The Beauty of Monochrome Bathrooms
Whether it’s modern sophistication you’re after or Zen-like serenity, a one-color-all-over bathroom could be the answer
Your idea of fearless decorating might be a splash of bright color here and there, but keeping to one color, even if it’s muted, can be the height of decorating adventure — and the payoffs can be commensurate with your derring-do. It’s generally bathroom convention to go with one color on the floor, another on the wall, white fixtures, perhaps an injection of color on the backsplash, and white as usual on the ceiling. But what about throwing all that out the window and featuring only one color throughout the whole bathroom?
A monochrome bathroom can make a dramatic statement that’s modern, glamorous and edgy, or it can create a serene and soothing space. Opt for just one little feature that breaks slightly from the theme, or cover everything with your chosen color — if you dare. It certainly won’t be boring. Here’s how to get it right.
A monochrome bathroom can make a dramatic statement that’s modern, glamorous and edgy, or it can create a serene and soothing space. Opt for just one little feature that breaks slightly from the theme, or cover everything with your chosen color — if you dare. It certainly won’t be boring. Here’s how to get it right.
A black bathroom can be just as calming as one in lighter tones. Mosaic wall tiles with a hint of sparkle breathe life into this award-winning bathroom, and wood adds a natural element that ties in with the lush garden outside. Dimmable lighting in a black bathroom delivers instant ambience.
Metallic hardware pairs well with a mostly black bathroom, bringing an elegant edge to a space that can otherwise feel austere. Even the ceiling is black in this bathroom, but the hexagonal marble tiles on the floor and up one wall bring in just enough texture to make the room beautiful rather than boxy.
The Bold and the Beautiful
Bright colors aren’t for everyone, but if you have a favorite, what are you afraid of? Attention-getting tangerine orange in a powder room is sure to be a talking point, and it will cheer up anyone who enters.
Bright colors aren’t for everyone, but if you have a favorite, what are you afraid of? Attention-getting tangerine orange in a powder room is sure to be a talking point, and it will cheer up anyone who enters.
When a shade of green is this juicy, why not blanket your bathroom with it? The bank of mirrored cabinets amplifies the natural light coming into the space, and there’s just enough wood to prevent all that green from going into overload.
Architect Scott Weston isn’t shy when it comes to color. In fact, Weston sees color as a powerful tool that can set a home apart. This all-blue bathroom is far from cookie-cutter. The frameless shower screen and minimalist sink allow the tiles to be the main event without competition.
In the same project — an addition to an 1880s Victorian in Sydney — this bathroom delivers the same quirky twist through the use of another unexpected color.
When White Feels Right
For many people, white is the only color they’ll ever consider in a bathroom, and it’s not hard to see why — it can look so clean and fresh. But there are ways to make your white stand out from the rest. Here, hints of black in the dark grout and fixtures are points of difference.
For many people, white is the only color they’ll ever consider in a bathroom, and it’s not hard to see why — it can look so clean and fresh. But there are ways to make your white stand out from the rest. Here, hints of black in the dark grout and fixtures are points of difference.
Subtle but lovely features can inject enough difference into an all-white room to make it interesting: a signature circular mirror, well-cared-for plants and a designer wood stool, in this case. Textured tiles also bring depth to an all-white palette.
Glamorous Gray
Gray continues to be a top color of choice for new and renovated homes, and opting for this color in a bathroom gives it a contemporary edge. In this updated Melbourne, Australia, period home, a neutral palette modernizes while still staying true to its classic roots.
There’s something refreshingly clean about gray for a bathroom, and while both black and white on floors and walls can show dirt, a gray bathroom is easy to keep clean.
Gray continues to be a top color of choice for new and renovated homes, and opting for this color in a bathroom gives it a contemporary edge. In this updated Melbourne, Australia, period home, a neutral palette modernizes while still staying true to its classic roots.
There’s something refreshingly clean about gray for a bathroom, and while both black and white on floors and walls can show dirt, a gray bathroom is easy to keep clean.
Concrete (and concrete-look tiles) is the material of choice in ultramodern homes and extensions, and bathrooms are the latest areas of the house to get the concrete treatment. The wood, concrete and black palette of this bathroom continues throughout this Adelaide home.
If midgray isn’t your thing, go for darker charcoals for a tinge of glamour and sophistication. The industrial-style light (with a yellow rather than white globe) and wood countertop add welcome warmth and moodiness to this space.
You can never have too much marble in a bathroom, especially when the expanse of gray is offset by metallic fixtures and a standout vanity. Marble tiles manage to be classic and contemporary at the same time, a great choice for the cutting-edge addition to this home.
Varying the size and arrangement of the tiles on the walls versus the floor differentiates the two, and a skylight over the shower brings in enough natural light to make the room feel restful rather than cold.
Tell us: What do you think about one-tone bathrooms? Would you consider using only one color in yours? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Varying the size and arrangement of the tiles on the walls versus the floor differentiates the two, and a skylight over the shower brings in enough natural light to make the room feel restful rather than cold.
Tell us: What do you think about one-tone bathrooms? Would you consider using only one color in yours? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
More
6 Bathroom Color Schemes That Will Never Look Dated
Browse more bathroom photos
Ever considered going all black in the bathroom? It’s certainly one way to make a glamorous statement. You can offset the look of all black, and prevent it from being overwhelming, with the use of high-shine tiles, expansive mirrors and good lighting. In this bathroom, a smaller-format tile on the floor prevents the shower recess from feeling so closed in.