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Wash Up: Top 5 Interior Design Ideas for Your Bathroom

We spend a lot of time figuring out the right look and feel for our bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens, but bathrooms are usually an afterthought. Wash Up: Top 5 Interior Design Ideas for Your Bathroom

By Top5 Staff ∙ 2 years ago

Wash Up: Top 5 Interior Design Ideas for Your Bathroom

We spend a lot of time figuring out the right look and feel for our bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens, but bathrooms are usually an afterthought. You don’t usually hear friends getting excited and pumped up about how they’re going to decorate the bathroom, unless they’re an interior designer or an architect (or just really adore bathrooms). There is no reason we should leave the loo alone. No room in your house or apartment should look lame or hideous, right? Have some pride!

Fixing up and decorating your bathroom can be fun, and it could add a little extra style to your place no matter what the size. Granted, if your bathroom is the size of a thimble it might be hard to get in there and really make a statement—but it is not impossible. Architectural Digest and design blogs all over the Internet give bathrooms as much attention as Master suites. Take a look at these five design ideas for your washroom—make it a side project, or dive right in and redo the whole thing. Either way, it’ll be fun.

5. Beach Theme

You don’t have to live by the ocean to pull this one off, though it certainly doesn’t hurt. The color scheme can be white accented with light blues, greens and yellows. You can add blue towels, artwork that has that beach feel (pictures of the sea, starfish—you name it). Decorating with things like shells is fun, too—you could use a conch shell to hold some soaps that are in the shape of starfish. This one is a little more breezy and laid back, but has a lot of potential as far as design choices and style.

4. Traditional

Don’t confuse “traditional” with “boring.” Traditional does not mean there is no design at all. Traditional can mean elegant, and it can mean the standard bath, shower and sink(s) along with added flourishes like a tasteful chandelier or a claw foot tub. You can also add a few nice paintings to the wall for some extra class. Think regal but subtle. Small lamps and glass holders for things like cotton balls or Kleenex also work. Imagine a fancy Park Avenue penthouse bathroom (without going over the top).

3. Warm and Cozy

At the other end of the spectrum is the cozy look. This works well in spaces that might not get a lot of natural light and in smaller guest bathrooms. You can even go for a red-toned, patterned wallpaper, darker bath mats and warm hued towels. Lit candles look great in this kind of environment and you could even add a small lamp on the counter or next to the sink to give it even more of a warm glow. The effect is almost like that of a traditional study—it’s a little more masculine, though warm and very cozy.

2. Light Colors

Unless you are really partial to shades like gray or dark blue, as above, lighter colors do tend to brighten up a bathroom. This is the space you’ll be getting ready in most likely: doing your makeup, your hair or shaving. Light, bright surroundings are more flattering and natural light will give you a better environment to get ready for work or for that big date. Whites, light yellows, lavender and sea greens are all very nice for a bathroom, especially one that gets a lot of natural light. Remember this does not mean that the entire room needs to be stark white—think airy, light and sunny.

1. Monochromatic

This is a great way to make a bathroom appear larger than is it. Picking a monochromatic color scheme can also add a little bit of elegance to the space; it is harmonious and does not assault your senses with a mishmash of colors and fabrics. You could go with neutrals everywhere to keep it light and airy. White is always great for a bathroom, and you can add some personality by putting out colored soaps, flowers or other little accents to give the room a bit of color without disrupting the flow of the color scheme. You could always go darker too, and go with all gray tones or even dark blues. It can give your bathroom the feel of a day spa—and who wouldn’t want that?