Designing White Bathrooms
Most of us think of white as a classic color that matches everything and never goes out of style. But not all whites are created equal, especially in the bath.
At one end of the scale is pure white, which is often called “stark white,” or “paper white.” Beyond the basic, there’s a wide variety of other white hues with names such as biscuit, white satin, white cliffs and earthen white.
White hot, cool pale
At first glance, the differences between shades of white may seem difficult to determine. A closer comparison, however, reveals the key to their seemingly subtle variations.
All colors are either blue-based or yellow-based, and whites are the same. You can see the difference immediately when you look at the whites together and see that one is very warm and the other is very cool-looking.
White on white
Popular at least since the early 20th century, the white-on-white bathroom remains strong today. People are drawn to all-white bathrooms because we associate white with purity, and things that are healthy and hygienic. It looks so clean and that’s what we do in bathrooms, we get clean.
If you’re thinking about using an all-white scheme for your bathroom, consider using a broad palette of whites instead of just one. And don’t be afraid to mix whites, as long as you stay in the same family.
We wouldn’t hesitate to use biscuit fixtures and a whiter white on the countertop or the backsplash, and accent with accessories in alabaster or clear glass.
Decorating with texture
Another way to successfully use white on white is to take advantage of textures.
When you’re working with whites, you want to look at honed, brushed and tumbled as well as shiny surfaces. You can combine those textures relatively easily in an all-white bathroom.
For example, if your toilet, sink and bathtub are glossy white, you could use a matte-finish tile for the tub surround and backsplash, and perhaps a tumbled stone tile for the countertop.
Fixtures are also available in texturally interesting whites, such as Dune, a soft neutral inspired by desert sands, and Honed White™, a matte surface inspired by the smooth texture and natural appeal of worn river rock. Other options, like Sea Salt™, offer a three-dimensional pattern on the smooth surface of Cast Iron sinks and bathtubs. The combined neutral colors and organic materials add extra depth and character to traditional white fixtures.
Another way to create visual interest is through the use of decorative glass shower doors. By gently obscuring the transparency of the glass with subtle patterns, the play of light, shadow, steam and water, combine to achieve beautiful effects without a hint of color.
Accents with white
If you’re thinking about combining colors with white—either using colors as an accent in your primarily white room, or using white as the accent in a color scheme—you’ll want to keep warm and cool color families in mind. If you want to use blue as an accent in your bathroom, for example, choose a cooler—or blue-based—white. These shades work best with cool colors such as blue-greens, blue-reds or purples.
On the other hand, warmer, yellow-based whites are nice complements for warm colors, such as reds, oranges and yellow-greens.
If you are using a yellow, or a yellow-based green (such as olive), then your white would need to be a yellow-based white, rather than a blue-based one. If you chose a blue-based white, it would look gray against yellow-based colors, and a yellow-based white against blue could look dirty.
Which came first?
If you’re starting from scratch and plan to use white as the main color in your bathroom, choose the white you like best. Once you’ve selected a white, look for accent colors that coordinate with its yellow or blue base. Add a blue tile tub surround and countertop, for example, or maybe just a few blue decorative tiles in the backsplash.
Or you can keep all of your bathroom surfaces white—walls, tile, fixtures and flooring—and add color with rugs, the shower curtain, towels and art. That way, you have the option of changing accent colors whenever the mood strikes you.
Pure white
A note about using pure white—like the white of a sheet of paper: It’s a difficult color to work with because it’s so stark. If you get a true white—a paper white—it will go with anything, but it’s an uncomfortable color because the contrast might be too strong.
We then recommend choosing a softer white, or softening it with texture, which can sometimes read as color. That’s one of the reasons we tend to use neutrals. They’re comfortable to live with.
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