Bathrooms offer homeowners a rare opportunity to let their personalities shine. They can do this with color, shaped tiles, textured wallpapers and unique storage ideas.

Grandiose designs are fine, but clutter can detract from a clean, organized look. Keep rugs, towels and other decor items to a minimum to maintain a calm ambiance.

Vibrant Colors

Color can make a big difference in a bathroom. It can create a relaxing oasis to soothe away stress or an energizing space to express personal style. Color can also set a mood: moody greens deliver a restorative vibe, while bright blues offer a revitalizing effect.

When choosing a color for your bathroom, choose one that will pair well with your other finishes and accessories. For example, a soft taupe pairs well with almost any other paint color and is a versatile option that won’t intrude on your wallpaper or tile.

Alternatively, a darker shade of gray adds drama to your space. Unlike black interiors, which can feel gloomy, moody shades of grey are warm and inviting.

Moody greens, such as moss and olive, are an important trend in interior design and work wonderfully in bathrooms. Pair them with jute or natural wood accents to ground the colors and create a warm, welcoming vibe.

Neutral Colors

Many bathroom designs rely on neutral colors to create an easy-to-decorate, functional space that fits most decor styles. Warm and cool shades of neutrals are available, and mixing them can add visual contrast to a room. Neutral bathroom paint ideas include whites and grays that can range from stark to creamy tones. Soft blue-greens, pale pinks and lavenders help a room feel soothing and calm.

Patterned wallpapers are another option that can bring character and depth to neutral bathrooms. Whether framing a shapely standalone bathtub, illuminating a wall above open shelving or accenting a framed artifact on the vanity, this versatile accent can add flair and personality to an otherwise boxy interior.

Metallic finishes like gold can add a touch of elegance to a neutral bathroom color scheme. Use these accents on drawer pulls, cabinet knobs and towel hooks, or add a metal-finish chandelier or mirror frame.

Multiple Textures

Bathrooms can be a fun place to play with texture and create an interesting juxtaposition of soft and hard elements. Adding textures to your design scheme can instantly change the ambiance of your room, introducing a new level of style and character.

Texture can add visual interest and a unique touch to your space, whether it’s an intricate pattern on your shower curtain or contrasting unglazed tiles with marble floors. A wood grain surface like Nordic ash or darker oak can also add a rustic, earthy element to your design.

Using textured finishes on your faucets, mirror frames and even the underside of a freestanding bathtub can make the room feel more luxurious and provide a touch of sophistication. Brushed nickel and brushed bronze are popular choices for a modern look that can be complemented by oil-rubbed, antiqued or hand-rubbed finishes to achieve a variety of textures. The TotaLook collection by Emilceramica offers several different types of textures that can be incorporated into your bathroom design.

Storage

Having enough bathroom storage is crucial to keeping counters clear and looking neat. Fortunately, practical bathroom storage ideas aren’t limited to utilitarian cabinets with a simple design. A clever use of shelving can add style to the room, as shown by this rattan shelf displaying decorative touches and a plant.

Shelves can also be a great way to move items that tend to clutter a bathroom off the countertops. For instance, try a set of small shelves individually positioned around your bathroom mirror to hold items like toothbrush holders and tweezers that often get left on countertops when they’re not in use.

Another creative bathroom storage solution is a shelf ladder that can be used to hold towels, store extra toiletries, and display decor. A wooden ladder will not only work for small and large bathrooms, but it can create a chic rustic feel. A ladder can also help to save floor space by occupying wall space instead of taking up the room with a freestanding unit.