1. HAVE FUN WITH TERRAZZO SPLASHBACK
You might want to introduce color in the form of playful terrazzo, a composite material that is proving popular in every room of the home. Studio Nato helped a small bathroom come to life through color, with white walls allowing for natural light to come spilling in through the windows, bouncing off the walls, while the terrazzo omits effervescent energy.
2. GO DARK AND MOODY WITH EARTH TONES
Bathroom color doesn't always mean poppy hues and playful bold shades. We encourage you to create a sumptuous and relaxing space by embracing the darker and cooler side of the color theory. In particular, earth-tones are trending around the home, and used on the walls in the bathroom can create a cocooning feel and the perfect environment for a long soak.
3. RICH AND SUMPTUOUS JEWEL TONES
Jewel tones can look fabulous in the bathroom. Think deep and inky blue, rusty burgundy and deep purples that will transport you to a spa-like retreat. This primary bathroom incapsulates just that, completed by the women-owned, New York City-based interior design firm, Le Whit. The double marble sink is the star of the show, with beautiful veining that epitomises luxury. The archway beyond is a tub nook, surrounded by a striking de Gournay wall mural.
4. SUNSHINE YELLOW
Yellow is well-documented as a color that can make you feel happy and energetic, and have a real impact on your mood. The bathroom is often a space we use at the start of the day, so why not put a spring in your step with a dash of bright yellow, like this floor from Harper Design +Build.
5. OPT FOR SOFT AND SERENE GREENS
If you are not quite ready to totally part with a neutral bathroom color scheme, pale greens are the perfect way to dip your toe into slightly bolder hues. Sage greens are a huge color trend right now, and show no sign of falling out of favor. Plus, it's a lovely shade as it has such a calming and serene quality - it's one of the most relaxing colors for bathrooms.
6. EXPERIMENT WITH UNEXPECTED COMBINATIONS
Who knew yellow and white could be such an... elegant color combination? This bathroom tile idea is certainly brave and yet it works. The mix of the tiny mosaic tiles, the beautiful antique mirror painted in a deep charcoal, and the traditional fixtures and fittings all come together to create a room that feels surprisingly sophisticated.
7. GO FOR A DARK AND DRAMATIC COLOR SCHEME IN A SMALL BATHROOM
Often it's lighter colors that are recommended in smaller spaces, but as this dark bathroom designed by Marie Flanigan proves, deeper colors can have the same space expanding effects. And bold pattern can be a game-changer in a bathroom too – it can be tricky to know how to bring personality and character into a space that has to be so practical, but bathroom wallpaper is a simple way to do just that.
8. LAYER UP WARM TONAL HUES
Loving all the textures going on in this bathroom. The terrazzo flooring, the metallic feature wall, the softness of the sheer curtains, it all feels so un-bathroom-like. And those lovely warm hues help this feel like such an inviting space too – an orange bathroom accent, the pinks, corals, browns, and coppers. And yet thanks to the clean white walls, white sanitaryware and the occasional black accent the room still feels fresh and contemporary.
9. KEEP IT CLASSIC WITH MONOCHROME
You just can't go wrong with a black and white bathroom. It's a classic look that works with any style from uber-contemporary to country rustic. However, this simple scheme does risk feeling slightly clinical, so we'd always recommend softening it with some tonal greys, natural textures and soft curves.
10. GIVE RETRO COLORED BATHROOM SUITS A CONTEMPORARY TWIST
Okay we know, think colored bathroom suits, think some hideous avocado bathroom with soggy carpet. But colored sanitaryware is creeping back into the world of bathroom trends, and we are more onboard than we would expect.
11. DON'T BE AFRAID TO CHOOSE A RICH AND LUXURIOUS BATHROOM COLOR SCHEME
Brown? In a bathroom? On paper, it sounds hideous but just look at it in situ. The result of using high-gloss rich brown tiles in this walk-in shower is an elegant, slightly vintage feeling space that's bang on trend. Rich reds, plummy purples, and deep ochres would have a similar cocooning effect.
12. WARM UP A WHITE SCHEME WITH COPPER TONES
If you'd have asked us a few months back how we'd feel about covering an entire bathroom, sink and all, in white square tiles, we'd have shunned the thought. However, this retro space has proved us wrong and is making a serious case for taking tiles over every surface.
13. GET PLAYFUL WITH PINKS
'Pink bathrooms complement skin tones really beautifully and work well with natural, restful drab tones like beige and brown. Light pinks look amazing when paired with white tiles, brown hand wash bottles, and Carrera marble.' explains Aaron Markwell of COAT Paints.
14. GO ALL OVER WITH A DEEP NAVY BLUE
Navy blue and gold are a combination made in bathroom color heaven. Contemporary yet classic, it's a scheme that works with so many styles and all sizes of space. We think these darker shades work best if you really commit to it, don't just paint one wall or tile a backsplash, go all over every surface with the same moody hue. Then bring in those gold accents in the form of hardware and fixtures to give the space a lift.
15. KEEP IT SIMPLE WITH AN ALL WHITE COLOR SCHEME
Ah, clean, simple, sleek, and classic, for all the times we have said be experimental with color in a bathroom, really you just can't go wrong with an all-white scheme. And this bathroom is a lesson in decorating with neutrals. The space feels more like a living room than a bathroom, and that's what makes the lack of color still feel so inviting – the softness, the texture, the lack of anything that feels too bathroomlike. There's not even a tile in sight.
16. ALLUDE TO MORE SPACE WITH PAINTED PANELLING
If you want to dabble on the dark side but not sure if it will overwhelm your bathroom, be inspired by this small bathroom color idea. Keep it light and neutral in the upper section of the space and go for a deeper shade in the lower half of the room. This is a look that really lends itself to paneling, as you already have that clear division, but you could also fake the look using paint.