The home decor forum may be of more help to you. They are pretty good at picking colors. I do have a bit of advice that helped me pick colors. Go to a craft store and head back to the paint section. You will find literally hundreds of little bottles of paint in every color you can think of. Buy several in the family of color you are considering. Take them home and paint large (at least 1 ft square, preferably 2) swatches on the wall. For each color you paint on the wall, paint an index card the same color and label it with the color name. Then live with the multicolor wall for a few days so you can see the colors in different lighting. You will find out quickly what you love and what you hate - it will surprise you. When you have picked the one you love, take your index card to wherever you are buying paint and have them scan it and duplicate it.

thanks alice! yeah, I think my next step is to get some paint up on the wall to see bigger pieces of color!! I hadn't thought of posting over in the home decor forum, that's a great idea.

cheers

If you're going through the trouble of updating the bath, I would refinish the vanity. The oak looks very dated. I would sand it down and then stain it an espresso color and find some nice hardware for it. I don't know what your tub surround is made of but I would find a light stone look tile for the floor and use it for the tub surround too. There are so many limestone and travertine porcelain tile looks that aren't that much. That will give you a more updated, pulled together, higher end look.

I wouldn't use a vinyl floor or use that vanity and then put money into the bath to do it that way. If you're going to do it, do it right so it will last and add value to your home.

Blondelle, that's great advice. I'm in the process of remodeling a half bath and it's really small. We put in travertine flooring and countertop. I also have an out dated vanity that I was thinking of painting white but the expresso would really be nice.( that's what I did in my other bath that has a travertine shower and flooring. I hadn't thought of it.) Any ideas for paint color. My travertine is Ivoria (white, beige and some light gold). Since the room is so small I think I should go with a light color. The rest of the house is done in SW kilm beige, Latte and Blonde. Also swiss coffee white.

thanks, blondelle, for the input! The issue with the vanity color is that all three baths, kitchen, and living room are completely done with these same cabinets and same color. I agree with you that a dark vanity and travertine-style floor would really update the bath, but then would the bath still have continuity with the rest of the house (dated as it may be)? Likely the correct answer is "update the rest of the house" LOL so maybe I need to wrap my head around refinishing at least *some* of the cabinets.

also, we have tile throughout the rest of the house and DH is really wanting a more comfortable surface. But I really don't want to redo this bath ever again so I'll see about finding some really thin tile to show DH.

msgreatdeals, it seems that alot of people have a dark vanity with a light countertop or vice versa, with the floor matching either depending on the mood you're trying to evoke. And if you already have one bath with a white vanity and the same floor, the dark vanity could be used to differentiate the two baths.

cheers

I personally don't think your finishes have to match throughout the house as long as they still flow. Your cabinets would still be the same style but just with a different finish.

Definitely ask the HD forum. They are great with colors.