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Paint Design Dilemma Bathrooms

Windowless powder room with weird ceiling and soffits

tskn (Sunset 24, USDA Zone 10a)

last year

last modified: last year

Looking for ideas for how to paint low-ceiling powder room to make it taller and make the weird ceiling and soffits less prominent. I was thinking a white ceiling (where the red paper is in the pic) and darker surrounding walls (including the soffit). No wallpaper. Maybe some trim? Any thoughts for or against, or other ideas appreciated.

Featured Answer

kandrewspa

last year

Regardless of which color you choose, painting every surface the same color is the way to make the irregularities less noticeable and ceiling higher.

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Comments (15)

PRO
Debbi Washburn
last year
Can you remove the soffit? Sometimes they are built much larger than they need to be. Doing a white ceiling and sofit will blend nicely - not sure a dark wall is the right way to go in this space unless you are looking for that sort of moody, dramatic bathroom.

And of course - lighting lighting lighting.
tskn (Sunset 24, USDA Zone 10a) thanked Debbi Washburn
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It depends on how the room will be used. For instance, if it is just used by guests, maybe just a simple vanity light would suffice. On the other hand, if it will be heavily used for grooming, putting on make up, you might want to invest into better vanity lights that would minimize the shadows cast on one's face. The ceiling light is not very necessary, but you could also get vent fans with lighting if you really want to.
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I am not sure without seeing the plans and walking in the house, I guess. But I think that you can bury most things in the design if you work at it. My house was built with a single soffit in the entire house and the house was actually quite complex to get utilities in because there is a band of ribbon windows across the first floor front, a fully glass back and fully glass third floor front--with an open rafter ceiling that can't hide anything. The architect managed to bury almost everything in the design in a small, modest house. And when we reworked the HVAC, we reburied it in the design.
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Thanks for going back and forth on this with me. I definitely want a pendant. (Just one since I don’t think there’s enough room for two.) I think the pendant will help being the ceiling down. if I install a pendant, then would o get rid of the light above the sink? Probably right? In which case maybe I would install a cluster. I also have considered a lighted mirror. Here are a few inspiration photos. I agree that tile might work behind mirror … it needs texture of some sort. I think some of your ideas about wood on the ceiling are too much for me to tackle. Trying to streamline.
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CPartist - it looks like you don't have crown which takes away one of the trim issues. And, to be fair, we have no idea of design aesthetic of OP. So trim doesn't always matter for sure. True on both counts. In my area, what is typically (but not always) done is that trim is fairly heavy with 10 ft ceilings. Which is generally fitting. Then it can be too heavy in a lower ceiling area. Not a big deal really but an additional complexity/decision to make. I have found that whether 9' or 10', the same trim can usually be used. I had heavy trim in my 1898 Farmhouse Victorian which had 9' ceilings. I would argue that the average person building a house already gets overwhelmed with decisions so this can increase this. Certainly FLW didn't mind and you either. That can be true but that's not what the OP asked. In your pic, you maintain a consistency visually with a high trim line that is not typical. And there are no doors. And I am absolutely sure that doors can be made to work but again is a decision/complexity that isn't there with consistent height ceilings. Look closely and you can see the red front door in the foyer. :) This is the mudroom entry door and the door to my pantry and the powder room. All are 8' Now if an architect is specing the ceiling height change and dealing with trim/doors/windows/chandeliers design choices - that is a different story. So what you're assuming is that the typical person building a house, can't decide on their own whether to lower a ceiling?
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tskn (Sunset 24, USDA Zone 10a)
Original Author
last year
Unfortunately the soffit can't be removed. Thanks!
Elaine Doremus Resumes Written
last year
I have a bathroom with no windows. I put a framed print with a highly three dimensional scenic image to kind of "replace" a window.
tskn (Sunset 24, USDA Zone 10a) thanked Elaine Doremus Resumes Written
btydrvn
last year
Sometimes an oddity like that can become an interesting feature…by painting the angles in different colors or ….shades of one color…
i would paint it all white first …then consider shades of pale sky blue or aqua …for-the angles
tskn (Sunset 24, USDA Zone 10a) thanked btydrvn
btydrvn
last year
It does look like preparing a smoother surface for paint may be a big challenge…you may want to consider shiplap or another thin (paintable?panelling) to cover that problem
btydrvn
last year
Or a rough stucco finish…
elcieg
last year
My entire lower level has lots of those "drop boxes" for HVAC, etc. It is a large area with one side of windows and a slider. There are four room that have no windows, including the bathroom.

I painted everything dark, walls, ceiling, boxes with bright white trim. No one noticed the soffits at all. Whatever you chose, paint it all one color.
tskn (Sunset 24, USDA Zone 10a) thanked elcieg
tskn (Sunset 24, USDA Zone 10a)
Original Author
last year
Judianna, I'd love to see a pic of your one-color room with white trim!
elcieg
last year
The other problem you have is the condition of the walls and ceiling. You will have to resurface them or (and I know you said no wallpaper) wallpaper walls and ceiling with a product called anaglypta, a wallpaper that you can put right over those walls. It comes in lots of patterns; you can leave it white; but it is made to be painted.
elcieg
last year
last modified: last year
I'll take a photo...meantime, this is what I suggest.
tskn (Sunset 24, USDA Zone 10a)
Original Author
last year
Nice pic. Yes. I plan on having the walls and ceiling primed and skimcoated before painting to get the effect of a relatively "squared off" space. Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions so far. It is giving me more to think about.
PRO
Debbi Washburn
last year
Do you know what's inside the soffit other than the recessed light? The reason I ask, is because there may be something in there that is easy enough to move/remove or is small enough that the soffit can be made much smaller. Right now it seems like it is that size to accommodate the recessed light housing ( which was a design thing back in the day ) . It would be worth it to poke a whole and see what is going on.
la_la Girl
last year
Are you keeping the small sink? Thinking a nice chunky sink/vanity with a large fabulous mirror would really brighten up the space and bring in some drama - the small sink seems to beg for a small mirror, which is a missed opportunity in this room I think
ffpalms
last year
I just came across this photo today. I think it illustrates la_la Girl’s suggestion very well.

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