Dark Bathroom Design Ideas
When you’re designing bathrooms, you have free rein to create a luxurious and decadent environment, yet many people automatically opt for white and neutral shades. Fortunately, we’re seeing a whole new trend of dark bathrooms emerging and we couldn’t be happier! When you stray from the standard bathroom designs you see out there, you’ll soon realise why doing something a little different with the space can deliver such sublime results.
To plan your own bathroom redesign, refresh, or renovation, take a look at these nine ways to incorporate dark bathroom ideas into your plans:
1. Use More Than One Colour
A single dark colour can feel too overpowering but incorporating two colours into the theme instantly makes the room feel more spacious. Interestingly, you don’t need to pair a dark colour with a light shade to achieve this effect. Instead, choose two dark colours that share the same tone to complement each other. With grey-blue paint on the upper section of the walls and deep grey tiles on the lower sections, for example, you can add visual interest and maintain a dark, dramatic style.
2. Add Brightness with Metallics
A dark bathroom needn’t feel dull or drab, particularly if you use metallic accessories to add brightness to the space. The lustre and luminosity of metallics will ensure the accessories you choose are eye-catching and they’ll serve to make the room feel lighter too. For cooler tones, opt for silver, nickel, or platinum but, if you favour a warm feel, choose bronze, gold, or copper.
Remember – metallics aren’t just ideal for accessories, like mirrors, lighting, and decorative pieces; they’re also a great option for bathroom fixtures and fittings. A brushed metal countertop basin or a polished copper bath can act as a statement feature while making dark bathrooms pop.
3. Incorporate Bold Patterns
Relying solely on solid colours can be uninspiring, so why not add visual interest to your space with bold patterns? From tiles and wallpaper to blinds and screens, there are a variety of ways you can inject patterns into a dark bathroom. Whether you complement a dark palette with lighter tones or stick to moody shades, a pattern will lift the atmosphere and can add a sense of fun, glamour, or relaxation.
4. Maximise Natural Light
Every room can benefit from an abundance of natural light, but this isn’t always available in bathrooms. To maximise privacy, most bathrooms have small windows or are fitted with opaque glass that prevents natural light from filtering through and illuminating the room. However, you can increase the amount of natural light by using mirrors strategically.
Mirrors obviously have a functional purpose, but don’t select a piece based solely on its use. Instead, choose a large mirror that will reflect a large amount of light and illuminate the room effectively. Similarly, place the mirror in a location that will allow it to reflect a significant amount of natural light from any windows that are present.
5. Use Marble for a Spa-Like Environment
If you want to create a sense of luxury in a dark bathroom, opt for marble features and accessories. A marble countertop can be a great alternative to a sink unit, for example, while marble effect tiles will break up dark colours and add visual interest to your design.
Marble is commonly associated with elegance and decadence, which is why it it’s the perfect addition to a bathroom environment. You can create a relaxation, spa-like feel in any home when you use marble to add a touch of opulence. What’s more – black, grey, or green marble will complement a dark colour scheme, while cream, natural of white will add contrast.
6. Add Natural Materials
When it comes to bathroom furniture and accessories, natural materials can enhance your design and optimise your well-being. By surrounding yourself with natural materials, like wood and cotton, you can increase the sustainability of your home and add textural depth to your design. Terracotta, wood, stone, and seagrass are all popular options, but make sure that any pieces you choose are designed to withstand the increased moisture and humidity that’s present in a bathroom.
7. Use Layered Lighting
Lighting is important in any room and the bathroom is no different. Why settle for a single lighting option when you can use layered lighting to create a multitude of different environments? Spotlights on the ceiling can provide a clean, bright feel, for example, while soft, recessed lighting offers a more relaxing feel that’s perfect when you’re enjoying a long soak in the tub. Again, make sure that the lighting you choose is designed for bathrooms and meets the regulatory standards for high-moisture areas.
8. Complement Dark Tones with Accent Colours
If you love the style of a dark bathroom but you’re wary of going too dark, use an accent colour to temper the effect. Bright colours look spectacular with dark greys, for example, while deep, dusky pinks, light beige or teal can look sensational with black. If in doubt, pair dark colours, like navy blue or emerald green, with white accents for a clean, crisp and stylish feel.
9. Add Patterns with Tiles
Incorporating a pattern into your bathroom draws the eye and creates a feature out of a functional element of your design. However, you needn’t choose tiles and wallpaper that’s adorned with a pattern to achieve the effect. Instead, choose a tiling application that offers an interesting pattern and turn it into a feature in your new, dark bathroom. A running bond or offset layout gives a clean and classic look, for example, while herringbone tiles will add a sense of traditional elegance. Alternatively, try a stacked vertical layout if you want to emphasise the height of the room, or a brickwork pattern if you want to achieve a more modern, industrial feel.
Designing Dark Bathrooms
While using a dark colour palette in bathrooms can feel nerve-racking at first, it’s an easy way to add sophistication and glamour to a functional space. From cool jet black or eggplant to navy blue, burgundy or forest green, there are endless shades, tones and hues that can be used to create a dark, dramatic, and delectable bathroom.
LED Interior Lighting
Lighting can transform any environment, which is why it is such a critical component of interior design. Whether you’re renovating a property, upgrading a room, or planning an indoor-outdoor space for summer fun, the lighting you choose can increase the functionality of the space, optimise its health benefits and enhance the atmosphere.
When it comes to interior lighting, people typically focus on fixtures and fittings that can complement a room’s design. However, it’s important not to overlook the type of lights you’re using. Here, we take a closer look at LED lighting, what it is, what benefits it offers and how it can be used to enhance your interior design…
What Is LED Lighting?
Light emitting diodes, or LEDs, generate visible light via an electrical current passing through a microchip. As LEDs are small in size, they offer a range of design possibilities. You’ll find LED bulbs that mimic the appearance of traditional incandescent bulbs and halogen bulbs, for example, but you’ll also discover LED strip lights, lighting tubes and lighting bars. With so many options on offer, it’s easy to see why LEDs have become a popular feature in interior design, but these aren’t the only advantages associated with this type of lighting.
What are the Benefits of LED Lighting?
LED lights can be used in homes, offices, warehouses, hotels, nightclubs and virtually any environment you can think of. With endless applications and variations, you can create custom lighting solutions to enhance any space. If you’re still not convinced, take a look at some of the benefits associated with LED lighting:
Energy Efficiency
LED lights use around 80-90% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and substantially less than halogen or fluorescent bulbs. As homeowners and employers become increasingly concerned about the sustainability of their premises, switching to LED bulbs can reduce energy consumption and make your interior more environmentally friendly.
Increased Lifespan
When you use LED lighting, you’ll find yourself changing the bulbs around your home or office much less frequently. On average, LED bulbs last for around 50,000-100,000 hours, which is 40 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs and 2-4 times as long as halogen or fluorescent bulbs.
High Colour Rendering Index
The colour rendering index of a bulb refers to its ability to showcase colours accurately. After all, when you’ve carefully selected a colour palette for your interior, you’ll want to ensure that it looks as good as it should in all lighting. As LEDs have a higher colour rendering index than other types of bulbs, you can ensure that the colours around your home and office are displayed perfectly when you use LEDs to illuminate the space.
Directional Lighting
Incandescent, halogen and fluorescent bulbs emit 360-degree light, which can be frustrating if you want to use lighting to enhance a particular interior design feature. In contrast, LED lights emit 180-degree light, which gives you greater control over the illumination and deliver seamless directional lighting.
Greater Control
Although numerous types of lights can be dimmed, most older-style lights can only be dimmed at particular light intervals. With LED lights, however, you can use them at any power percentage. This effectively means that you’ll have greater control over the lighting and be able to create the perfect ambience for the space.
Correlated Colour Temperature
The correlated colour temperature (CCT) of LED lights allows you to choose bulbs that are cooler or warmer in tone. For active spaces, like offices or gyms, cooler, bright lights are often needed, whereas softer and warmer tones may be preferable in relaxing spaces, like living rooms and bedrooms. Measured in Kelvins, you can choose cold, cool, neutral, and warm LED lights to adorn your interiors.
Using LED Lighting in Interior Design
Now you’ve got an insight into why LED lights are a first-choice solution amongst interior designers, take a look at how you can use LED lighting to enhance any space:
Showcase Features with LED Strips
LED strip lighting can be used to illuminate a specific area in a subtle yet noticeable way. If you want to showcase a particular feature, such as a drinks cabinet, carefully placed LED strip lights will draw your attention to the feature without being overpowering.
Use Mock Filaments for an Industrial Feel
Incandescent bulbs are well-suited to industrial interior design in terms of appearance, but you don’t have to settle for energy-zapping standard bulbs just to achieve your preferred look. Instead, choose LED bulbs with faux filaments that complement the industrial style but deliver all the benefits of LED lights.
Experiment with Lumens
Replacing incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs is one of the easiest ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home, but don’t necessarily go for a like-for-like swap. Lumens refers to the amount of light emitted, which equates to the brightness of the bulbs. An LED bulb with a 400 Lumen rating is equivalent to a 40W incandescent bulb, for example. However, experiment with LED bulbs with different Lumen ratings to discover which works best with your chosen lighting fixtures.
Install LED Artwork
Lighting isn’t just a functional element of a home or workspace; it is a design feature in itself. When you use LED artwork in your interior designs, you can illuminate the space in an eye-catching way and enhance the overall environment.
Choose Hidden Lighting for Maximum Impact
Feature lighting can be a fabulous addition but, in some interiors, a more minimalist feel is preferred. If so, take advantage of small-size LEDs to add hidden lighting to the space. Recessed LEDs or strip lighting on top of cupboards or kitchen units can deliver stylish illumination without the need for large fixtures and fittings, for example.
Illuminate Your Interiors Now
As LED lighting can be used in so many ways, it really can enhance any type of interior design. From classic styles to super-contemporary looks, you’ll find a range of LED lighting solutions that meet your needs. Whether you’re designing a bedroom, home office, bathroom or kitchen, LED lighting provides you with customisable design options that allow you to achieve any finish.
