Bathroom Design
Take Your Bathroom Walls Into Another Realm
Being practical spaces, bathrooms sometimes can be bland. Here are imaginative wall treatments that add personality
We rarely think much about our bathroom walls, generally going for the practical option of tile and paint. The walls are fine like that, of course, but just imagine the many other approaches that can add personality and interest.
There are lots of ways to give a plain bathroom a boost. Some require only small changes, and others are more involved — but each of the ideas here makes a bathroom look anything but uninteresting. Check them out for inspiration to start your own transformation.
There are lots of ways to give a plain bathroom a boost. Some require only small changes, and others are more involved — but each of the ideas here makes a bathroom look anything but uninteresting. Check them out for inspiration to start your own transformation.
Get bold with a mural. Bathrooms are separate from the rest of the house, so they can have a completely different style, making them the perfect place for humor and vibrant color. A huge painted mural or giant decal appeals to young and old alike. Here, the owner highlighted the sloping ceiling and kept everything else simple to allow the picture to be the focal point.
A mural artist would be able to do this for you, or you could try wall stickers for a similar bold look and an easy DIY option.
If you have a steady hand, paint something yourself — any acrylic craft paint will withstand the environment. To make sure you’re happy with the colors and design before you commit, try painting a board in your bathroom background color and experiment with the bright colors to get the right combination.
A mural artist would be able to do this for you, or you could try wall stickers for a similar bold look and an easy DIY option.
If you have a steady hand, paint something yourself — any acrylic craft paint will withstand the environment. To make sure you’re happy with the colors and design before you commit, try painting a board in your bathroom background color and experiment with the bright colors to get the right combination.
Add greenery. Surround yourself with nature by installing a living wall in your bathing space. The humid environment would be perfect for many plants. You’d need professional help to install something like this, as well as a green thumb to maintain it. But the effect is breathtaking, and you couldn’t help but relax the minute you walked through the door.
If you go for this option, make the rest of the decor as simple as possible so as not to detract from the greenery. Other natural materials, such as wood or slate, would be good companions.
If you go for this option, make the rest of the decor as simple as possible so as not to detract from the greenery. Other natural materials, such as wood or slate, would be good companions.
Pick floor-to-ceiling paneling. Painted wall paneling makes a space look grand and elegant, with the air of a country house. Always paint it with a product that won’t get damaged by moisture — oil-based paints are best.
This gray-green adds soft color to a pale room and hides a huge storage area. If you have an alcove, consider shelving it and adding wooden doors in front to create this look. Paneling could then be continued around other walls for cohesion.
This gray-green adds soft color to a pale room and hides a huge storage area. If you have an alcove, consider shelving it and adding wooden doors in front to create this look. Paneling could then be continued around other walls for cohesion.
Showcase wood. Smooth, uniform wood is a contemporary version of rustic chalet style. Use wood with as few knots as possible to keep the look sleek.
Wood paneling is incredibly effective when used to draw the eye to a feature, like this beautiful tub. Here, the pale grain blends with limestone for a neat, considered nod to nature. Dark-stained wood would be equally dramatic.
Wood paneling is incredibly effective when used to draw the eye to a feature, like this beautiful tub. Here, the pale grain blends with limestone for a neat, considered nod to nature. Dark-stained wood would be equally dramatic.
Do something extraordinary. Using the sides of wine crates to create a feature wall, as shown here, requires effort, but the results are impressive. Once adhered to the wall, these would need to be varnished to protect them from water splashes. Search online auction sites for vintage crates to dismantle and recycle in this way.
Create an illusion. The use of a photographic mural makes a small space like this look huge. These images come on a roll and are hung like wallpaper, so they make a straightforward DIY task. Just ensure that you center the image and work outward if the positioning is important, as in this example.
You can make a bathroom look as if it’s in a forest, on a beach, at the end of a pier or in any of numerous other beautiful places. Lots of wallpaper companies offer this option now, so shop around.
You can make a bathroom look as if it’s in a forest, on a beach, at the end of a pier or in any of numerous other beautiful places. Lots of wallpaper companies offer this option now, so shop around.
Go half and half. Half-height paneling looks elegant and is a classic alternative to wall tiling (in an area that won’t be getting wet all the time). This can be installed by a carpenter or confident DIYer over a few days, depending on the size of the area and the ability of the fitter.
If you use wide battens fixed to the wall to hold the paneling, you’ll create a shelf at the top, which will make a useful place to display anything from toiletries to ornaments and framed pictures.
If you use wide battens fixed to the wall to hold the paneling, you’ll create a shelf at the top, which will make a useful place to display anything from toiletries to ornaments and framed pictures.
Weave in beautiful bricks. Bricks bring a warm feeling to any space. They’re a great base for industrial style in a contemporary property, or rustic design in a cottage-style home. If you have an older house where bricks can be revealed by removing the plaster, that’s one option, but cleaning and sealing bricks is hard work, and there’s a chance you may need to fix the mortar too.
Alternatively, you can create the same feel for less hassle using brick slips. These are wall tiles made from thin pieces of real brick that look so good, it’s hard to tell the difference.
Alternatively, you can create the same feel for less hassle using brick slips. These are wall tiles made from thin pieces of real brick that look so good, it’s hard to tell the difference.
Take tongue and groove up and over. Tongue-and-groove planks are a good way to create a relaxed coastal style. Laying them horizontally, as shown here, gives them a different twist to the more usual vertical treatment, and taking them up on the ceiling creates further interest.
Tongue and groove consists of thin planks of wood slotted together and either glued to the wall or fixed to battens for an easy DIY installation. All bare wood needs to be protected with varnish or paint for longevity. Choose an oil-based paint, and don’t forget to use sealant along the edge of the bath in this type of installation to keep water from escaping.
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Tongue and groove consists of thin planks of wood slotted together and either glued to the wall or fixed to battens for an easy DIY installation. All bare wood needs to be protected with varnish or paint for longevity. Choose an oil-based paint, and don’t forget to use sealant along the edge of the bath in this type of installation to keep water from escaping.
See more bathroom remodeling ideas
Make sure you hang it where it won’t get soaked — as with this panel above backsplash tiles — and coat it in decorators varnish to protect it from moisture.