Save our marriage
Firstly, my apologies. The computer kept freezing and I didn't realise I ended up reposting this slightly different ways multiple times. I don't want to delete it though, as the answers are really helpful and might be of use to someone other than me with their design dilemma.
Colour advice needed.
We have renovated one bathroom and want to do the second using the same tiles and flooring. We like the new upstairs bathroom scheme but not enough to replicate the paint colours (F&B Breakfast Room Green, aka Good Taste Green and James White) downstairs. Basically, upstairs was a compromise as I like bright, bold colours but happily admit I would never make a designer. He is much more tasteful but risk averse when it comes to shades. Neither of us hates it, but we would each have chosen something a bit different if it was up to us alone. Before and after pics of the upstairs bathroom are below, so you can see what we liked and what we didn't.
Planning our smaller downstairs bathroom is a challenge. We love our new shower tiles, which are muted shades of grey and brown with a rainforest picture, and bought enough for both bathrooms. They were the first things we bought , though, and now the whole project feels as though it needs to be planned around these, which is limiting our choices.
We are keeping the same layout but will change the flooring (to match the upstairs bathroom: Karndean Palio Clic Arezzo), toilet, sink, shower, corner shower enclosure and tray. The mirror and radiator will probably stay. Any pictures on the wall will stay if they work well and move if they don't. Where we are stuck is the paint colours. It is currently a not-unpleasant soft grey but I am not a big fan of grey and when we add in the grey shower tiles and shower tray, it will become too grey for me.
I love the idea of walking into a brightly coloured, cocooning space but Him Indoors hates it. We both like greens but he goes for more muted, boring shades. (Bleurgh.) I feel a bit hindered by the rainforest pattern of our tiles, although I love them too, and as though we ought to stick to rainforest colours to complement them. Brown doesn't do it for me so that means green. He would hate to walk into a dark space though and doesn't like the vivid greens I love. The one exception might be something like F&B Stiffkey Blue, which he really likes, but the pattern of the tile doesn't shout 'put me next to something blue' at me and it might make the room feel even smaller.
A feature wall with a neutral colour for the rest is a possibility but the light in the room doesn't help. The floor is a rectangle but above the loo the ceiling funnels up towards a skylight, making it hard to figure out where a feature wall should stop unless it is one of the two smallest walls, tucked away and only visible from inside. It also means the light changes a lot depending on where you are in the room.
We could go for neutrals then dress the rooms in colours but I want a room that stands on its own merits and doesn't look drab when the dressing is in the laundry. Besides, it would cost a fortune to keep it looking nice because my family are physically incapable of using a bleach bottle without dripping it on the nearest soft furnishings.
Grey and red look great, and I could probably live with mostly grey colouring but red features, but am not sure a red feature wall is the way to go. We may have skirting boards but there won't be much of them, and a red door is visible only from the inside, when closed, as Him Indoors would never go for painting both sides the new colour. Also, it potentially makes the rainforest pattern on the tiles look a bit out of place.
I am not creative enough to think of other colours that would complement the rainforest tiles and his instinct is to go for neutrals, which feels like a wasted opportunity.
If we can't agree, Plan B is to replicate the upstairs colours, which at least we agreed on.
Plan C is to divorce and each remarry someone with the same aesthetic preferences. Seems a bit drastic.
Thanks for any suggestions.
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Kingfisher Designs
Kingfisher Designs
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Frances Richardson
HU-34916151Original Author
HU-34916151Original Author