Choosing the perfect paint for your bathroom sanctuary

For many of us the bathroom has come a long way. It has gone from a functional, anti-septic place to a soothing, spa-like sanctuary. It is now the room of choice in which to relax, rejuvenate and escape from our frenetic-paced lives.

The current trend is to establish a wellness room in the master bathroom where you create a haven for your body, mind and soul. It's now a common pleasurable ritual to spend hours on end soaking in the luxury of a bath filled with essential oils, mud or salts. This therapeutic refuge may be doing wonders for your body and soul but it may be creating long-term problems as a result of excess humidity.

Your steamy mirrors, damp walls and fogged windows are more than just annoying; they could indicate developing difficulties like mold and mildew.

Dealing with these mold and mildew hindrances in your bathroom has gotten easier thanks to the new smooth finish of the "Kitchen and bathroom" paint from Sico. It's a high quality paint especially designed for bathrooms and kitchens with a beautiful low gloss finish.

This highly stain resistant paint is ideal for bathroom walls, trim and even ceilings as it contains a preservative which is mildew resistant and also features maximum durability with its smooth low gloss finish. You can wash and scrub this durable paint without hesitation or worry of damaging the finish.

What are the colour trends for today's bathrooms? "More, bolder colour in the bathroom is definitely a newer trend," said Stéphanie Pelland Marketing Communication Manager for the Sico brand and a member of the international colour forecaster Color Marketing Group. "You can be bolder with colour in smaller spaces such as bathrooms," she added. "Bolder, vibrant hues create a lively, enjoyable space to wake up to every morning."

While bold hues will make an impact, they're not necessarily for everyone. For homeowners who want their bathrooms to be soothing spa-like retreats, calming colour palettes are still appropriate: greens and blues are known classics, and almost any soft hues or subtle neutrals can be soothing. Pelland said you can also follow the latest trend and add a touch of colour - "an unexpected 'punch'- by pairing bright pastels or neutrals with a darker colour presence - such as Deep in Time (6174-73) purple, Peacock Tail (6160-63) Caribbean turquoise or Moonless Night (6009-83) dark blue." More information on bathroom colour choices is available at www.sico.ca.