Island blog
From the latest bathroom trends, to expert advice & tips on how to look after your bathroom
How to: Add a Splash of Colour to Your Bathroom
Bathrooms may commonly be filled with lots of white sanitary ware, but the overall feel of your bathroom shouldn’t have to feel sanitised and cold. Bathroom brands and designers are including more and more colour in their designs with colourful vanity units, bold brassware and bright baths to bring a unique and fresh feel to that cold white bathroom scheme. Adding colour to your bathroom may seem scary and you’re probably unsure to add it because the colour might go off trend (just like the avocado bathroom suite craze), but adding colour to your bathroom doesn’t mean going overboard. Don’t think about bright and garish reds, neon greens and vibrant oranges, or complicated and overwhelming colour schemes. Think less is more and don't focus on trends, or colours of the year, unless you love them.Most of the time just a splash of colour combined with a few neutral colours will do the trick. Colour works wonders to bring your bathroom away from the cold feeling that sanitaryware gives and into that long awaited feeling of rejuvenation and warmth. Colour can be added to your bathroom in a variety of ways and it’s also the perfect way to stamp your bathroom with your own personal style.
COLOUR THEORY
Colour is a key element in interior design. It offers spatial perception and can balance different elements of any room. If you want to make sure that you’re picking the right colours for your home, to enjoy for years to come, then take some time to collect and play with colour samples, or simply create a mood board on Pinterest for an easy way to gather colours options and interior design inspiration. Also, take a look at seasonal colour palettes and see which direction you want to go in setting a mood for your room. For example, does your bathroom often feel cold and uninviting because it’s so large? Or, does it feel dark and gloomy because there’s a lack of natural sunlight?Some colour palettes will always remain classical, and some will always be associated to certain symbols or feelings. Colour symbolism in art refers to the use of colour as a symbol in various cultures. For example, red is used to communicate danger on sign posts, but it’s used to communicate the language of love. Often the best colour palettes use timeless colours and normally involve one main colour and then a mixture, shades and tones.
COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY
Colour is often used to create feelings of coziness or spaciousness within interior design, but it can also be used to influence our mood and even our hunger levels. Similar to how different rooms in the home can influence our moods, which will ultimately change our state-of-mind, colours and rooms are often paired together to enhance certain feelings or perceptions. An extreme example of how rooms and colours, when paired together, can influence behaviour is how the colour pink (specifically Baker-Miller pink) is used in prisons to calm down aggressive inmates. Project ‘Cool Down Pink’, implemented in Swedish prisons, uses the same design implementation in an attempt to calm down their inmates.A fun example of how colour positively affects our mood is how the colour red can cause hunger levels to rise. It’s often used in restaurants to stir customer apetities. Orange can also activate hunger sensations, as well as yellow, which activates our happy endorphins such as dopamine; high levels of dopamine = an increase to eat more. So which colours work best in a bathroom? Forget the prison Baker-Miller pink for now, unless you really like it...
- Lilac is soothing and can create a stress-free sanctuary, which is perfect if you enjoy winding down in a bubble bath.
- Blue is calming and soothing, it can open the mind to promote intellectual thought and can also make you feel protected. It’s great if you want ideas to flow when you’re taking a shower, or if you want to feel calm after a long and stressful day.
- Pink, though often avoided because it’s too ‘girlie’, is also a good choice because it can be used to promote feelings of peace, leaving you feeling rested and rejuvenated. It doesn’t need to be a hot pink or baby pink. Think muted pastel pink tiles, even the slightest hint of pink will do the trick.
- Yellow orange!, as mentioned above, activate our happy endorphins. Not the biggest morning person? Then yellow and orange could be the colours for you. They also look great in modern bathroom designs.
COLOUR IN THE BATHROOM
On Trend: Black Bathroom Ideas
Incorporating black in your bathroom is a great way to give your bathroom an infusion of style, especially if you have a flat white scheme or a colour palette which needs a pick me up. It’s always hard to pull-off an all black colour scheme because black will often make a room seem claustrophobic and gloomy, but when black is used sparingly it works wonders to highlight certain aspects of any room, regardless of the rooms style. Black is as versatile as white and will act as a balancing colour to unite any chosen colour scheme. It’s a great colour choice if you’re looking to rejuvenate an existing colour scheme or if you’re trying to unite a palette of colours.You may see a lot of modern black products on the market but this latest trend isn’t only focused on modern design, traditional properties will also benefit from an infusion of black too. From black trellis shower frames to elegant black handle bath mixers, there’s plenty of classical products which will add a touch of elegant sophistication to your bathroom. There are a number of ways to add this versatile colour into your existing bathroom design or remodel, but the trick is to choose where you’d like to feature this colour, so it doesn’t overwhelm your space. To help get you started we've added a few ideas below on how you can incorporate black in your bathroom. We've also included a handful of black bathroom products which are available in-store, so if you see anything you like just give us a call!
BLACK FEATURES TO FOCUS ON
Black bathroom accessories: If you’re not planning on remodeling your bathroom then why not buy a new set of black bathroom accessories? Adding black bathroom accessories and decorative touches is an easy way to highlight certain aspects of your room, plus they'll also add depth to your existing colour scheme.Black and white tile combos: black and white hexagon floor tiles are available in modern or classical designs, or you can keep it simple with white rectangular subway tiles and black grout which look smart in any home, no matter what style. Black brassware: Whether you have a traditional or modern home there’s beautiful black brassware to match either style. Try combing a black basin tap with a black shower head or bath tap.Black shower frames: Black shower frames are a great way to make a contemporary or classical statement. Plus there are a number of options to choose from, from traditional trellis frames to contemporary black tinted shower panels and doors.Black statement pieces: From shower trays, baths and vanity units, adding a black statement piece will give your room a wow factor focal point. You can then go on to add accessories and decorative touches to match.
PROS & CONS OF BLACK BATHROOMS
Pros:
- Black detail will instantly standout in any room
- Fingerprints won’t show up so easily on matt black fittings
- Watermarks don’t show as much on black tiles or shower panels
- Depending on the type of black finish or material, a good quality black tap will have a durable finish that’s resistant to scrapes and scratches
Cons:
- Dust, Soap scum, toothpaste and limescale can become more visible
- Depending on the type of black finish or material, cheap black taps with cheap black coatings can be more susceptible to scraps and scratches
COLOUR SCHEMES (TO THINK ABOUT)
Black & white: colour schemes are iconic, they offer timeless appeal to both contemporary and classical homes. It’s a very easy and versatile colour scheme to work because it contains just 2 colours; so you can choose to be very creative or you can just keep it simple! Black and white tile combinations are a great way to set a monochrome mood in your bathroom, plus there are a variety of black and white tile options to choose from.Black with wood: combos offer a down to earth and cosy feeling, especially if you add some greenery into the mix. Any wooden finish will match with black so it’s really easy to combine any style of wooden vanity unit.Black & grey: work best together when one is used to highlight, while the other is used as the main feature. This combo looks fantastic in modern homes offering a cool, calm, and collected feel.Black with colours: because black is neutral it matches with most colour schemes and styles. It looks particularly good with pastel pinks and muted blues, but if you’re looking for something more dramatic, it really makes deep greens, indigo blues, vibrant purples, and mustard yellows pop!