Deco styles for bathrooms

Wouldn’t you just love to create a beautiful bathroom retreat to go home to every evening? Since a bathroom is a very personal place, serious thought should go into creating a decor that reflects your needs as well as your tastes. Do you like a traditional or a rustic look? Perhaps you prefer something more upbeat and contemporary, or even an eclectic mix of styles? Whatever your inspiration, take the time to create a design that works for you. Here are some pointers to help you get started.

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Traditional bathroom
Contemporary bathroom
Rustic bathroom
Victorian bathroom
Southwestern bathroom
Eclectic bathroom
Transitional bathroom

Traditional bathroom

If you want a bathroom decor that’s easy to live with and won’t go out of style anytime soon, opt for the traditional look. Classic colours, lines and furniture styles will withstand the test of time and passing trends. In a traditional-style bathroom, texture and relief are an important part of the decor, achieved especially through the use of elegant wood mouldings and trim. Choose cabinets with moulded panel doors and corner arcs—pure classicism. Install baseboards and ceiling coves, and for an eye-catching effect, use gloss paint in a contrasting colour.

When choosing a new bath and toilet, look for durability rather than originality. An ordinary standard tub can look fabulous when fitted with classic-lined chrome faucets.
When it comes to wall colour, timeless traditional hues are best because they allow you to make changes without having to repaint. Neutrals such as brown, beige, cream and mushroom are excellent choices, but navy blue or pale shades of sky blue and sea green can be just as effective.

Since the traditional look is designed to last, you can splash out on classy accessories to personalize your bathroom. Antique-style brass towel bars and toilet paper holders are excellent choices, while porcelain or glass soap dishes and toothbrush holders look smart and elegant.

For ambient lighting, choose a quintessential frosted-glass ceiling light or track lighting with a pewter or antique-brass finish, which enables you to focus the light in any direction you desire. Matching wall sconces offer an additional source of softer light when needed.

Contemporary bathroom

A contemporary bathroom should look simple yet sophisticated. Since you might want to update this decor from time to time to keep up with trends, simplicity is key. Pale shades such as white, grey and cream make a striking backdrop when paired with darker, more intense hues like charcoal grey and espresso brown. Bold-coloured accessories can be added to provide bright splashes of colour throughout the room.

To achieve a sleek-looking, uncluttered space, try to optimize storage through an ultra-practical design based on simplicity and sobriety. To heighten the impression of a room that “breathes”, choose materials that will reflect or diffuse the light, such as glass, metal, pale wood or stone, glossy tiles or glass blocks. A large shower stall surrounded by glass panels, for instance, will make the room look bigger by letting the light through.
If you want to change your bathtub, consider installing a platform tub with simple, linear lines. The current trend is to place it in the middle of the room, decorating the area around this centrepiece. Contemporary washbasins such as vessel sinks offer a chic modern look. They are available in square or rounded models, not just in white ceramic but also in metal, as well as plain or coloured glass. The style of faucets you choose will also make a big difference to the finished look. There are an infinite number of models to choose from, each as elegant as the next. In a contemporary bathroom, however, sleek, no-fuss chrome or brushed nickel faucets are an ideal choice.

Rustic bathroom

Warm and welcoming, the rustic-style bathroom evokes the countryside and the rural homes of earlier generations. Exposed beams, beadboard panelling and aged surfaces that show the passage of time help create a homely atmosphere.

A clawfoot tub with original-style faucets takes pride of place in a decor such as this. An antique sideboard can be put to new use by converting it to a unique vanity unit, complete with sink and a pretty faucet, in chrome and porcelain, for example. But of course, you don’t have to use antique furniture; an ordinary wood cabinet with an oak stain and porcelain handles can look just as eye-catching.
Earthy tones, rich reds and many shades of pastel will work very well in this setting, especially when paired with fabrics in botanical prints. Lace curtains and natural fibres such as linen and cotton are natural partners to a rustic-style decor.

Finally, accessories with bygone charm are an important part of this decor. Display vintage oil lamps, vases, baskets, antique jars, pewter soap dishes, a bevelled mirror—any decorative object with old-world appeal.
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