Bathroom Colour Concepts

Posted: 02 May 2011 by Metricon Homes

Tags: colours, trends

We can all agonise for hours over the colour scheme in a living room, but sometimes we settle for “whatever’s there” in the bathroom. Bad idea. The bathroom is one of the key places we go to relax...so it follows that we should spend as much time thinking about the emotional impact of design and colours in this room as anywhere else in the home.

Classic white - which used to be an “in your face” rather antiseptic colour - is nowadays replaced with soft and muted off-whites, gentle creams, and subtle earth shades. Indeed, there are almost as many variations of white as colours that you can use, and it gives the bathroom a nice effect and balance when you alternate between them, especially if your trim colours (like blinds) strongly contrast. Traditional curtains - rather than the ubiquitous blinds – offer a touch of unexpected opulence, especially if they are thick and strongly patterned.

A little bit of psychology goes a long way. Muted greens and blues are restful colours, so it makes sense to use them as accents in a bathroom, or even as the main, dominant colour. Just be aware that the wrong shade can appear “cold”, too. Sudden, surprising splashes of colour can do a job for you: consider making the inside of cabinetry, for example, a contrast to dominant white used elsewhere in the room, offering a vibrant, joyous blast whenever they are opened.

Many people still prefer the neutral colors for a bathroom, and that’s ok as neutral is always in fashion, and it certainly is currently. All you need to do to make the space really “work” is add a couple of highlighting accents, or even different shades of the very same color. If you have a lot of steel and glass around - large format shower heads, for example, encased in frameless shower screens – then you might want to soften the “industrial” leanings with your soft furnishings. Go for a French blind in a raw-style linen on your window.

A strong wood or ceramic feature will always counteract any fear of blandness, and don’t forget to dress up surfaces objects of interest - just make sure they’re naturally waterproof! So-called “organic” decoration is still very much in vogue...shells, coastal vegetation like rushes, and polished or raw driftwood. Dramatic pieces of bamboo or other sculptural branches in tall “spaghetti jar” vases are still popular choices as well. But to truly stand out, consider mixing apparently contradictory items, like Classic French antiques, African artefacts and even raw, rusted metal artworks.

Little things can make a huge difference to your life. Double vanities, for example, are a blessing in the modern bathroom, especially if you and your partner are rushing to get ready for a big night out, or just to get off to work, and you now have the choice of above, below or embedded vanities, according to your personal taste.

Dramatic, extra-deep free-standing baths are becoming more common, too, and seem to say “come in, soak away your troubles” as you enter the space. So light a few candles, crack open the champagne, and come on in.

To see some of the latest trends in bathroom design, check out Metricon’s new Monarch in leafy Balwyn, or the all-new Addison in Point Cook.