8 Ways to Add Color and Interest to an All White Bathroom

If you think there are a lot of all white kitchens out there, believe me, there are even more all-white bathrooms.

And there are plenty of all-beige bathrooms too!

I found with many of my clients, they want to stay neutral with tile and counters for sure. Since the bulk of a bathroom is flooring, counters, and tiled showers, it doesn’t leave much to play with to create some interest.

Well, I have some solutions for you today, to help you with those bathrooms that don’t have much color and style with their hard finishes.

1. Paint Cabinetry or Walls

2. Add Wallpaper

3. Use Interesting Mirrors

4. Use Contrasting Metal Finish

5. Intall Unique Lighting

6. Add Furnishings - rugs, stools, art, etc.

7. Use Window Treatment

8. Add Plants!

Here’s how to layer in the interest without bringing in the contractors and the demo! See examples of all these in the bathrooms featured below.

Neutral White/Gray Bathrooms Get Colorful Cabinets, Mirrors

This upstairs bathroom received a gray tile floor, white tile at the tub area, a white countertop and a light gray wall color during construction.

So how did we make this interesting? Painting the cabinet added some punch and the striped mirror brought that color up to the wall too with a little pattern and contrast.

This special mirror adds some detail in a more typical upstairs bath. Colorful base cabinets are a fun look too. Designer: Carla Aston, Photo: Colleen Scott

This primary bath, below, was white marble clad but the blue cabinets added some contrast and related it to the primary bedroom too.

Base cabinet painted a bold blue adds color to relate to the primary bedroom. carlaaston.com

Blue cabinetry just sings in this white marble bathroom. carlaaston.com

White Bathroom to get furnishings, wallpaper, contrasting metal finish

I worked on this lovely high end bathroom last year and the homeowner wanted the white marble everywhere. There is white marble on the floor, counters and walls and where there isn’t white marble there are white cabinets.

It is lovely, but she wanted to know how to add color to this space.

White marble bathroom | Designer: Carla Aston

I’m so glad we did brass for the plumbing fixtures and cabinet pulls, as it adds some color and warmth. Going with a cool toned finish would have felt cold.

And no one wants to feel cold in a bathroom!

So, there is a big wide shower with a tub in it, all white marble and then there is this vanity on the opposite side of the room.

In Progress: White bathroom seated vanity area

This pic above was during construction, so no hardware is installed here in this pic.

This wasn’t quite built according to the original design and I really wanted a round globe fixture here, but the owner prefered a more open light fixture, so this is how we ended up.

This is about the only wall space in this whole bathroom that is painted sheetrock. While it was supposed to be paneled behind the mirror, with plain sheetrock it really needs something and looks unfinished.

Wallpaper in the niche at the vanity, a new vanity stool, a rug and garden stool in the shower, will help add some contrast and bring in some color. That shower is big enough for a pretty fern or plant of some kind too.

Neutral White/gray Bathrooms get colorful Window Treatments

Even if you don’t need a window treatment, if you have textured, obscure glass on your window, some kind of window dressing can add interest and help a bathroom feel more finished.

A patterend shade makes a for a finished look in this bathroom with mostly gray and white finishes. Designer: Carla Aston, Photo: Colleen Scott

This window valance in a colorful fabric brightens up a bathroom with a frosted glass window. Designer: Carla Aston, Photo: Tori Aston

Neutral Beige Bathroom Gets New Furnishings, Mirrors, Lighting

Here’s a neutral beige bathroom that the homeowner had recently remodeled. It was all a little too plain though and needed some furnishings to add warmth and complete the room.

It was a large space and looked rather empty. They also wanted new mirrors and lighting to update the space.

BEFORE - All beige bathroom needing some color and interest

BEFORE - A new tub and tile was nice but last layers were needed here.

Adding the rug, chair, table and new lighting and mirrors gave this bathroom a nice update and warmed up the space.

AFTER - Furnishings make this large primary bath warmer and more inviting. carlaaston.com

The large art, rug and furnishings fill this big bathroom and layer in warmth. carlaaston.com

Beige Bathroom with Unique Wall Sconces and Mirror

Without the miror and sconces this bathroom would be a tone on tone beige look. The antique pewter faucet and cabinet hardware are a more unique touch.

A powder bath with a a custom mirror and detailed sconces adds much to this space. carlaaston.com

Fresh Wall Paint Adds Elegance to These Bathrooms

This taupe wall color was so bland in this primary bath. We replaced the ugly tub situation but we needed color.

This blue-green wall paint color makes for a nice contrast to the beige travertine tile. carlaaston.com

The dark paint color on the walls in this powder room adds drama. carlaaston.com

Nothing adds style like wallpaper

Absolutely nothing brings more style to a bathroom than wallpaper. Check out this plain powder room that came to life once a bold, patterned wallpaper was installed.

BEFORE - Powder room to get wallpaper for some bold pattern. carlaaston.com

AFTER - My client told me this was her favorite thing we did in her remodel. carlaaston.com

Grasscloth adds some colorful texture in this powder room. Neutral paint just wasn’t doing much for it. carlaaston.com

The watercolor look wallpaper, coppery mirror and gilded sconces add so much to this powder bath. Designer: Carla Aston

My Own Bathroom Gets Some Plants!

I cannot tell you how much Youtube I’ve watched over the last 3 months as I’ve been recuperating from my knee replacement. I’ve really enjoyed all the gardening and house plant videos and I’m becoming such a plant person now!

I even bought a grow light for my shelf with plants in the breakfast room. :-)

One plant I always have is a few orchids, usually left over from photo shoots that stop blooming. ;-/

Typically, they die a slow death, but I recently put them all in my bathroom at my tub window, transplanting some and feeding them when I water. I used to have some in here years ago, but haven’t in a long time for some reason. They do love the humidity in a bathroom and I get nice light in there at the tub.

No blooms yet, but they seem happy for now!

Add plants to a bathroom to bring some color and life to the space, if you have a bright window.

I can’t wait till these are all thriving and blooming, maybe next spring?

If you liked this post, you might like this one about white kitchens.

This blogpost was thoughtfully written by me, Carla Aston, and not by AI, ghostwriters, or guest posters.