In need of some fabulous gray small bathroom ideas? Then you've come to the right place. Gray is a wonderful color to choose for a bathroom as it will lift the room and create the illusion of space if you pick a pale to mid-tone.
For a more cocooning feel then go dark and dramatic — it won't necessarily make the space feel larger, but it will give it a cozy feel. Our interior designers lead the charge with 10 ideas to inspire grayscale decorating in your small space.
Gray has a serenity about it that make it an elegant choice – whatever shade you pick for your small bathroom. You can warm it up with brass fixtures and fittings too. Remember that you don't just have to use paint, there's wallpaper and tiles to use as well to create a stylish gray bathroom.
Beautiful gray small bathroom ideas
As well as using gray on the walls, there's also flooring, your vanity unit and accessories to consider. They can be a combination of grays or match for a cohesive look.
Our gray small bathroom ideas will give you the know how to choose the right shade for your space.
Prices were correct at the time this article was published.
1. Team a gunmetal gray with pale floors
Gunmetal gray is a good nearly-dark gray that will create a cocooning feel in a small bathroom. Add some cohesion by painting the tub to match the walls and for balance, choose some lighter elements like sanitaryware and bathroom flooring.
“Using a lighter floor helps to balance out darker shades, such as dark gray walls and accents, and prevents a space from feeling enclosed or gloomy. It is particularly important to consider when designing a smaller bathroom, as using too many dark shades can make it feel even smaller," says Jason Cherrington, director, Lapicida.
Choosing a herringbone tile layout will give the space a touch of pattern, Jason adds, "Pale stone-effect floors make a wonderful, natural backdrop to both traditional and modern small bathrooms. They make areas appear larger, bring light into the space and have a highly architectural look." Finish it off with this stone bathmat from Sutera which absorbs all the excess water left over after the shower.
Jason founded Lapicida in 1984 and is a leading expert on natural stone and marbles and new generation surfaces such as porcelains and ceramics.
2. Mix up your gray selection
If you can't find one particular gray that you love, then why not incorporate more than one but in different ways. This elegant gray small bathroom has plenty going on in terms of textures and prints, and it works well because they balance each other.
The dove gray cabinetry anchors the space and provides a plain blank canvas for the blue gray patterned floor tiles. The pearlescent wall tiles add a pretty shimmer.
If you'd like to paint your vanity in a similar shade, Lick's Grey 03 Matt, it's a warming shade that has hints of stone.
3. Pale gray works wonders in small bathrooms
If white isn't your bag, then a pale gray is a good next option because it will add warmth. The shade you pick is key though, there are plenty of grays to choose from though some can be 'cold' to the eye.
A putty gray is one to look for, color and paint expert, Annie Sloan CBE, explains:
"Country Grey is a gorgeous putty grey neutral made with raw umber pigment. It’s the perfect choice in a small space because it’s a hugely popular color — beloved by all other colors, it can be accented with reds, with blues, with greens, with browns, with blacks — you name it.
A well picked gray will shape-shift to create a space that looks and feels beautiful. Here we’ve paired it with Olive green to give a country cottage farmhouse feel, a look which works innately well in small spaces."
Price: $12.50 for 120ml
A warming stone gray that acts as a neutral. Team with blush and mid green for a cottage appeal.
Price: $56.99
Size (in): H72 x W72
A country style shower curtain with a gray and white striped section with button detailing.
Price: $17.99 for a pair
Size (in): W54 x D30
Made from 100% cotton, these towels are sustainably made, the platinum color will look great in gray bathrooms.
4. Opt for charcoal gray textured walls
Charcoal is an ideal option if you want to create a cocooning yet dramatic feel in your gray small bathroom. Interior designer, Kim Lapin explains,"A small gray bathroom that is far from boring! Stepping outside comfort zones with dark textured walls, alluring light fixtures and marble counters that pack a punch."
We love these suggestions from Kim and brass is perfect for adding a glow when the scheme is dark. Pop in some texture with a fringed hand towel and hang it up on Anthropologie's Botanist Towel Ring.
Kim Lapin is an interior designer based out of Los Angeles. She believes that the home and our surroundings should reflect who we are, what we love, and how we want to live. Kim always loved interior design and how it could completely transform a space, but renovating large scale projects brought that passion to another level.
5. A stone gray looks great framed with teal
Gray can come across as cold, and if your small bathroom is windowless it's important to pick a shade that has an element of warmth rather than a 'blue gray'.
"Forget the perceived coolness of gray and opt for a warm-toned variety with a dose of brown. Worsted is a deep and charismatic color and would work well here," advises Patrick O'Donnell, brand ambassador at Farrow & Ball.
If you want to add a vibrancy then consider painting your door and frame in a bright shade, we love the teal/gray combo shown here, you could introduce it with a teal towel or washcloths, such as the Liberty 4-Piece Lanthe Cotton Washcloths from Nordstrom.
Patrick O’Donnell has been bringing his impeccable eye for color to Farrow & Ball since 2012. Over that time, he has been a showroom manager, global color consultancy manager, and now brand ambassador.
6. Use shades of gray for your tiles
Keep your gray small bathroom interesting by choosing different tile designs in various shades of gray. Square wall tiles or mosaics are particularly good for this, then, keep the flooring plain so the walls become the statement.
"There were no windows, so we decided to accentuate the dark, moody vibe of the room with a blue/gray tile with natural variation in a high gloss finish on all the walls to reflect the light," says Johanna Martin, founder of J. Studios. "In contrast with the walls, we went natural and earthy with an oak vanity, concrete sinks. The brass plumbing and light fixtures bring additional warmth to the gray/blue tile and elevates the space."
"Using a tonal color scheme of greys with matching undertones creates a harmonious look. Embracing this monochromatic scheme is a fantastic way of creating a chic, minimalist base to a room that can act as a versatile foundation for your favourite accessories and furniture to be added," says Cooke expert Helen Shaw, director of marketing (international) at Benjamin Moore.
Helen Shaw is part of Benjamin Moore's UK division. Color expert and international marketing director, Helen and her husband Craig are founders of Shaw Paints, acquired by Benjamin Moore in 2020.
Price: $34 per roll
Size (in): L198 x W20cm
Not keen on tiling? Then check out this marble effect wallpaper that's steam and moisture resistant.
Price: $6.99 per sq ft / $71.30 per box
Size (in): W5 x D5
Add some gray shades with these easy to care for square tiles that are ideal for bathroom walls.
Price: $49.99 for a box of 10 sheets
Size (in): W10.16 x D8.77
These polished glass hexagon mosaics will be really eye-catching in a gray bathroom.
7. Use black as an accent
Create a bold contrast against a smokey gray by choosing an accent like jet black and crisp white.
Use your gray as a blank canvas for the rest of the scheme — this kind of tone will lighten up a gray small bathroom and teaming it with a pair of mirrors will help to bounce the light around.
Perk up your gray bathroom with this Alresford Armed Sconce in Black from Wayfair.
8. Dark grays will add drama
There's aways the temptation to go for lighter shades of gray when your bathroom is small, and yes, that will brighten up the space, but you can also opt for dark and cozy.
"Gray has a wonderful depth to it and by varying the shades and textures in a small bathroom you can create visual interest and dimension," says Jamie Watkins, co-founder of Divine Savages.
For a maximalist look choose an eccentric wallpaper like their Cat-itude design and team it with an eye-catching vanity. Jamie continues, "The sleek, dark marble complements the mood perfectly whilst adding depth by way of a contrast of textures.
“You can offset the monochrome palette with further textures from plush, plump towels to luxurious metallic fixtures in antique brass or burnished gold. The luminosity of these accents dances against the muted tones, elevating the space to opulent heights."
Cover your old vanity with Removable Vinyl Peel & Stick Wallpaper from Target.
Divine Savages specialises in creating exquisitely crafted wallpapers, fabrics, accessories and limited edition art prints for the brave and bold. It was founded by husbands Jamie Watkins and Tom Kennedy in 2017.
9. Team iron gray with blush
If you want to add a further dimension to your gray small bathroom then consider blush pink. It's a versatile shade that adds a soft contrast against your choice of gray.
Ideally, pick two shades that have the same tone, like these selections from Lick. For the gray we like Grey 04 Matt as it matches perfectly with Pink 05 Matt.
10. A green gray will lighten up a dark bathroom
There are so many shades of gray to choose from, and if you want to brighten up a bathroom without it feeling too cold then consider a green or a silvery gray.
Helen Shaw explains, "Grays harmonize well with almost every other hue, making them one of the most adaptable neutrals and giving good reason for their popularity. Soft hues such as Stonington Gray HC-170 or Gray Mirage 2142-50 (shown) offer enough warmth so not to feel cold and steely but not so much that it leans toward stone or beige. Right at the center of the spectrum, these all-purpose silvery grays with relatively neutral undertones are versatile shades that will flatter a range of home schemes.
Gray is perhaps one of the most versatile colors to choose for a small bathroom. It works because the spectrum is wide so you can pick from barely there gray to nearly black.
It's also a fabulous natural that can be teamed with no end of other colors like pink, teal, white and green. Next, dive into gray living room ideas.