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An ordinary bathroom can be made memorable and luxurious with some exploratory whimsy, outside-the-box thinking, and the bravery to try something different.

In the immortal words of Francis Bacon — the father of modern scientific methodology: “Nothing is pleasant that is not spiced with variety.” So if you are in the midst of redecorating your bathroom, you may be interested in considering some convention-defying ways of rendering tiles to imbue the space with awe inspiring characteristics rather than hiding it from sight.

If you feel inclined to do more than create a utilitarian bathroom entirely in white, then this decorative guide is for you. In this guide, we take a closer look at a range of bathrooms made memorable with unique colours and luxurious with decorative features to draw attention.

Vein Reign

As with other parts of the home, the addition of marbled stone surfaces bestows bathrooms with irreproducible and overt symbols of opulence. While the simplistic colour palette of the pictured bathroom would have it categorised as monochromatic from afar, Alpex Design elevates the monotonous space to the height of luxury with near-seamless slabs of white Carrara marble and black Nero Marquina in close proximity for striking contrast. The standard white fixtures, and the accessories that have been selected to match, stand with deliberately reduced prominence when blending in with the wispy grey veins of the white marble in the background.

Duo Tone

One of the longest-surviving hallmarks of classical design is the ubiquitous chair rail, and while tradition implies that the chair rail should accompany seating furniture, the application of subtle delineation at the height of a standard chair rail creates a unique scene that would draw the attention of the artful eye. The horizontal dividing line separates the walls into upper and lower fields, with the upper field of the wall painted pink and the lower field rendered in black to accompany the white fixtures against the monochromatic floor.

Tip: Being a characteristic feature of traditional décor, the standard chair rail blends well with other hallmarks of classical style such as wainscoting to walls, gilded metals, and other intricate embellishments.

Pattern Play

Just as with a blank white canvas, any neutral-coloured space will eventually serve as the backdrop for intriguing motifs and visually striking elements presented in the scene. As in the pictured bathroom decorated by GI Design, a jigsaw puzzle motif stands out by relying on the off-white tiles and pale wood flooring that constitute the background. Despite being composed from interconnected pieces that range in colour from a matching shade of white through to dark grey, the curved lines and various greys immediately draw the eye to the far wall of the bathroom.

Hue Renew

While most bathrooms may feature an all-white décor for space-expanding effects and effortless maintenance, few bathrooms are as memorable as those rendered in unconventional tones. A bold accent in a neutral-coloured space can have striking and memorable effects, as demonstrated in the pictured bathroom designed by Boundary Space, where grey and white marble enclose fixtures and accents soaked in an avocado’s shade of green. In combination with the faint grey veins of the white marble and the gilded metallic elements, the unique shade of green renders the space mature and regal.

Tip: Adhering to the guideline we sometimes refer to as the “rule of threes” ensures that colours normally considered to be disparate and contrasting will be held in an even balance.

Good Divide

In a space as compact as the typical bathroom, physical demarcation can be served by a limited set of fixtures entailing customised metal frames and glass panes, or simply with a contrasting choice of tiles to preserve a sense of volume. Rather than opting for an intrusive glass curtain wall around the shower area, Q1 Interior Concept incorporates a darker variety of stone tiles for high-contrast delineation against the pale walls and floors of the pictured bathroom. The result is a bathroom that is kept physically spacious, with only a slight reduction in perceived space evoked by the dark accent.