A few rainy days stuck us inside, so we used the time to make progress on our recently de-carpeted bathroom and walk-in closet. After updating the trim and walls and finishing the stenciled floor, the space finally started to feel complete. The paint we chose for the walls was Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, and it really ties the room together.
Before painting the walls, we tackled the trim. The cream-colored trim was switched to Benjamin Moore Simply White in semi-gloss to match the rest of the house. That step was more time-consuming than it looks: one coat of primer and two coats of paint, all brushed on. I handled the primer—since it wasn’t VOC-free—and then Sherry and I cut in and worked around the many small doorways and baseboard sections. The cutting-in stage when painting the walls made the trim work feel especially detailed: so many angles and tight spots.
I used the panoramic function on my phone to show how the room’s angles make the trim work feel more involved than it looks in photos. We typically enjoy painting walls—it’s where a room starts to take shape—but whenever we assume a job will be quick, it tends to expand. This bathroom is small (about 80 square feet), and what we thought would be an hour or two turned into several two-hour sessions over a couple of days. Still, it’s finished, and that’s the best feeling.
We picked Revere Pewter because it’s a versatile light-to-mid greige that performs well in spaces without windows. We wanted something that wouldn’t wash out the white trim, mirror, and closet shelving, but also wouldn’t make the room feel sterile. Revere Pewter lands between some other favorites—leaning less brown than some shades and a bit richer than others—so it felt like the right balance for both the bathroom and the adjoining closet.
One of the best things about Revere Pewter is how it changes with the light. In certain shots it reads taupe, in others it looks more gray. It shifts throughout the day and pairs nicely with the deeper blue-gray tone in our bedroom. For small rooms like this one, we also painted the ceiling the same color as the walls. That simple choice helps the space feel less broken up and less boxed in, as long as the color isn’t too dark.
After all the paint dried, I swapped the old cream outlets and switches for clean white ones to freshen the look. One photo shows the closet with the power off—dark, but it also demonstrates how the wall color shifts depending on lighting. With the lights on, the richer wall color gives the mirror and the painted trim better contrast and highlights the mirror’s shape.
Here’s a before-and-after comparison showing the difference that paint, a new mirror, and some trim work can make. The changes are subtle but the overall feel is much cleaner and more cohesive.
With the walls complete, our attention moves to the floor and the vanity. We originally considered staining the vanity a dark blue, but worried it might clash with the yellowish sink top. Instead, we’re leaning toward a more subdued finish on the vanity and a two-toned stenciled floor to add visual interest without competing with the sink. The plan is to shift the focal point to the floor and balance the room with art and accessories.
At this stage we’re roughly halfway through the update. Completed tasks include:
- Removing the carpet
- Painting and rehanging the mirror
- Painting the trim
- Painting the walls
- Replacing outlets and light switches
Remaining items are the vanity refresh, finishing the floor stencil, and reinstalling the light above the sink. It’s always surprising how much impact a few focused updates—new paint, a mirror, a little trim work, and removing carpet—can have on a small room. While we wait for good weather to finish some exterior tiling, we’ll tackle the bathroom floor and maybe add shelves and cubbies to the closet too. One small project often leads to another, and that’s part of the fun.
Our Favorite Paint Colors
If you’re choosing a paint color and want more guidance, we’ve written detailed posts about some of our go-to shades. A few favorites we often recommend:
- The 12 Best White Paint Colors
- Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
- Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Sherwin-Williams Pure White
- Sherwin-Williams Extra White