11 Striking Black Bathrooms
The trend of going dark in the bathroom amps up the drama in this hard-working space and lets metallic finishes shine
Love them or hate them, black kitchens have drawn a lot of comments lately from Houzzers. The subject got some lively conversation going and the commenters gave me a lot to chew on, so this go-round we see how a mostly black colour palette can turn out when applied to the bathroom. Going dark in a bathroom creates a dramatic experience for all who enter, and these designers have proved it can work with a range of styles: chinoiserie, Mediterranean, steampunk and minimalist.
1. In this Melbourne bathroom by Daniel Ash Architects, the walls fade to black in order to highlight the views out the window. Australia’s beautiful bright sunlight makes dark rooms even more successful. Here the room itself lets the view from the large window, reflected in the large mirror, take centre stage. It’s a great balance of light and dark.
2. When the clients proposed using this chinoiserie vanity they had found online, interior designer Charmean Neithart embraced it, adding details to make the room interesting and unique. For example, the walls are not paint but rather a dramatic black strie wall covering. She also wanted the room to fit in with the glam-rustic vibe of the rest of the house, while amping up the drama behind the closed door.
“My advice for using black in a room is to pair with metallics,” Neithart says. “Gold, silver leaf or copper are all natural pairings and result in elegance.” The designer likes to have some fun with powder rooms and provide a ‘mini experience’ for guests. At a recent dinner party at this home, she noticed as many as four people standing in the small room admiring its walls and commenting on the theatre of the dark space.
“My advice for using black in a room is to pair with metallics,” Neithart says. “Gold, silver leaf or copper are all natural pairings and result in elegance.” The designer likes to have some fun with powder rooms and provide a ‘mini experience’ for guests. At a recent dinner party at this home, she noticed as many as four people standing in the small room admiring its walls and commenting on the theatre of the dark space.
3. Architect Andre Rothblatt and Ragnar Boresen at The Sink Factory maxed out the idea of pairing black with metallics, using ready-made copper pipes to create steampunk style in this San Francisco bathroom. A hammered copper sink basin picks up on the pipes, while black tile and a Victorian-style wallpaper complete the look.
See more of this steampunk bathroom
See more of this steampunk bathroom
4. Melbourne-based interior designer Camilla Molders opted for brass fixtures to highlight a black palette in this powder room, which is enlivened by an iconic Florence Broadhurst wall covering.
5. Traditional trim and mouldings run throughout this townhouse, but perhaps nowhere more than in this little jewel box of a powder room. Coating these features in not-so-traditional black lacquer and adding classic-style portraits of dogs are offbeat and fun ways to make the most of the tiny space.
6. Black walls allowed for a subtle personal detail in this Toronto powder room. Because the homeowners liked to travel, the designers at LUX wrapped the walls in a custom-printed black and grey map of the world. As we’ve seen elsewhere, striking metallics lighten the space, here in the form of the gold-toned tapware and mirror. Note the cleverly balanced contrasts too: the sharp angles of the tapware and sink versus the curvaceous mirror, and the rustic benchtop versus the luxe gilded finishes.
7. This powder room in Austin, Texas in the U.S. is a dark take on the home’s Mediterranean style. “We used contrasting colour and texture between walls, mirror, sink and plumbing fittings to achieve a moody and dramatic spatial quality,” says architect Ryan Street.
There’s a stark and clever contrast between the rustic concrete sink and the ornate gold mirror. An intriguing treatment of charcoal burnished plaster on the walls and the mix of metals help create that experience Neithart spoke of.
There’s a stark and clever contrast between the rustic concrete sink and the ornate gold mirror. An intriguing treatment of charcoal burnished plaster on the walls and the mix of metals help create that experience Neithart spoke of.
8. A glossy black door with a glass knob foreshadows what awaits inside, but there’s probably no preparing for the drama in this glamorous powder room. The team at Orange Coast Interior Design upholstered the walls in a velvet damask fabric. (Note: While this works well in a powder room, it’s not recommended for a full bath.) Glass lighting, a large bevelled mirror and an elegant grey benchtop complete the scene.
9. The sharp contrast between black and white enlivens this minimalist bathroom. The designers balanced the two extremes – the relationship between the white ceiling and floor emphasises the height of the walls and ties the stark fixtures and shelves into the design.
10. This is the bathroom in artist and furniture designer Luc Sergerie’s live-work loft in Montreal. The combination of minimalism and the dark background means one key detail will stand out properly: the quote crafted from white tile, which translates as “Art is emotion without desire,” from The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.
See the rest of this loft
See the rest of this loft
11. Going dark helps mitigate tight proportions. The designers at T01 Architecture & Interiors brought in a different graphic tile touch: a latticework pattern that emphasises the proportions in all the right places. The height of the pattern and dark paint above it prevent the room from feeling fenced in. Instead it’s a modern take on a secret garden.
TELL US
Would you consider a black bathroom for your home? Share your thoughts and pictures in the Comments below.
MORE
10 Stellar Black Kitchens
The Black Lid, White Toilet Makes a Stylish Comeback
7 Moody Colour Alternatives to Black
TELL US
Would you consider a black bathroom for your home? Share your thoughts and pictures in the Comments below.
MORE
10 Stellar Black Kitchens
The Black Lid, White Toilet Makes a Stylish Comeback
7 Moody Colour Alternatives to Black