While white sanitary-ware is still the norm, installed pretty much nationwide when we rejected the infamous avocado, chocolate and baby pink bathroom suites of the ‘70s, we are slowly becoming more adventurous again with our bathrooms, adding the colour back in. If your plain, white bathroom is only brightened by a lone yellow rubber duck, try some of these design ideas on how to add colour to a bathroom. They will help you to either make a real statement or subtly bring your bathroom back to life.

For the brave

Coloured sanitaryware is back. Fact. But before you run a mile, thinking I’m going to propose a beige basin shaped like an oyster shell, don’t worry, you can have any colour you like. A cursory look on Instagram, Pinterest, or probably the next boutique hotel you visit, will confirm that companies are producing everything from baths to basin plugs in every colour imaginable.

To make a real statement, a bold colour on a freestanding bath and basin, contrasting with lighter walls, can look amazing. To future proof your colour decision, go for a primed heritage cast iron bath. These can be retro-fitted with your choice of brassware and updated with a repaint any time you like, either to keep up with interior design trends or next time you want to try something different.

If you don’t want a huge pink bath taking centre stage and prefer your colour elsewhere, consider a metallic look. A copper bath for example will reflect its surroundings to stunning effect. Similarly, going with a concrete vibe, with striking neon coloured brassware standing out, is an equally daring but impressive move.

For the not so brave

If a colourful toilet is too big a leap for you or you don’t want to replace your white bath, an accent wall, either painted or, even better, wallpapered, can change the entire feel of the room without it being overwhelming. Keep in mind other existing finishes when choosing a wallpaper, coordinating its base colour or pattern with something that you intend to keep, such as the tiling.

Also, don’t forget the practicalities of the bathroom – no wallpaper inside your walk-in shower! A plain, white bathroom can be totally transformed by some feature wallpaper.

If wallpaper isn’t to your liking, patterned feature tiles on the wall or the floor can easily become a striking focal point in an otherwise neutral bathroom. Coordinated accessories too can become your injection of colour. In fact, if you’re struggling to decide on which one, experimenting with new towels and some carefully placed, subtly matching accessories is an inexpensive way to confirm the route you want to go down.

LED lighting too can have an impressive effect, particularly if there are architectural features you can highlight.

For those who can’t choose a colour…

Black and white bathrooms have always been striking, and now, given the colour options in manufacturing, we are able to take this to a new level. Black draws the eye and can make the fixtures on white sanitary-ware a real statement. Matt black taps or a shower head, with cosmetic products in black bottles for example, will be a clever, minimalist reversal of the norm. Metro tiles are perfect here and a relatively affordable way to give your current tiling a makeover.

Gold or polished brass is a good option to black if you don’t like the monochrome idea. Twinned with marble effect tiling, a regular white bathroom suite can be lifted to luxury status with an opulent mirror, perhaps, and some gold accessories.

Plenty to think about next time you’re in the bath staring at a blank canvas…

Get in touch to discuss your next bathroom project so we can see how we can work together to create a splash!