Our previously beige-on-beige master bathroom now sports Benjamin Moore’s Rockport Gray, and we’re thrilled with the result. We first fell for this color when we saw it in another kitchen, and it brings a fresh, elegant contrast to this small space. Below are photos from the process and the finished look (some pictures were taken before the shower curtain was rehung):
Before painting, we removed an unused shelf and towel bar to free up the only wall that isn’t tiled almost to the ceiling. That created a clean surface for artwork and made the room feel less cluttered.
We used a simple allen wrench kit to dismantle the hardware, but found metal anchors behind the drywall that tore the surface when pulled out. The bathroom sits in a seventies addition, so the walls are drywall rather than plaster.
Once anchors started ripping the drywall, we changed approach: we hammered the troublesome anchors flush with the wall and then filled the holes with spackle, which gave a smooth, seamless surface after sanding.
Here’s the patched wall before sanding (apologies for the blown-out exposure in the photo). I prefer using a sanding block because it stays flat against the wall and keeps the surface even, unlike a loose sheet of sandpaper.
We used Dap Crackshot spackle for the repairs. Modern low-VOC spackles are becoming more common, and we’re keen to try those in future projects.
With the walls smoothed, we moved on to paint. Priming after spackling can help, but we’ve successfully skipped that step before—paint formulas have improved and sometimes cover well without a separate primer. We applied Rockport Gray in a semi-gloss finish from Benjamin Moore’s Natura line, which is their no-VOC option. A quart was enough for this small room.
Semi-gloss can be tricky on the first coat because its slick finish makes coverage uneven, so we applied two coats. The first coat looked patchy, but the second coat evened everything out beautifully.
With the shower curtain back up and the walls painted, the room already feels more finished. I haven’t yet painted the trim bright white, but that’s next on the list—painting trim after walls is a familiar order of operations for me and not too difficult.
For comparison, here’s a “before” shot showing how much more contrast and crispness the new color brings to the space.
The gray in the existing tiles pairs nicely with the darker wall color. The small tree-accent tiles now complement the walls, and we can imagine swapping in frosted gray glass subway tile for the accent someday, though the current tiles look great for now.
This freshly painted wall is ideal for artwork and makes the room feel more open, partly because removing the shelf and towel bar eliminated the cluttered feeling over the toilet.
The white slice in the shower curtain ties in nicely with the tan and gray palette. Once the trim and toilet are updated to a bright glossy white, the room will feel even more cohesive.
Our to-do list now looks like this:
- Paint the cream trim bright white (it reads cream in photos, but next to a bright white switch it’s obvious in person)
Paint the walls to add contrast- Sell the current toilet and replace it with a classic white model
- Replace the ceiling light fixture
- Hang bathroom-appropriate artwork
- Add a privacy solution for the window
- Consider replacing the border tile in a future phase
- Replace the floor tile down the road to break up the expanse of tile
For anyone hesitating to paint a small bathroom: it’s a quick project. Each coat took us less than an hour—one person cuts in while the other rolls, then repeat. My mother-in-law once painted an entire bathroom using only a brush; it must have taken a long time, but it’s impressive and saves on cleanup. Overall, a small room paint job is one of the most satisfying, fast updates you can do.