Mad About … Dark Bathrooms

The black and white bathroom is a true classic. It works in both a contemporary and a traditional setting and always manages to look fresh and clean. In addition to this, you can dress it anyway you want with the addition of brightly coloured towels in yellow or orange. Keep it feminine with pops of pink or stick to the monochrome theme with shades of grey.

But have you thought about taking it all the way over to the dark side? Bathrooms are often small, many have no natural light. So instead of sticking to pale shades to try and make it look bigger, why not paint it black or charcoal and create a dramatic, yet cosy and super-stylish space?

Have a look at these and see what you think?

I just love the painted panelling in this bathroom. The white shelving and dramatic wrought iron chandelier with the subtle pops of red flowers and accessories stop the space from feeling cave-like.

The addition of a bright yellow chair  and a green floor stop this bathroom from feeling too dark.

It’s not easy to find a pink basin but Aston Matthews have orange, yellow and red in stock. Or you can hunt around ebay and similar sites.

Using mosaic tiles instead of black paint will also lighten the darkness in a subtle way as well as adding texture. I have painted my downstairs loo entirely in blackboard paint with a yellow rubber floor. It also has a glitter ball hanging from the ceiling. A pot of chalk on the side ensures interesting reading the morning after friends have been for supper.

This bathroom has kept to a very pure palette of black and white with a hint of wood to create a room that is both dramatic and classic.

This bathroom has kept plenty of white but with the strong black tiling below the dado rail and on the floor has still created a strong scheme.

By staining the floor in a dark colour that is not quite black, the owners of this bathroom have lightened the black while still sticking to the theme. I love the style of putting a bathroom in a room that doesn’t look like a bathroom, if you know what I mean. It somehow makes it seem even more luxurious.

And finally I had to include this one, it’s not really black but by the black window frames add a really modern feel to this room and who wouldn’t love a bath like this? You can get one from Drummonds by the way.