No point in using a lighter paint to make this room look airier or bigger. Might as well just go with your favourite colour. For me that would be a lush French marigold.

I love the tile in your bathroom and did the dark grout. As for a paint color, I am not a fan of the green-ish color you've got going on- sorry, no offence. I'd go with something more or less in the grey or brown family. If I went with the brown family, I'd besure it comes with an underlying hint of red, and if it was grey, I'd go with something a little darker, but not too dark to make it feel cave-like. Again, maybe a grey from the red family..

*Oops, did= dig!

We just remodeled our house's only bathroom and have a very similar situation. For most of the day the bathroom gets minimal light, and we did white subway tiles with grey grout, and pretty much white everywhere. We used Restoration Hardware's Silver Sage (actually, we had Sherwin Williams color match it to save money) and I absolutely love the color. It really lightens it up and complements the classic look of the tile and tub very well. Here are some photos - they happen to be taken during the 20 minutes every morning that we do get light so it looks super bright in there, but the color looks great in all light. http://beforeandafterbrookside.blogspot.com/#!/2011/12/finished-bathroom.html

I think I would choose a light blue-gray to complement the red-orange brick. Or some kind of taupe or greige tone that is neutral, but still lets the white trim and fixtures pop. You've made such great use of a small space! (And FWIW, lighter grout is so much harder to keep looking clean.)

Since you do have a lot of white tile in there anyway, why not go for a very dark green? It would look really crisp and clean with the white and would contrast your red brick beautifully. It would also offset your beautiful bright blue doors (wonderful doors btw!)

i would actually match your grout colour!

I just started painting my bathroom Shaker Grey by Benjamin Moore and love it! It really makes my white tile pop and would look amazing in your bathroom with all the white tile and that awesome chimney. It looks dark on the chip, but doesn't look that dark in our tiny, low light bathroom. Good luck!

Try a medium grey, a little darker than the grout. Grey with a hint of blue green will make the chimney pop, and you can pick it with other red-orangy accents.

I'd match the mortar in the bricks, so what BEEBALMNJ said (taupe or greige).

what about:

BM White Ice
BM Iceberg
BM Cool Breeze
BM Beacon Gray
BM Quiet Moments

A medium to dark gray would go well with the white tile and red brick. Good luck!

I LOVE your bathroom (and bathrooms are my favorite rooms in homes to decorate/see decorated!) Very well done! Since your home already has a lot of white/airy colors, and you're not going to be getting more light in this room, I also vote for selecting your favorite color for the walls in a bold, deep color. Mine would be a deep, bold blue. Something very rick that will make that chimney and your tile pop. And since your accents are all white, you're safe with just about any color here. I'm thinking of Benjamin Moore's Dark Royal Blue or Brilliant Blue.

Your bathroom is really adorable! I would go with a grey to match the grout in your tiles and then bring in a colorful shower curtain and maybe a few accessories, but maybe not as it's such a small room.

Be bold! I would probably go with a dark purple or even black.

a deep red would probably look good as well.

I'm not usually a huge purple person, but I think a lavender or even a berry color would look great in this room. Love the tile and brick!

www.tesskonter.blogspot.com

A mid-toned grey would pull in the shower and floor well, and a sienna type of color would bring in the brick wall well. I took the liberty of quickly modifying your photos so you could get a feel for both options!

Grey: http://i.imgur.com/edSCp.png , http://i.imgur.com/vSuzt.png , http://i.imgur.com/xiKlg.png
Sienna: http://i.imgur.com/sCJ7R.png , http://i.imgur.com/1EHQH.png , http://i.imgur.com/Dlbra.png

What strikes me about your bathroom is the bright white. Instead of introducing another color (such as the green you currently have), how about painting the walls either the color of the grout in the tile, the grout in the brick, or just use a matching white?

I like the idea of a color similar to the grout color. Then I'd do two things -- raise your shower curtain to 4-6 inches from the ceiling and replace the medicine cabinet with something a little more industrial ( a la http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod20319). This will help highlight the brick, which is very cool.

I agree with Beebalmj. I think the best bet would be a rich blue gray or slate blue. You'd pick up the color in the grout, but more importantly complement the orange red in the brick. I think grays are really nice in the bathroom because they bring out the color in the silver hardware.

Lots of good color suggestions in the comments above. You may want to evaluate the lighting situation as well. The type of fixture and bulb may be affecting the overall look of the room. We have a very small house and our bathrooms are about this size - the colors and lighting before made them feel small, cramped, and dingy. When we repainted the walls and ceilings, we added/updated the lighting as well and it made a huge difference.

If it were me, I'd have the walls a pale warm gray, and I'd buy a bunch of new towels in a couple of color palettes that struck my fancy. You could make it look different every week, depending on your mood.

If you go dark, go for a navy blue. It's as elegant as a charcoal gray without having a whole house of gray. I know it's hard, because it seems to be everyone's go to color right now.

Bright white would look quite handsome. Add pops of colors.

Might I say that I know storage is tough in a bathroom, but that shelf over the door irks me. How about some industrial wire baskets? I saw some at TJ Maxx this weekend!

I would also change the medicine cabinet to something more interesting if I were doing these options. It's a little vanilla right now. I would go with something homemade out of reclaimed barnwood. These suggestions would work with with any of the colors suggested. Top it off with a vintage red print.

Cabinets:

http://img2.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.242640082.jpg

http://www.notjustahousewife.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/toilet-in-corner-682x1024.jpg

Print:

http://img0.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.234359100.jpg

I would do a grayed chartreuse such as BM Olive Tree. Sublime compliment to brick, unexpected and wonderful coming off Gray Mist. Too much? How about a gentle aqua like BM 668 Lake Victoria. Even better, a complex, deep gray like BM 1484 Ashwood Moss, or BM 1574 Dragon's Breath.

Use the tile and brick grout color; select something a bit lighter.

Do you only have a ceiling fixture to light the room?If that is the case I would stay with neutral greys or go very bright.The brick and floor tiles,combined with the medicine cabinet,lead me to believe that you have a preference for a 'craftsman' type style.You also don't seem thrilled with the dark grout colour.Why 'go' with that at all?I've never seen neutral grouts,dark or light,affect paint colour presentation.This is a darker and new grout.It's no big deal.Ignore it.The brick themselves are adding colour and not the mortar.It matches already and paint choices will do no more or less for it.Unless you want them to blend with the paint.Go that way if you want to.It will look great.

You can buy coloured grout sealer that paints the grout.That's an option if you really dislike it or feel limited by it when choosing wall colour.The tile is white,so the grout wouldn't be here or there to me.I'd ignore that as an element for consideration,unless you decide to do grey/neutral.The brick is an element that pops no matter what colour you paint.I like it and I wouldn't worry about it clashing with any colour.You have an eclectic room in many ways.I don't see how your limited when picking out paints and accessories.I would pick a colour I loved and go with it all the way.Maybe even some colour blocking type elements.The only limitations I foresee for you, is doing something you really don't like,to begin with.I would pick bright and bold for this room.Then again...that's keeping in mind ,that,my bath is shimming greys,chrome and black tile with stark white fixtures.What can't be changed in your bath ,is equally as bold as my own ,depending on your wall color.I'm going to have to agree with everyone that I would prefer true neutral or bold. take a pass on muted colour tones and pastels.Your bath is a very lovely room and I think it could handle just about anything suggested here.

I say go dark and warm. I like the idea of a grey or taupe with warm undertones. And I think Hello123 makes a really good point about the lighting. I can just see the reflection of your light fixture and it looks like a small ceiling-mounted globe light. In my experience, those don't give off the most inviting light. Can you invest in multi-bulb fixture that will cast a nice, bright and cheerful glow?

I think lilac or periwinkle would look good in there. It's a little bolder, but still light enough to not make the room cramped and I think would work with the brick. Pack up some paint chips and tape them to the wall for a week or so to see what you like.

i would go bold and choose red (for ex. benjamin moore's vermilion). i think it'll play nicely off the brick and break up the monotony of the white.

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-architects-and-designers/color-gallery?cd=2002-10&col=CP

if you would like to bathroom to stay light, i would find a paint colour to match your grout.

if you want to go bold and dark, i would suggest painting a dark navy - you have enough white in there to keep it bright + you have a great red brick colour which would pop against the dark paint.

if you want something with more flair, i'd suggest painting an aqua or teal colour - this would really allow the brick to stand out!

Rather ironic, but light colors really only work in spaces that have good light. When you have a small space with limited light, you have a great opportunity to go DARK.

I suggest BLACK. It would look great with your tiles, grout and brick. And it would bring a lovely richness to the space.

Great work on your bathroom. I am impressed with your tiling! When I first looked at the space without reading anything I couldn't figure what feature to set my eyes on. The tile, the brick or the color. I think that is the problem. Its a small space so you are bombarded by three distinct features. You have acheived a very modern, bright and clean look with the tile. Love it. If it were me, I wouldn't let the paint battle with it. Many have suggested picking a paint color that goes with the brick. I think you should be more cohesive with the tile. It is the bigger element in the room. I would go a light to medium grey that flows with the tile grout. I would even go with a semi-gloss paint for a little more reflection. Then, Let the brick be what it is...an accent or a quirk that gives character. (I love it too)

I agree with the lighting reccomendations above. I can't tell if you have a vent. I would change the overhead light to a lighted vent fan and then call an electrician to get you wired up for a light over the sink. You could do something stainless and industrial to polish off your subway tile brick look.

I would go with a matching white. I think it would look really great. You have a lot of suggestions for gray, which would also be fine, though. If you do gray, I would match the grout. I still think white would look best.

I vote for matching the grout. Charcoal gray combined with the red bricks would help the room look moody, and the contrast between the dark walls and the bright white tiles would add elegance.

I vote for black or near-black as well.

So many suggestions for gray, but wouldn't it be too much? Again, I vote for nav. For some reason I feel very invested in this beautiful bathroom. Be sure to update us!

i like the idea of keeping everything in the space to shades of white and gray, and letting the brick wall be a pop of warmth.

Paint the room the same color as the grout and paint the medicine cabinet black. WINNER

Paint the room white and do a BOLD and COLORFUL shower curtain print.

paint the wall black and the brick white

Hmm. What if you move the little cupboard to the wall above the Ikea laundry seat and thwack a mirror on the wall covering that big space? Remaining bits (around door, ect.) Could be white.

I think the difficulty here is that the red brick wall contrasts too much with the sleek tile and other newer finishes. SO--either paint the brick white (and I gather you'd rather not) or introduce some other more rustic ideas into the space--perhaps replace the medicine cabinet with something a mirror that has a reclaimed wood frame? Add some old, worn wood as a small ledge above the tile? Or possibly hunt down a small worn wood cabinet that you could mount to the wall above the toilet or across from it (that would help with storage too!)? I think the contrast is great if you are able to balance it out with some other rustic finishes. I do think if you try this you should still paint the walls--the gray you have has a greenish undertone which works against the red brick. If you could find a warm gray with brown undertones (very light) that would be pretty. Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray is a pretty one.

Hi,

I like your bathroom and think it has lots of potential (and I think the grout colour is fine and practical too). However, I think Iloverehabs nailed a really important point, which is that in your small room, there already seem to be two focal points right now... the neutral tile surfaces, which appear bolder because they occupy a large surface area and have more dominant grout AND the brick chimney, which is massive, colourful and rough in texture. As you like the chimney best (me too), I would emphasize it by neutralizing the tile somewhat, using a soft grey to cream coloured semi gloss bathroom paint on the walls and ceiling. This will visually extend and unify the tiled surfaces with all other surfaces, except the chimney. In my opinion, any brighter/stronger colours on the walls will only create a hot mess of three distinct colour and texture choices and will look visually overwhelming, as well as shrinking the small room further.

I completely agree about creating more balanced/attractive lighting. I also think the shelf over the door looks DIY and topheavy. You could put baskets on it as another poster suggested, or consider replacing it with simple white cabinets with doors which open upward on a hydraulic lift. IKEA sells these very inexpensively. We have them in one bathroom and the laundry room and they're great. They would provide more storage, reduce visual clutter and fade into the wall visually, which is I think what's needed. After you decide whether the medicine cabinet provides enough storage to stay, if you still need and want open storage, you could add one or more thick glass shelves with industrial brackets.

I would be inclined to take the towel rod off the brick (don't towels get caught on and pull threads?) and hang one to three smallish, interesting pieces of art vertically there to further draw the eye (remembering that if it's paperbased media, it should be specifically framed with high humidity conditions in mind). I would install towel racks on the inside of the door if not already there or on the wall the door opens against.

Then I would go to town and have fun with the colour and/or pattern for the shower curtain, towels, bath mat, wastebasket, accessories, etc. These you can change up when you get bored at little expense.

baby fawn looks nice with chelsea gray and has a slight (very slight) rosey undertone which adds nice warmth without going yellow. another option is moonshine or gray owl. all ben moore paints. in my kitchen i have subway tile, dark-ish grout and gray owl. it's a nice combo. good luck!

i also like the idea of painting the medicine cabinet black! and i would consider getting a shower curtain that brings out the color of the brick, if you choose not to paint it.