll open up your space visually and feel airy, even in small baths and cubicles. Plus, it’ll also add a modern and is a great shade to pair with the usual stainless steel hardware.
You can go with Benjamin Moore’s Gray Cloud, 2126-60, LRV 69.7, for this color palette!
6. Pastel Yellow
Yellows always look sunny and cheerful. But a shade of pale yellow like Disco Nap by Backdrop, LRV 70, will blend with the walls and add an industrial feel.
Besides, its high sheen will reflect more light and enliven any windowless bathroom!
7. Pale Teal
Teal is a fresh, Bohemian color. So, use it to enliven the accents above the dado tiles rather than for the entire wall. Teal will not only add a refreshing feel to your windowless bathroom but also give it a coastal touch!
8. Soft Pink
Soft pink is another light accent color to brighten any bathroom with no windows! It’ll make your space look neutral and cheerful, especially if you have low lighting inside.
Here, you can use a shade like Behr’s Pink Proposal, M120-1, on your walls for an Art Deco look or pair it with white tiles for eclectic attire.
9. Lilac
Try a soft purple or lilac paint like Sherwin William’s Inspired Lilac, SW 6820, to add a soothing, cozy appearance in low-lit bathrooms. Not only will this shade light up your space, but it’ll also add a softer, feminine touch.
10. Peach Accents
A bright, lighter shade of peach is the best option to warm up any bathroom with no windows. It’ll add a high gloss to the space, reflect more light and add a color pop. Pair it further with white tiles and black accents for a modern look.
Skin-color-like shades of peach, like Benjamin Moore’s Peach Jam, 130 LRV 65, will be perfect for more visual depth.
11. Pale Green with Gray Accents
Another cool and pastel-like accent color to revive your bathroom with no windows! This calming paint will look bright and add a beautiful natural touch to your space.
You can try pairing a shade like Behr’s Chameleon Skin, P370-3, with wood accents and gray dado tiles to let the magic flow.
12. Gold with Gray Undertone
Lastly, try sparkling golden paint with gray undertones to instantly brighten a bathroom with no windows! This paint will look more royal, add a jewel-toned look and make up for the sunny vibe of natural light inside.
As a personal recommendation, I’d suggest Behr’s Feather Gold, 380D-4, LRV 66, for this option.
What Else Can You Do to Revive a Bathroom with No Windows?
Painting your walls and ceilings with light colors will help! But you can also explore other tips and tricks to restore the brightness inside. So let’s have a look!
1. Use Blue Cast or LED Bulbs
You can use a high LRV paint and still fall short of the required brightness. How? Well, your lighting might be at fault!
Typical, soft-white bulbs often give a yellowish tint to the paint and make bathrooms look dull and worn. So, try using a reflective blue cast LED for a modern setting, or go with daylight LEDS for a warm, sunny light inside.
Use about 2 – 3, 800-lumen bulbs for more brightness in windowless bathrooms.
2. Proper Bathroom Venting
Windowless bathrooms often suffer the wrath of less airflow and ventilation. And the trapped air will obviously stain your paints and peel them, right?
The solution? Use a dry vent stack inside the bath, and connect it to an exhaust for better airflow. This way, you’ll keep your paint dry and mold-free, even without windows!
3. Add Mirrors & Quartz Sink Platforms
One of the easiest ways to brighten a bathroom with no windows would be to add shiny mirrors, quartz panels, and sink platforms.
These fixtures will add more depth to your bathroom walls and expand them visually. Plus, they are very affordable, only $ 100 – 150 for one.
What Colors Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger?
Usually, light neutral colors like Cream, White, and Beige declutter the space and make it look bigger. But you can also try pastel accents like Lilac, Peach, and Teal for a layered, visually spacious look.
Should You Use a Lighter or Darker Color for a Windowless Bathroom?
You should use light or monochromatic paint colors for windowless bathrooms. Darker paint colors will absorb more light and make the space feel cramped. Similarly, your bathroom will look small if you use different colors for the floor, walls, and ceiling.
What Is the Most Popular Color for a Small, Windowless Bathroom?
Shades of Cool white and Beige are popular to enliven any bathroom with no openings. But cooler accent colors like Teal and Lilac are equally popular among the Bohemian houses of 2022.
Stacked, windowless bathrooms are very common these days. But you don’t need to paint them white like everyone else! In fact, as discussed, you can try out neutral and accent colors to add the sheen without windows! Just use a damp-proof paint, and you’re set!
These high LRV colors will reflect more light and make your poorly lit spaces like bathrooms and hallways brighter than before! Do you want to know more paint colors for a dark hallway? Just jump to our article, and I’ll tell you more!
