What Color Should I Paint My Bathroom Doors?
I’ve been under the weather for the last couple of days, so I haven’t gotten any more work done on the bathroom (or anything else). That means that my kitchen organizing that was supposed to be done today is going to take a couple more days. In the meantime, I’ve been wondering… What color should I paint my bathroom doors?
Y’all know that I’m not really a fan of white doors. When it comes to interior doors, my rule is basically “A.B.W.” — anything but white. 😀 There are rare exceptions, obviously. The French doors that used to be on the pantry were white…
And while those doors are gone now (I removed them so that my colorful pantry wasn’t hidden behind doors), the door leading from the sitting room into my studio is still white.
I don’t see myself painting that door in a different color simply because I think it looks nice in white next to the white shelves filled with white frames. So that’s one of the rare cases when I actually prefer a white door.
But the rest of the doors in our home are teal, including the front door…
The music room doors…
And the bedroom and bathroom doors in the hallway…
So I’m definitely partial to doors that are anything but white. And that brings me to the master bathroom doors.
For now, there’s only one door in that bathroom, and that’s the exterior door that leads to the back yard.
I don’t love that door in the bathroom, and if I had my druthers, I’d swap it out for a 15-lite exterior door. I still may do it, but as of this moment, I’m not planning on it because it seems like a waste of money. This door will eventually lead to our master bedroom, and at that time, this doorway will have a 15-lite interior pocket door. The door that I will soon install between the bathroom and our home gym is a 15-lite interior pocket door.
So for now, the doors will be different, but they’ll be painted the same color, and they’re located directly across from each other. In the future, both doors will be matching 15-lite interior pocket doors, still painted the same color, and directly across from each other.
For now, the color is the question. I’d rather they not be white, because as I’ve established, I’m not a white door kind of person. But if I simply can’t find another color that will work, I’ll obviously have to make peace with white. So let me show you a few colors I’ve considered. And keep in mind that any color I use on the doors absolutely must complement the mural.
Because it’s my go-to color, and I love consistency throughout a home, the first color I tried was the dark teal from the hallway doors.
I don’t hate it, but I don’t know that I love it. I like it a whole lot better on a 15-lite door, though.
My second go-to color for doors is always black. While I prefer teal in general, I think black doors always look very classy. But once again, I don’t love it on the current door…
But I absolutely LOVE it on a 15-lite door! Look how classy this looks!!
Since the mural has so much brown in it at the bottom, I tried a dark brown as well.
I don’t dislike it, but I think with the browns in the mural, and then the walnut wood spanning the entire vanity wall, more brown on the doors may be too much brown.
And finally, I decided to do something way out of the norm for me and try a very light pink. That mural has quite a bit of pink in it, so I thought trying it couldn’t hurt.
I don’t hate it, but I do think that the pink door with the wall color looks a bit too precious. A bit too “Easter dress”. And while I love all kinds of colors, I don’t like things looking overly “precious” and pastel and feminine, no matter how much I love pink.
So as of this very moment, I’m leaning towards black. And as much as I wish this door were a 15-lite door, I just don’t know if it’s worth paying $400 for a temporary door. I already have the 15-lite interior door that will eventually go here (which will have to be in storage until we build the addition), so I should probably just save my money and wait.
But in the meantime, I want to make a decision on these bathroom door colors.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
My first thought before reading the post was dark pink.
I agree
Same.
Have you considered a brighter pink? I love watching you work. Always an inspiration.
Same. Maybe a pink that’s a bit more chalky instead of precious
Personally I like interior doors to match the wood trim but as you aren’t a fan of white I would go with the teal. It oks great with the mural and wall color.
The teal 15 lite is classy!! And compliments the room as a whole in my opinion.
For the same reason you like the white door on the wall with your frames and shelves in the breakfast room, I like the white door with the shower walls (and toilet area walls). I would use the black if the area needed a focal point of interest but this room doesn’t need any distraction. I choose white.
same here
Yes! Like a raspberry!
I agree but just a touch muted.
Me too, although the teal looks great also.
Its been so long I forget what is going on the lower half of the walls. That may influence the door color.
The lower part of the walls will be white. What you see now is only primer, so the actual color will be a touch warmer, but still white.
What about pulling a beige or tan from the mural? Black just feels heavy to me with everything else you have going on in this room (better with the 15 windows). The teal is ok.
I would go with the teal or white. Black is too dark with the colors that you have going on. Brown doesn’t look right in the space and pink looks too girly.
I agree, black would dominate the space.
Anyone who read the subject line of the email announcing this post who didn’t think “teal” hasn’t been following Kristi for very long. And I don’t even like teal. LOL
Can you get the finish on the walls color matched and paint the doors to match the upper walls?
that was my thought too. the other colors all seemed to take away the light, airy feel.
I think you should go with the teal. It looks really good on the 15 light door and that’s what is going to be there eventually. While a strong colour it’s not obtrusive since there’s plenty of that colour in the underlying treatment on the upper walls and the mural.
The only other thing I would consider is white. That would be even less obtrusive and it would keep the door colours in your house to two – which for me would be a consideration. The consistency allows you to appreciate the differing decors in the various rooms without making the doors the focus.
I agree with Carswell.
I agree with white – won’t distract from the mural and beautiful tiling. White is consistent with the lite and fresh spring feel you are building without being princess-ey…
But you know how the space feels in person – so go with what makes your heart happy 🙂
I also agree with Carswell. Teal. Second choice white.
I think a deep pink could look lovely but will compete too much with the mural and I don’t think you want the doors to be focal points.
I did Hale Navy on all of my doors with gold hardware. It looks as classy as the black without being as stark. Looks great with teal as well.
My honest opinions…I think the teal is teal overload with the walls and mural. Pink and teal is too easter eggy. Black is pretty harsh looking. Maybe once the other elements are in, like the darker vanities, etc I’d feel different. But, your bathroom is so beautifully light and airy feeling, that I feel the white is the best choice to keep it that way.
Agree with teal overload, but she loves teal. White is the way to go for now in my opinion. Change the color once you get the 15 light door! Save money and look good until….
I definitely agree! Painting the doors any other color than the trim draws unnecessary attention away from the beautiful mural and serene”zenness” you are trying to achieve!
I agree with Gena. White. Definitely not brown, black, teal or pink in this case. Even when you get the 15 lite door, my choice would be white for this room.
I say white until you have the door you want, then the teal! At least paint is easy to change.
Agree with all of this thread who say “white.” Anything else would draw attention to the door, when you want the attention on the mural.
I love color, but in this case white is the only option that doesn’t make the doors seem like a focal point to me, which would compete with the mural, plaster, etc.
Totally agree
I agree. There are several “stars” in the bathroom already, and the vanities are not even in the mix yet. White allows the doors to work with the room but not stand out.
The teal looks the nicest to me — not too much contrast with the walls, continuity with the rest of the house, and very complimentary to the mural as well as the bathroom walls. The black is too different from everything else, as is the brown.
No to black! Way too heavy. Brown and girly pink? Yuk. Stick with white or teal if you want color. Don’t waste money on a 15-lite temporary door.
Your mock up is of a dark brown. Maybe try a lighter brown – about the same color that you plan for your vanities? Whatever you chose will be excellent!
White or teal. The black is classic in color but appears quite harsh in this room.
I’d use the teal. It is coordinating, but not obtrusive as black and brown look to me. I love pink, but it looked completely out of bounds.
I would paint it white, if it were mine, but I understand your aversion to white doors. Love everything so far!
I wonder about staining to match your cabinets or a light teal to match the walls. The darker colors just dominate & draw your eye to them immediately. But I would paint vehite temporarily because you have the paint color on hand.
What about a mauvy-dusty taupe pink? I’m looking at the color app on my phone not an actual swatch but something like Sherwin Williams Delightful would be pretty and tone down the bubblegumminess of the pink.
I agree with this ~
I like the black the best.
I like the blue doors, but any of the colors you showed us would work!
I’d try a green, which would go nicely with the vanity and the mural. If you don’t like it I’d stick with white. Maybe white anyhow, I don’t think you need another focus in the room really. 15 vs 9 lite…do you have somewhere else in the future you could use the 9lite? In the future garage or sunroom? If so, go for your 15lite and enjoy it. I think you’ll obsess on the “crappy door” as you get to the finish line on the bathroom and it feels like one big miss to you.
Don’t care for the black, brown, or pink. Given the teal on most of your other doors I think a shade similar to that but maybe more the color of your walls.
I really think using a color from the mural takes away from the impact of the mural. I would use a color that doesn’t emphasize the door. Your eye is already going toward the mural, vanities and mirrors. I doesn’t really need another focal point.
I wouldn’t paint it. I think I’d go for the walnut look of the cabinets. It will look classy and fit in but not be white.
Black. Very classy in my opinion.
I vote for the teal!
I like teal or white. If the teal is too dark why not lighten it a couple of shades? That color works with the wall color and the mural. I do not like the black, brown, pink.
TEALTEALTEAL!!
I would vote for teal, too. If you don’t absolutely love it, you can paint the doors a different color when you add on and put in the 15 light door. It’s just paint.
Teal, if you can’t live with it try white, you said it is a temporary door. I know white isn’t your “color”, but I think it would look better than black.. The black it too stark against the soft colors, making the door the centerpiece of the room, which is not your intent. Keep the door one of the main colors in the room, teal/white, so it blends with everything in the room, taking nothing away from the beautiful mural.
Turquoise like your doors 😁
A lighter teal or white. You don’t need a distraction from the mural and your beautiful vanity.
My vote is for a teal door.
My first thought was the dark teal. If you want a contrast, use the darkest shade of pink in the mural. If you want the mural to be the focus, use white. Teal or pink will draw the eye to the door. Just my thought.
Teal. I’d do it on the current door so you can live with it for a while and have a better idea of whether or not you want to paint the new doors the same later. Of course, I love teal, too. So I’m biased. But the black and brown don’t seem quite right, the teal is carried throughout the house, and you aren’t crazy about white. Pink is meh, IMHO.
Teal for now, it’s a temporary door. Live with it and love it or not. If not, I’d do the white , any other color (black, brown etc) would make your eye “see” the door and I think your eye shouldn’t be looking at the door but ALL the other beautiful things in this room.
Buy the door 🙂 Being on a budget, I try not to take on necessary expenses also, but when you consider the budget of this bathroom that will be “just the way you want it”, replacing the door is a small expense. Even if you only have it for a year (but if it were my house that time would get longer and longer…) it only costs you pennies a day to be completely happy with the overall look. You can also recoup some of the cost by selling the old door (and then the newer one) or donating them and deducting on your taxes.
White would make the door blend into the wall and let your mural and tub be the focal point of the room. Teal second but I think it screams look at me
I vote for the dark teal! I think it complements the room very nicely.
Have you tried the same color as the wall?
I actually really like the pink.
My vote is for white. Live with it for a while. If you don’t like it you could always go with teal or same color as upper walls. Black seems to take focus off of the mural and to me seems bossy. Pink is too precious like you said. I think since you don’t love the door let it fade into the background rather than call attention to it.
Until you get the doors you want, I think black or white would work out well.
How about navy blue?
The teal blends with the walls you got. The black has more contrast. Unless you actually have many different wood tones and feel okay with mixing wood tones/colors avoid the brown. Going through the frustration of finding the “right” brown is not worth it. If you want color try the exterior coral or a lighter shade of it? I’d advise against the 15 light, you’ll miss that extra natural light when you do the addition unless you can add a skylight then.
I would go with consistency: teal; and definitely wouldn’t spend $400 on a temporary door. I think if you paint it black you will be tempted to spend $400 on a temporary door.
Not black. Teal or white. Black doesn’t relate to anything.
Although I LOVE all of the teal throughout your home, I think it’s a tad too dark against these walls. Isn’t your kitchen color a bit lighter? I’d try that for comparison. Either that or the color of the extension cords lying on the floor! They’re a pretty & I think that color (or the kitchen color) wouldn’t compete with the wall color as much as the beloved teal does.
Definitely not the brown. The black with the 15 panel light door, looks fantastic. I think the black on a regular door looks too heavy, but would work in the interim. Teal would be the second choice, but it competes with the wall.
The mural is so outstanding and calming, I wouldn’t want to have another focus in the room. I say, leave the door white and live with it for a while.
The dark teal seems to work so well to me, that would be my first choice. Black would be my second choice. The pink seems odd, like you mentioned, and I feel like painted brown goes so easily to the ‘poop’ side of things. 😂. If you went brown, i would said REAL wood, not painted. But with wood vanities, brown or wood may be too much anyway.
I think teal or black paint would work great. It’s looking really nice!
To me, it should be teal. But rather than get the exact teal that you have in the rest of the house, I’d say use whatever colour you had as a base for the walls, because close shades can actually be harder to match that opposite colours.
I was going to add you should remember to buy a second door now, but you already did, so that’s good. An all-glass door in a bathroom kind of creeps me out a bit, tbh (even if the glass is treated), so I would let the current door be.
In keeping with your love of teal what about a lighter teal/aqua such as that in the mural? You will then have more consistency with the other doors in the house instead of adding another colour.
I like the teal, personally 😊
Teal all day long
I would stay with teal.
Your door could match the color of the vanity woodwork.
White, white, white.
Anything else will steal the serenity and restful feeling you are working toward. The overall is a pastel atmosphere with the exception of the wood cabinets, which will introduce a secondary focal point. If the mural is to be the star, any other or even more color will be unnecessary. It would be one accessory too many by calling attention to a simple door that doesn’t warrant a second glance.
I agree with Elaine. Let the door fade away by keeping it the color of the trim. So much thought and planning has/is going into the mural and vanity so let them get all the attention they deserve.
I do like the teal, I love the idea of making it the wall color, or just white. Anything else is too harsh to the eye with those beautiful softer colors you have in the mural. That way a door will not catch your eye, or deter from that gorgeous mural…just let it blend in a bit. You will still have other decor/wood cabinets, etc. to look at as well. Don’t make the door any kind of “star,”or statement.
PS), I do like your teal doors in other rooms.
I definitely like the 15 lite door and I think you should go for it because it’s want you want and as you demonstrated, it looks great! However if you stick with the current door, I lean towards teal over black. I think the teal ties into the bathroom better where black draws your eyes away from the other wonderful features, like the mural wall! Good luck picking and you do fabulous work, thanks for sharing!!
If you don’t love the current door and will live with it for a while, keep it white. It’s much less distracting. than a colored door and white trim. When you have the vanity done and the room decorated, Urbanze Bronze could be an alternative to black. But honestly, white looks great on a paned door. Will the panes be clear or frosted?
Of the options presented, I agree, black is your only choice. Don’t go with the teal, there is enough teal in the room. Brown is bad. I was shocked the see the pastel pink door; pastels are not really your vibe. I was hoping to see the more saturated pink that is in the mural. It might work or it might not, but I would like for it to be considered. If that doesn’t work, I’d probably just stick with white. And if you really don’t want to use white, then black. Good luck!
My first thought was a deeper red/pink color pulled out of the mural. Navy/midnight blue? A rich grey?
Man, there are too many colors… 😆
Do the teal. It’s what you love the most. For me, I like the white, because it goes with the trim, floors and a lot of the mural. The black is too striking on that door, but I agree with you that it will look good on a mostly glass door. However, I would find a softer black, with a lean towards gray. I don’t see any other colors that I would suggest.
Didn’t realize the only way into the master bath is from outside. It’s like having a very fancy outhouse! So when do you think you will have the new master bath added on? How many years to deal with a bathroom that you have to enter from outside?
It’s also open to the home gym.
Yes, and also someday to the huge master bedroom.
I would not go black. It relates to nothing in the bathroom and will look so heavy. A teal in between the walls and the other doors?
I wouldn’t mind white, especially since it won’t be there forever.
I like the teal or maybe a deeper pink. I think the black is too dark and doesn’t go with the lighter brighter colors of the mural. Hope you feel better!
Why not paint the door the same color as the walls?
I’m a fan of the dark pink too, but I also like the black.
I would try a gray that leans blue — like the color of the tree trunk in the mural. I think a neutral would be a complement to the colors you have going on without being too strong (the black is too strong).
I would paint it white so that it doesn’t compete with the beautiful blue walls or mural. Will you have a window covering for privacy over the glass in the exterior door, or will the glass be frosted?
The teal is very nice and feels more cohesive. Having said that, I believe in repetition, so I’m wondering where the teal will be repeated in the room other than the other door. I do not like the black or burgundy or pink options, sorry. Otherwise, I’d lean on white. There’s something clean about the white for the bath with the beautiful white tilework.
I’m just thinking bout your gym door color…if doing 15 lite door there, won’t you see the bathroom door through it? So, wouldn’t want them to contrast. Seems like they would have to be same color, are at least complementary to both rooms.
Because of the storage in the toilet area I would go with whatever color you use there. Btw didn’t you mention that you don’t have popups? There are a few and they make reading hard and writing even harder. Wayfair, Microsoft and one other.
Teal. You know you want to. lol
Why not the same color as the wall? That was the door you don’t like would “disappear “/ blend in with the wall.
Pink!!! Not pastel though but a much richer middle-to-dark tone pink, maybe even leaning into burgundy. I like the darkest pinks in the very center of the magnolias!
Of the options you mocked up, i like the teal best.
What about trying a blue lighter than the walls.
Dark plum purple… like the fern or similar.
I know you don’t like white and that door style won’t always be there. So I suggest you minimize the fact it is there by painting it white. Any other color just makes it stand out more and that is not the focal point of the room. I also agree with you that spending $400 plus your time on a another door is a waste of money.
White. Anything else distracts from the mural.
My vote is for the dark teal. (I admit my OCD is for consistency) It compliments the bathroom and the gym. All the other doors in this wing are teal. I also think when all else fails, go teal!! 😉
I always love the look of black doors both classic and grounding. Or since you have so much blue/teal maybe a dark dark Navy might look good. But as I mentioned in my comment on your last post about your wonky ceiling and moulding problem-that door is not permanent. Paint it any color that makes you happy but I don’t think I’d spend any $ changing it for another door.
I think you really need to moc up with vanity in picture. That additional color would def impact your selection.
I really like the black but think with vanity wood in the picture it will be too busy looking. If your vanity was painted white I’d say black is a classy choice. So I’m going to say white (cringe). Other colors suggested (pink or dark pink) are too distracting.
White!! Classic, elegant and won’t compete with more important focal points. Don’t overdo!
Black or white is my vote for this temporary door. The future 15 light disperses the teal color better so it is not another chunk of blue in an already blue room. Definitely not seeing the pink or brown regardless of the door style!
The dark teal struck me as the best color.
I’m replying to my own comment….the more Iook at the pictures, the more I agree with the others who recommend white, and with their reasons
TEAL!
I’m team teal. It looks great on both types of doors AND is consistent with the rest of the house. Full disclosure: shades of aqua/teal are my favorites!
What about the blue of the bathroom walls. I think, until you get the permanent door that would be perfect
What about a gray that picks up on the veining in the floors and some of the mural? It wouldn’t be as stark as the black. I have no doubt it will look great, whatever you decide!
What about one of the darker pink colors from the mural? Might not looks so precious, and it was my first thought when you mentioned adding color.
How about a lighter blue to match the trunk area of the tree trunk on the tree on the right in your beautiful mural? Looks like that would be almost a blend of the white from below with the blue from the upper wall added to soften the upper wall color and bring more alive than the white that does not float Kristi”s boat. Looks like there may be a hint of a grey there also but that does not necessarily need to carry over. That mural is the focal point and too much color on the doors would seem distracting to me, but I like muted colors over brighter ones. Whatever you choose will be perfect for you and Matt! And that is the most important aspect of choosing your color!