Bright, white and light at Bespoke

Let me set the scene: you’re getting ready to design your new bathroom. You have a relatively small family bathroom: bath with a shower over, toilet, basin- and you’ve put in what feels like hundreds of hours on Pinterest. You step into the showroom, and we ask you what you want, and your mind draws a blank- and so you say, “Bright, white, and light!”

It’s an easy trap to fall into when designing your new bathroom; it makes sense that you want a space to feel light and airy, and years of house makeover shows have taught you that white = big, but then the end of the project rolls around and you’re looking at a bathroom that reminds you more of a hospital than a spa… Which was not what you were going for!

There’s nothing wrong with wanting bright, white and light- but here’s how to avoid that sterile, cold vibe.

It’s all about the texture.

Even if you are set on a white ceiling, four white walls, white floor, white fixtures and fittings and a nice white door, there are nifty tricks to keep your space feeling warm and inviting whilst retaining the bright clean glow of a shiny white bathroom. Mixing textures is a perfect place to start- try a white washed wood or Carrara marble effect tile for your floor in a matt or satin finish; with a textured gloss medium format tile on your walls or a Zellige effect small format; and a satin matt white vanity unit.

Marvellous metals

No matter how neutral the rest of your room, going bold with the metal fixtures can really add some character to the space. Try a traditional radiator from Paladin, paired with matching handles, taps and shower. Chrome is still the most popular choice for this, with matt black catching it up- but it’s always worth considering brass, gold, and copper for a warmer look, as well as industrial styled options like brushed nickel and pewter! Some of our suppliers are even making bright coloured brassware- we could find you a signature basin tap in a mustard yellow or a sage green, if you really felt like choosing a showstopper.

Sneaky Ceilings

Making a feature of your fifth wall (the ceiling!) is such an easy way to bring life into your otherwise neutral space. You could go bold with a bright paint, or a patterned wallpaper, or stick with the neutral white and opt for other details with decorative elements like ceiling roses and other plaster work; or try playing with your lighting so that light and shade are part of your design! Bonus tip: try bringing your ceiling down the wall by stopping your tiling or wall treatment 15cm-30cm down from the ceiling and continuing your ceiling treatment onto the wall. This is especially good in rooms with very very high ceilings that might feel cavernous otherwise!

A pop of colour

Of course, you could step away from white! Bringing in other tones and hues doesn’t mean your bathroom is going to suddenly be dull and drab and dark if it wasn’t already! Try a coloured vanity unit or a bright tile in one area of the room- keeping things fairly plain texturally here will help avoid overwhelming the space, and gloss is your best friend to bounce the light around and keep the room feeling large. If you’re worried, sticking to pastel tones will keep things bright, but avoid things which might pull very grey as that shadowy look is going to make the space feel darker and smaller!

Scale

Picking the right format of wall and floor covering for your space and choosing the right lay out is so important for how big or small you perceive that space to be and can really change whether a room feels like a cold empty cavern or a bijoux little box.

Don’t think you’re doing yourself any favours by choosing an XL 90x90 tile in your 3m2 bathroom- your brain will be able to tell that every single individual tile has been cut to fit, and it’ll make the room feel smaller as a result. Similarly, don’t put tiny 10x10 square tiles on every surface of your 20m2 bathroom- it’s going to be busy and mind boggling and will make your nice big room feel like a Victorian prison cell!

The average bathroom can take a medium format tile to both wall and floor without any problems, either stacked in a straight lay or offset in a 3/4 brick bond. If you love the look of smaller tiles, no matter the size of your room, try keeping these to a feature around your sink or shower area.

Light

Playing with light can transform your space. The reality is that no amount of white and gloss is going to make a room feel bright if there’s no windows and you have a single struggling bulb in the ceiling. Wherever you can, consider installing new windows or skylights, keep window frosting to a minimum and consider avoiding blinds entirely if your window is already frosted enough to keep things private. Do your best to maximise light by adding additional lighting options wherever possible- consider LED strips, a light up mirror, wall lights, and your main ceiling lights. If you can, bob as many as you can on dimmer switches or think about investing in SMART solutions so that you can adjust all your options- keep things dimmer and cozier for a night time bath and turn the brightness and tone all the way up for a daylight imitation first thing in the morning to wake you up whilst you shower!

Go Gloss

Reflections are a really easy way to trick the eye into a space feeling bigger- a big mirror is the most straight-forward play here. However, there are other ways to incorporate this trickery in small ways- try opting for a glossy tile with a metallic, iridescent or reflective finish. We also have some suppliers who have reflective shower screens- affording you added privacy whilst you shower- where you can see out, but your neighbours can’t see in; paired with a full length mirror on the outside of your screen! It’s a win/win!

Give in!

Sometimes you’re going to be stuck with a dark space, and leaning in can be a much, much better choice than trying to fight it. This works particularly well for smaller, lesser used rooms- under stair cloakrooms are ideal examples for this, as are guest-en-suites. Opt for moody hues like graphite greys and plummy purples, as well as rich emerald greens and deep navy blues. Play with perspective- painting the ceiling a dark colour will draw it down and make everything feel intimate and considered. Oil slick effect tiles are incredible for this style- indulgent and decadent they feel like an upscale nightclub- turning your boring bathroom into an incredible experience with a wow personality! Often-times if you consider how you use the space, this suits better anyway- if you’re a night time bubble-bather and you like to relax with a glass of wine, candlelight and some smooth jazz, you’ll probably be more chilled in a dark space anyway!

Ultimately, no amount of interior design trickery can make a cold, dark, small space feel bright, light, and open- but we’re here to do the hard work for you. We can help you make all the right design choices to make sure that your dreams of a bright, white, light bathroom can come true in a way that feels just right for you.