The bathroom is more than just a room that exists to take care of the hygiene. Bathrooms are places where we make a transition from dreams to reality every morning, and where we relax and unwind after a long day. It is your own little oasis.
On the other hand, because of the inherent intimacy, the way you decorate your bathroom – and especially the colors you choose – can reveal a thing or two about your personality.
Colors play an essential role in how we feel. They affect our moods, emotions, and even our mental clarity. They can have a psychogenic effect, and the particular ones that we prefer can say something about our personalities. Various hues can be therapeutic, but if used unwisely, they can also be aggravating.
Tracking the right colors for the right purpose is one of the most critical tasks in interior design.
When you combine the facts about the importance of bathrooms and significance of colors, it becomes clear why these spaces shouldn’t be neglected in this respect, no matter how challenging the task of designing and restoration may be.
The great news is that the time of dull bathrooms is over, and that the options are now practically unlimited.
Here is a set of ideas and color schemes to enrich any home – one bathroom at the time.
Monochrome Bathroom
Black and white checkerboard tiles are an old-school bathroom cliche that used to be cutting-edge back in the days of Art Deco. Today’s black and white tiles have evolved so much since then. Mosaic lines are one very popular example of that evolution.
Here we see the mosaic lines tiles in neutral colors – black, gray and white, effectively combined with a bunch of red elements. The combo makes the space modern and minimalistic, but at the same time warm and passionate. On a personal note, monochrome B&W plus red are one of my all-time favorite combinations. You can hardly go wrong with that one.
Orange Bathroom
Orange is one of the liveliest and life-supporting colors. Orange is also a color of sunsets and can have an earthy, desert quality to it. That is why it is perfect if you want to bring a dash of exotics into your home.
This highly unusual bathroom merges orange, golden, and ornaments that give it North African / Mediterranean feel. Spending some time in a bathroom like this one feels like travel.
Wooden Tone Bathroom
Wood is a material that has been around since the humble beginnings of humankind. Perhaps that is the reason it feels so comfortable to our eyes and minds. Remember that traditional saunas are made from wood, and we all know (or can imagine) how relaxing they are.
Real wood can be incorporated into a bathroom if you have the budget and knowledge to do it right. However, if you are worried about the price or maintenance, don’t sweat it – these days there are plenty of wood pattern tiles on the market. You can have a bathroom that looks all woody without any wood in it!
Green Bathroom
Green is one of the rare colors that is stimulating and soothing at the same time. It is also the most pleasant color for the human eye. Although it is unusual to see a green bathroom, the properties of the color make it ideal for the purpose.
Light and dark shades of green both have their advantages. Light green is a good choice for small bathrooms since it will make it look more spacey. Dark mint or emerald green is a beautiful choice for large bathrooms aiming for a luxurious feel.
Lime Bathroom
Because it leans towards yellow so much, lime is the most lively shade of green. It is the color of spring, new life, and youth. Therefore, it is a great choice if it is hard for you to get going in the morning, but also have trouble calming your worried mind in the evening. While lime is lively, stimulating color, the soothing effects of green will not let it get you over-excited at night.
Since lime is essentially a light shade, you can use it generously – e.g., on bathroom walls. You can combine it nicely with white and wooden or golden tones.
Purple Bathroom
Light purples such as lavender or lilac symbolize tenderness, innocence, and freedom. Dark purple is a color of creativity and luxury.
What I wrote about green also applies to purple. For small bathrooms, don’t use darker shades and go with splendid light hues. In a medium-large space, you can experiment with lush darker purples.
One exciting way to utilize purple in the bathroom is to combine larger purple surfaces and small purple ornamental details, such as violet flowers on tiles or towels. The effect you will get is both rustic chic and sophisticated at the same time.
For a more modern look, you can use purple decorative lights on white tiles to get an awesome neon purple effect.
Yellow Bathroom
Yellow is known to brighten up any space and mood. That is why it is perfect to energize you in the morning and cheer you up in the evening. And the best thing is that for the proper effect you don’t have to overdo it. Just a simple dash of bright yellow here and there is enough to brighten up space and lighten up your mood.
Bathrooms based on yellow are an excellent option if you love the hue, but you’re conservative about colors in your living room and bedroom, or if you are worried about all that intensity. In that case, the bathroom could be a perfect place to experiment.
Although some people find too much exposure to yellow irritating and unsettling, no one spends enough time in the bathroom for those negative sides to start taking over.
Pale shades of yellow are a great option for vintage chic bathrooms, while bold, bright yellows are suitable for contemporary, edgy modern bathrooms.
Pink Bathroom
Although it is often considered a “girly” color, from the psychological point of view, pink is a universal color of peacefulness and harmony. Some experiments have shown that when exposed to calming pink hues, people tend to lose their edge and abandon feelings of hostility. If you feel like you need more peace in your life and you like warmer colors, pink could be a perfect choice.
Once a color form a royal palette, used for the clothing of princes (princes, not princesses, imagine that!), pink goes exquisitely well with antique-looking, luxurious details, such as golden faucets, or lavish Art Nouveau or Baroque mirrors.
Red Bathroom
Red is the color of passion, love, and luxury. If you want to make your bathroom a temple of love, utilizing red is a perfect way to do it.
Red goes great with neutrals – white, black, and gray. Also, navy blue plus white is a great combination to match the hue.
I suggest opting for deep, darker reds, and not really bright shades such as carmine red, which can be too hard on the eyes. Also, using red for details (see our monochrome example) can have an impressive effect without overburdening your senses.
However, red is also the color of anger. Be careful if you have a fiery temperament or are easily agitated. Too much red can increase feelings of hostility and rage, so if you are an intense person, perhaps you could benefit from colors that bring more serenity. That leads us to our next hue.
Blue Bathroom
Blue is the color of water, relaxation, cleanness, and spiritual growth. If you’re constantly feeling like you’re living on the edge, spending those crucial morning and evening moments in a blue-toned bathroom might help you.
Since looking at blue surfaces has a cooling effect, using a lot of blue in a bathroom if you live in a warm climate can provide an additional cooldown.
Like pink, blue can work well with rustic or antique details, but it’s also great to use in modern, minimalist bathrooms with sleek rounded lines.
Gray Bathroom
Gray is a neutral color that sets an elegant overall tone. It is non-aggressive and soothing, and therefore ideal for relaxation.
Despite the prejudices, gray is not a boring color. It provides a variety of tones and tints to choose from. If painting larger surfaces, be careful about the shade of gray you will choose, because seemingly small differences can have a dramatically different overall effect.
Also, there is one more thing that makes it a tremendous dominant color. See how those orange towels and the bamboo almost shine against the gray background?
Gray gives you nearly endless possibilities to play with additional colors that will set the final tone of the space since it makes bright colors stand out. Check out our post about grey and red bathrooms for more ideas
Black Bathroom
While black is conservatively considered a color of darkness and, therefore, of dark internal states, in reality it can have a profoundly different effect on your psyche. Black is a very grounding color that enhances contemplation and introspection. Also, it is one of the most elegant hues of all.
Overdoing black in a small space can make it feel claustrophobic. However, using it moderately can help a space gain depth. Using black for floors and lower portions of walls is a strategy especially suited for the task. The smart utilization of black could also give a dose of elegance and monumentality to your bathroom.
However, if you are prone to dark moods, I suggest you skip black altogether. Black is a potent color that can perhaps feel overpowering to some of us.
Beige Bathroom
Beige is considered one of the most flexible colors in interior design. It is soft, neutral, natural, and cozy. It will help you relax and facilitate a warm feeling without being hard on the eyes.
With its warm lightness, beige will make your rooms look bigger, so it is ideal for smaller bathrooms. Also, it makes a great base color. It will help decorative details – plants and wood for example – stand out nicely.
Conclusion
As you had a chance to see, boring utility bathrooms are a thing of the past. Like with any other room, bathroom design is a means of expression and creativity. The task is even more important because the bathroom is the ultimate place of intimacy, relaxation, unwinding, and recharging in any home.
The market has evolved along with this new perception and offers an immense variety of tiles, utilities, and other elements – in all colors.
Treat this special space with the respect it deserves, and you will surely be rewarded. A bathroom in colors that complement your personality and style is a small but significant factor in getting the best out of your home.
What’s your favorite bathroom hue? Do you have any particular color schemes you like? Let us know in the comments.
