The Allure of Monochrome Bathrooms
Whether it's modern sophistication you're after or Zen-like serenity, a one-colour-all-over bathroom could be the answer
Your idea of fearless decorating might be a splash of bright colour here and there, but keeping to one colour, 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 colour on the floor, another on the wall, white fixtures, perhaps an injection of colour on the splashback, and white as usual on the ceiling. But what about throwing all that out the window and featuring only one colour 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 colour – 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 colour – 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 timber adds a natural element that ties in with the lush garden outside. Dimmable lighting in a black bathroom delivers instant ambience.
Metallic tapware 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.
Bathroom tapware you may not have considered
Bathroom tapware you may not have considered
The bold and the beautiful
Bright colours aren’t for everyone, but if you have a favourite, what are you afraid of? Attention-getting tangerine orange in a powder room is sure to be a talking point, and will cheer up anyone who enters.
Bright colours aren’t for everyone, but if you have a favourite, what are you afraid of? Attention-getting tangerine orange in a powder room is sure to be a talking point, and 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 timber to prevent all that green from going into overload.
Architect Scott Weston isn’t shy when it comes to colour. In fact, Weston sees colour 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 basin allows the tiles to be the main event without competition.
In the same project – an addition to an 1880s Victorian terrace in Sydney’s Redfern – this bathroom delivers the same quirky twist through the use of another unexpected colour.
See more of this renovated home
See more of this renovated home
When white feels right
For many people, white is the only colour 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 tapware are points of difference.
For many people, white is the only colour 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 tapware 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 timber stool, in this case. Textured tiles also bring depth to an all-white palette.
Glamorous grey
Grey continues to be a top colour of choice for new and renovated homes, and opting for this colour in a bathroom gives it a contemporary edge. In this updated period home, a neutral palette modernises while still staying true to its classic roots.
There’s something refreshingly clean about grey for a bathroom, and while both black and white on floors and walls can show dirt, a grey bathroom is easy to keep clean.
Grey continues to be a top colour of choice for new and renovated homes, and opting for this colour in a bathroom gives it a contemporary edge. In this updated period home, a neutral palette modernises while still staying true to its classic roots.
There’s something refreshingly clean about grey for a bathroom, and while both black and white on floors and walls can show dirt, a grey bathroom is easy to keep clean.
Concrete (and concrete-look tiles) is the material of choice in ultra-modern homes and extensions, and bathrooms are the latest areas of the house to get the concrete treatment. The timber, concrete and black palette of this bathroom continues throughout this Adelaide home.
If mid-grey 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 timber bench top add welcome warmth and moodiness to this space.
Browse more grey bathrooms
Browse more grey bathrooms
You can never have too much marble in a bathroom, especially when the expanse of grey is offset by metallic tapware 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.
Read more:
6 Ways to Play With Ebony and Ivory
10 Droolworthy Bathrooms on Houzz
Tell us:
What do you think about one-tone bathrooms? Would you consider using only one colour in yours? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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.
Read more:
6 Ways to Play With Ebony and Ivory
10 Droolworthy Bathrooms on Houzz
Tell us:
What do you think about one-tone bathrooms? Would you consider using only one colour in yours? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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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.