10 bold bathrooms that encourage you to shower yourself in colour

Newsflash: your all-white bathroom is boring. With streamlined minimalist design front of mind for many Australians, modern bathrooms have seen a tendency towards an absence of vibrant hues and intricate details in favour of clean lines and greyscale colour palettes.

Now while these are perfectly fine, why settle for fine when you can have fun? One might argue that bathrooms are an inherently functional space; this makes them all the better suited to a healthy injection of fabulousness. Plus, bathrooms represent far more than a utilitarian location to perform your ablutions. For some, the bathroom is the only place in the house where solitude is guaranteed, while for others the shower serves double duty as both a provider of cleanliness and a place to contemplate.

On the flip side, in some cultures, the ritual of bathing takes on a social tone. Throughout the Middle East and North Africa, the ritual of the hammam (a Turkish bathhouse) is a location for communal gathering, with men and women – separately – using the time spent bathing as a means to catch up and gossip. Best of all? These centuries-old buildings are architectural marvels; akin to palaces or temples, they feature stunning architecture, ornate tiles, and bold colours which help turn a quotidian act into a beautiful ritual.

While you mightn’t be able to erect a palatial bathroom in your home, a little colour can go a long way.

Softly does it in this Sydney bathroom. What initially appears as a classic neutral-toned bathroom is, upon second glance, a visual feast. Textures and materials are layered to great effect, with large-format travertine tiling on the walls complemented by an opulent pink veined marble vanity. Aged patinated brass tapware and chic blush pendant lighting add yet another layer of depth, while a circular mirror reflects the striking archway entry, linking the space together.

A little futuristic and a little postmodern, this bathroom takes on a fever dream-like quality; everything is the same, but different. Light seafoam green is an atypical colour choice, but the feature wall works well with the grey concrete as well as the ocean in the distance. The floating sink and lavatory contribute to the futuristic effect, while the striped towels and knitted pouf add a fun postmodern vibe.

It’s all about the drama in this Hollywood Regency bathroom. A geometric deep green tiled feature wall coupled with a statement gold wall light that matches the gold hardware creates a bathroom that’s opulent without being over-the-top.

After white, blue is often the go-to colour for bathrooms. However, this compact bathroom is far from pedestrian, with the sky blue hue combined with stone walls instead of tiles creating the illusion of more space. Furnishings are kept deliberately sparse, with a simple floating shelving unit providing storage without cluttering the space.

Soft and delicate, this bathroom is suffused with the faintest shade of blush pink. Almost a neutral hue in itself, the blush shade perfectly complements the terrazzo tiling and marble-and-timber vanity. Dual sinks (the secret to a happy relationship) frame a sculptural petal light that ties the space together.

Soothing and serene, this mid-century modern bathroom utilises colour in a pared-back fashion. In the shower, a wall of green vertical subway tiles is anchored by speckled grey tiles. Clean, rectilinear lines demarcate the space, making for a sensible and sophisticated space.

Brown is a somewhat unexpected colour for a bathroom, however, a feature wall of mosaic tiles that almost resembles a chocolate bar lends this space a unique touch.

A fun surprise awaits visitors to the bathroom of this predominantly neutral home. Entirely clad in millennial pink wall panels, this power room makes the small space feel like stepping into a new world.

Tapping into the dopamine dressing trend, it’s good vibes only in this sunny yellow bathroom. The yellow sink makes for a definitive talking point (and a fun place to swish and spit), with colour-matched tiles on the upper half of the wall creating cohesion. Grey tiling on the bottom half breaks up the colour and prevents it from being ‘too much’.

Acting as a love letter to the Australian landscape, vivid earthy tones make this bathroom a space to remember. Simultaneously simple and bold, teal and clay red bring life to the black marble and timber, with each material layered to create a richly textured effect.

Still more into neutrals? Check out these elegant bathrooms in neutral hues.

Words by Tanisha Angel