How to Choose the Right Color for Your Kitchen, Bathroom, or Bedroom

Painting your home is one of the simplest and most impactful ways to change the appearance of a room. However, different rooms require different approaches – the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom each present their own demands on paint. 2025 trends and technologies bring new opportunities that help make smart choices. Let's look at how to find the right color and paint product for each room.

In the kitchen, durable and cleanable paints win

The kitchen is the heart of the home, where food is prepared and loved ones gather. It is also a room that experiences the most dirt, moisture, and temperature fluctuations.

When choosing colors for the kitchen, you should pay attention to their resistance to grease and steam. It's worth preferring colors that are wet rub resistant (at least class 1 according to EN 13300 standard). It's also important to have good cleanability – a semi-gloss or high-gloss finish will better withstand kitchen conditions. By 2025, VOC (volatile organic compounds) content standards are even stricter, so it's worth choosing products with <30 g/l VOC content.

Semi-matte or semi-gloss latex paint works well on walls, which can withstand frequent cleaning. On ceilings, it is recommended to use low-gloss paint that doesn't reflect light excessively. Accent walls should be painted with washable and stain-resistant paint, which allows you to add character to the kitchen.

Practical tip: First paint an accent wall in the kitchen and let it dry for at least a day before painting the remaining walls. This way you can better assess how the color affects the room.

If you want to keep the paint looking fresh for longer, it's worth reading our article on how to remove stains and scratches from walls, which provides tips for daily maintenance.

Bathroom paint must withstand moisture and mold

In the bathroom, the most important thing is moisture resistance and durability. 2025 technologies offer increasingly better solutions for this.

When choosing bathroom paint, you should pay attention first and foremost to moisture resistance. Special bathroom paint contains anti-mold additives, which are particularly important in this room. It's also important to have vapor permeability – the paint should allow moisture to pass through the wall to prevent paint peeling. Paint in the bathroom should withstand rubbing and cleaning, so the surface must be washable.

Ceilings are suited to special moisture-resistant ceiling paint, preferably silicate paint. Semi-gloss or gloss paint works well on walls, which doesn't absorb moisture. In color choice, light tones have traditionally been preferred, which make the bathroom appear more spacious, but by 2025 the trend is moving towards bolder colors as well.

Practical tip: Paint your bathroom when you can ensure good ventilation for at least 48 hours. For complete drying and curing, the paint needs air circulation.

To prevent mold in the bathroom, the right paint alone is not enough. Find more advice in our article on tips on how to prevent mold in the bathroom.

Bedroom paint creates mood and atmosphere

The bedroom is a place for rest and relaxation. Here, the choice of color plays an important role in creating mood and atmosphere.

When choosing bedroom paint, you should consider its relaxing effect. Color psychology shows that certain tones promote sleep and rest. It's also important to consider the direction of light – cool tones work well in south-facing rooms, warmer ones in north-facing rooms. It's especially important to choose paint with hypoallergenic composition that has low VOC content and doesn't emit a strong odor.

Neutral tones like light gray, beige, and pastel colors work well for bedrooms, creating a calm foundation. As an accent, light sky blue is the 2025 trend, which is a symbol of peace and clarity. Matte or ultra-matte paint works well on ceilings, which doesn't reflect light and creates a soft impression.

Practical tip: Test the paint color before painting the entire wall. Paint a 1x1m test area and observe it at different times of day to see how light affects it.

When choosing a paint color, it's worth knowing that colors affect our well-being. Find more information about the psychological effects of colors in our article on color psychology.

Paint type choices in 2025

The choice of paint type is just as important as the choice of color. In 2025, several innovative solutions are available.

Water-based paints are universal and suitable for all rooms, especially if there are children or pets in the house. Their advantages are fast drying, low VOC content, and easy cleaning. As a 2025 innovation, self-cleaning technology versions are coming to the market that break down air pollutants.

Antibacterial paints are ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, and children's rooms. They prevent the growth of bacteria and mold, making the home environment healthier. 2025 versions contain increasingly more naturally sourced antibacterial additives instead of synthetic ones.

Eco-friendly paints are made from renewable materials and have low environmental impact. They are especially suitable for bedrooms and living rooms. As a 2025 innovation, carbon-negative paints are coming to market, which bind more CO2 during production than they release.

Textured paints add dimension and character to walls, being ideal for accent walls and entrances. For 2025, paint and wallpaper hybrids are expected, which are durable and easier to install than traditional solutions.

Preparing for painting and surface preparation

For good results, preparation is as important as painting itself. The process begins with removing old coating materials. If the wall has old wallpaper, consult our guide on how to remove wallpaper quickly and comfortably.

Cleaning walls is the next important step – before painting, walls must be cleaned of dust and grease so that the paint adheres properly. Then you need to deal with crack repair. Fill all cracks and holes with suitable filler and let them dry properly, then sand the surface smooth.

Priming is especially important on new walls and when changing paint type. Primer ensures an even base surface and better adhesion, which extends the life of the paint.

Practical tip: If painting multiple rooms, start with the one with the least traffic and follow a logical cleaning order. You can find advice on this in our article on the best order for cleaning from the kitchen to the entrance.

2025 paint trends

Although the practical side is important in choosing paint, trends also play a role. For 2025, several new directions are expected in Estonian interiors.

Nature-inspired tones such as greens and earth colors remain popular, reflecting people's desire to bring nature into the home environment. Pastel blue is our experts' choice for next year. This light sky blue is also popular.

Contrasting accents are a rising trend – alongside neutral walls, increasingly bolder, darker accent walls are used, which add depth and character to the room. Textured finishes are also becoming more popular, offering multi-layered painting techniques that add depth and movement to surfaces.

What do different paint finishes mean?

Paint gloss affects both appearance and durability. Matte finish paints have 0-5% gloss, they hide wall irregularities, don't reflect light, and are therefore well-suited for bedrooms and living rooms. Semi-matte paints (5-20% gloss) are easier to clean than fully matte paints and are suitable for children's rooms and hallways.

Semi-gloss paints (20-40% gloss) offer good durability and cleanability, being ideal for kitchens and bathrooms. Gloss paints (40-90% gloss) have high durability and are especially well-suited for door frames, windows, and other details that need special protection.

Practical tip: The more gloss, the better the surface cleans, but the more visible wall irregularities become. So you should consider the room's lighting conditions and the condition of the walls.

Choice of painting tools

The right tools make painting easier and the result more professional. When choosing brushes, it's worth preferring quality synthetic bristles, especially for water-based paints, as they don't absorb excess paint and don't leave brush strokes.

For rollers, the rule is that short-haired rollers suit smooth surfaces, giving uniform coverage, while long-haired rollers are better for textured surfaces, reaching into irregularities.

Painter's tape is also a quality investment – good tape doesn't let paint through and doesn't remove old paint when the tape is removed. Protective sheets and papers are also important – always cover the floor and furniture to prevent paint splatters, which can cause permanent damage.

Summary

Choosing the right paint for different rooms may seem complicated at first, but by considering the room's function, lighting conditions, and expected wear, you can make a choice that lasts for years. By 2025, paint technologies are even more advanced, offering both practical durability and aesthetic satisfaction.

When refreshing your home, it's worth remembering that a fresh coat of paint can significantly increase your home's value, especially if you plan to sell it in the future. The Kinnisvara24 blog offers even more inspiration and expert advice to help you create exactly the kind of home you've dreamed of.