White bathrooms never go out of style, but it takes a delicate touch to pull off this classic look just right. Too much white can wind up looking stark and sterile, and sticking with the traditional porcelain-on-porcelain can easily result in a bathroom that’s boring and bland. Of course, adding too much color defeats the purpose of having a bright, clean, white space. The trick is to use just enough color, texture, and contrast to catch the eye, but not so much that it darkens the space. This white bathroom by MuseInteriors does so beautifully, and we’ve put together a breakdown of how to get the look.
Texture and contrast can keep a white bathroom from feeling stark and sterile (by MuseInteriors, photo by John Bessler)Get The Look: Pair a gorgeous pedestal tub with a trim transitional linen tower, a simple glass pendant light, and a simple two-toned area rug. For an extra classic look, decorate with an old fashioned porcelain pitcher.
Why It Works
White porcelain fixtures are a staple of bathrooms of every style – tubs, toilets, and sinks more or less come standard in the same glossy white. But very traditional cottage style bathrooms can sometimes go overboard with the material – pairing pedestal sinks and clawfoot tubs with floor to ceiling subway tile and matching hex tile on the floor. The bathroom above scales back on all the glossy white, making it an accent rather than the base color. The tub is porcelain, of course, and the material is echoed in the accessories – namely the garden stool and pitchers – but it’s set off by the gray-blue veining of the marble flooring, and the matte white finish on the storage cabinet, beadboard wainscoting, and window trim. The white-and-gray area rug offers yet another texture, softening the polished shine of the floor and making the bathroom feel homey rather than dazzling.
But it’s really the wallpaper that ties this bathroom together. The dominant beige tone lends a lot of warmth to this bathroom, giving the pure white fixtures a soft, creamy off white cast that makes the the space feel sunny and warm. It’s not dark enough to make the bathroom feel oppressive or dingy, and it’s well balanced by the consistently-white color scheme throughout the rest of the bathroom. Now, wallpaper might not seem like the best choice for a bathroom, and it’s true that you’ll need to take care not to let the room get too steamy or run the risk of the paper pulling away from the wall. But wallpaper has become incredibly trendy in the last year or so, and it’s a great way to add more color, pattern, and texture to your bathroom than you could accomplish with paint or tile alone.
What do you think of this warmed-up transitional take on a white bathroom? Let me know in the comments below!
