5 Beautiful New Blue-and-White Bathrooms
Pros share projects featuring the classic and crisp color combination, accented by an occasional splash of wood
Suzanne Ennis
May 20, 2022
Houzz Editorial Staff. I write about all aspects of home design and remodeling, but I have soft spots for historic homes, California modernism and lakefront cabins.
Houzz Editorial Staff. I write about all aspects of home design and remodeling, but... More
Picture clouds in the sky or Ming dynasty porcelain and ask yourself: Is there any more timeless combination than blue and white? Here, pros share their approaches to five bathrooms that showcase the power of that palette, both on its own and warmed with natural materials.
1. Universal Beauty
Designer: Laurie Westberg of Urban Interior Design
Location: Minneapolis
Size: About 105 square feet (9.8 square meters); bathroom 9 by 7 feet and toilet-shower stall 6 by 7 feet
Homeowner’s request. Built in the early 1990s, this first-floor bathroom was due for an overhaul. “[The] space was too small in the shower, there wasn’t much storage space, the tub was too large and lighting was very dim,” designer Laurie Westberg says. The homeowner tasked Westberg with creating a blue-and-white Mallorca, Spain-style bathroom full of vacation and spa vibes, while bringing more function to the small space.
Westberg added a linen closet, enlarged the shower and replaced a drop-in jetted tub with a soaking tub. To add more efficient storage, she created a quartzite-topped custom vanity and a linen closet with rollout sliders instead of drawers. She also installed a sky tube, sconce, three overhead lights and three double sconces over the vanity.
Room features. Many of the features in the room were designed with accessibility in mind. The shower stall is open for wheelchair access, with two pieces of glass from floor to ceiling, and it has a fold-down teak bench. “Using a shower faucet on a bar rather than a shower head on the wall gives more flexibility for showering and universal design use,” Westberg says.
“Uh-oh” moments. Supply chain issues posed big challenges. “This bathroom was designed in the middle of COVID, and it took me three to six months to get the tile I needed due to COVID issues,” Westberg says. “I had to redesign the tile layout three to four times, based on availability of tile.”
Dropping the floor in the shower stall to achieve the correct slope to the linear drain was also difficult. “It is always more challenging to do something which looks very clean and simple,” Westberg says. “A lot of engineering … goes behind a very clean look.”
Paint: Foggy Grey (walls) and Swiss Coffee satin (vanity and linen closet), Dunn Edwards; tile: Annie Selke large-format Ikat floor tile (floor and baseboards)
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Designer: Laurie Westberg of Urban Interior Design
Location: Minneapolis
Size: About 105 square feet (9.8 square meters); bathroom 9 by 7 feet and toilet-shower stall 6 by 7 feet
Homeowner’s request. Built in the early 1990s, this first-floor bathroom was due for an overhaul. “[The] space was too small in the shower, there wasn’t much storage space, the tub was too large and lighting was very dim,” designer Laurie Westberg says. The homeowner tasked Westberg with creating a blue-and-white Mallorca, Spain-style bathroom full of vacation and spa vibes, while bringing more function to the small space.
Westberg added a linen closet, enlarged the shower and replaced a drop-in jetted tub with a soaking tub. To add more efficient storage, she created a quartzite-topped custom vanity and a linen closet with rollout sliders instead of drawers. She also installed a sky tube, sconce, three overhead lights and three double sconces over the vanity.
Room features. Many of the features in the room were designed with accessibility in mind. The shower stall is open for wheelchair access, with two pieces of glass from floor to ceiling, and it has a fold-down teak bench. “Using a shower faucet on a bar rather than a shower head on the wall gives more flexibility for showering and universal design use,” Westberg says.
“Uh-oh” moments. Supply chain issues posed big challenges. “This bathroom was designed in the middle of COVID, and it took me three to six months to get the tile I needed due to COVID issues,” Westberg says. “I had to redesign the tile layout three to four times, based on availability of tile.”
Dropping the floor in the shower stall to achieve the correct slope to the linear drain was also difficult. “It is always more challenging to do something which looks very clean and simple,” Westberg says. “A lot of engineering … goes behind a very clean look.”
Paint: Foggy Grey (walls) and Swiss Coffee satin (vanity and linen closet), Dunn Edwards; tile: Annie Selke large-format Ikat floor tile (floor and baseboards)
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2. Wow on the Waterfront
Designers: Heather Weisz and Lisa Hynes of HW Interiors
Builder: Yellowfin Builders
Location: West Palm Beach, Florida
Size: 90 square feet (8.4 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. For their newly built waterfront home, “the homeowners wanted a crisp, transitional design with contemporary elements,” says Heather Weisz of HW Interiors, who designed the home with Lisa Hynes using Houzz Pro software.
Room features. The focal point of this soft bathroom is a shower wall featuring a watery blue ceramic tile set in a striking basketweave pattern. A chevron-patterned honed marble floor tile that flows from the bathroom into the curbless shower adds just the right amount of contrast to be interesting on its own and make the blue wall really pop.
Beachy sconces made of abaca rope and powder-coated metal add a highly textured counterpoint to the smoother surfaces.
Lessons learned. “Using ordinary materials in a new application can create a spectacular moment and a real showstopper,” Hynes says.
“Uh-oh” moment. The designers found it challenging to find materials to create the look they wanted and to produce the right tile “takeoff” (the amount of material needed for the project) so that the builder could realize their vision.
Trends spotted. Weisz and Hynes identify beautiful stones, other natural elements, fluted or reeded cabinetry and architectural lighting as current trends in bathroom design.
Tile: Bedrosians Cloe ceramic in Baby Blue (shower field tile) and Bianco Puro honed marble chevron (floor); sconces: Everly three-tiered, Palecek
Designers: Heather Weisz and Lisa Hynes of HW Interiors
Builder: Yellowfin Builders
Location: West Palm Beach, Florida
Size: 90 square feet (8.4 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. For their newly built waterfront home, “the homeowners wanted a crisp, transitional design with contemporary elements,” says Heather Weisz of HW Interiors, who designed the home with Lisa Hynes using Houzz Pro software.
Room features. The focal point of this soft bathroom is a shower wall featuring a watery blue ceramic tile set in a striking basketweave pattern. A chevron-patterned honed marble floor tile that flows from the bathroom into the curbless shower adds just the right amount of contrast to be interesting on its own and make the blue wall really pop.
Beachy sconces made of abaca rope and powder-coated metal add a highly textured counterpoint to the smoother surfaces.
Lessons learned. “Using ordinary materials in a new application can create a spectacular moment and a real showstopper,” Hynes says.
“Uh-oh” moment. The designers found it challenging to find materials to create the look they wanted and to produce the right tile “takeoff” (the amount of material needed for the project) so that the builder could realize their vision.
Trends spotted. Weisz and Hynes identify beautiful stones, other natural elements, fluted or reeded cabinetry and architectural lighting as current trends in bathroom design.
Tile: Bedrosians Cloe ceramic in Baby Blue (shower field tile) and Bianco Puro honed marble chevron (floor); sconces: Everly three-tiered, Palecek
3. Timeless Tribute
Designers: Lindsay Stokes Kennedy and Alexandra Cole of Kennedy Cole Interior Design
Location: Huntington Beach, California
Size: 50 square feet (4.7 square meters)
Homeowner’s request. “Our client inherited this home after his mother passed and wanted to refresh the midcentury gem without losing its original charm,” designer Lindsay Stokes Kennedy says.
The client hired Stokes Kennedy and co-designer Alexandra Cole after seeing their sponsored ads on Houzz.
Room features. Stokes Kennedy describes the shower’s royal blue ceramic subway tiles, which are set in a vertical running bond pattern, as “a nod at the past in a fun modern pop of color.” A custom walnut vanity contributes to the midcentury modern vibe and complements the bold blue tile.
The floor is durable and timeless poured concrete, which creates a calming effect throughout the house.
Designer tip. “When going bold in color, provide balance by using neutrals in the same space,” Cole advises.
Lessons learned. “We learned that even in great loss there is so much to gain, and how home can be as beautiful aesthetically as it is emotionally,” Stokes Kennedy says.
Shop for a bathroom vanity
Designers: Lindsay Stokes Kennedy and Alexandra Cole of Kennedy Cole Interior Design
Location: Huntington Beach, California
Size: 50 square feet (4.7 square meters)
Homeowner’s request. “Our client inherited this home after his mother passed and wanted to refresh the midcentury gem without losing its original charm,” designer Lindsay Stokes Kennedy says.
The client hired Stokes Kennedy and co-designer Alexandra Cole after seeing their sponsored ads on Houzz.
Room features. Stokes Kennedy describes the shower’s royal blue ceramic subway tiles, which are set in a vertical running bond pattern, as “a nod at the past in a fun modern pop of color.” A custom walnut vanity contributes to the midcentury modern vibe and complements the bold blue tile.
The floor is durable and timeless poured concrete, which creates a calming effect throughout the house.
Designer tip. “When going bold in color, provide balance by using neutrals in the same space,” Cole advises.
Lessons learned. “We learned that even in great loss there is so much to gain, and how home can be as beautiful aesthetically as it is emotionally,” Stokes Kennedy says.
Shop for a bathroom vanity
4. Style Squared
Designers: Architect John B. Murray and designer Katie Ridder
Builder-contractor: Mike Luisi, owner of SMI Site Management Industries
Location: New York
Size: About 88 square feet (8.2 square meters); 8 by 11 feet
Homeowners’ request. This bathroom on Manhattan’s Upper East Side is one of four in a prewar apartment that underwent a gut renovation. The aim was to make the bathroom “light, bright and happy” for the family that lived there, says marketing manager Joe Frahlich of SMI Site Management Industries.
Room features. Small, square mosaic tiles in a sky blue hue cover the bathroom’s floor, walls and shower alcove, a consistency that gives the small room a spacious feel.
The timeless design also adds lightness, Frahlich says, and “recessed shower shelving and [a] unique chandelier assist in keeping things simple and clean.”
Clear pulls subtly complement the chandelier, and a solid-surface tub deck that extends to frame the alcove is a crisp touch.
How to Plan for a Bathroom Remodel
Designers: Architect John B. Murray and designer Katie Ridder
Builder-contractor: Mike Luisi, owner of SMI Site Management Industries
Location: New York
Size: About 88 square feet (8.2 square meters); 8 by 11 feet
Homeowners’ request. This bathroom on Manhattan’s Upper East Side is one of four in a prewar apartment that underwent a gut renovation. The aim was to make the bathroom “light, bright and happy” for the family that lived there, says marketing manager Joe Frahlich of SMI Site Management Industries.
Room features. Small, square mosaic tiles in a sky blue hue cover the bathroom’s floor, walls and shower alcove, a consistency that gives the small room a spacious feel.
The timeless design also adds lightness, Frahlich says, and “recessed shower shelving and [a] unique chandelier assist in keeping things simple and clean.”
Clear pulls subtly complement the chandelier, and a solid-surface tub deck that extends to frame the alcove is a crisp touch.
How to Plan for a Bathroom Remodel
5. Pattern Play
Designer: Heidi Arwine, Heidi Arwine Interiors
Location: Irving, Texas
Size: 90 square feet (8.4 square meters)
Homeowner’s request. “The homeowner wanted to remove the tub-shower combo and replace it with a walk-in shower for their guests,” says principal designer Heidi Arwine, who worked with project manager Brittany Patterson on the project.
Room features. Perusing Houzz for inspiration, Arwine and Patterson designed the bathroom with both vanity and wall storage and a low-threshold shower with a frameless glass enclosure. The focal point is the beautiful blue Emser subway tile in the shower laid in contrasting patterns: herringbone on the back wall and vertical running bond on the side. The floor features a complementary penny tile in varying shades of blue.
Designer tip. “The tile was installed in a herringbone pattern to create an added design element,” Patterson says. “We are always looking for ways to go beyond the traditional subway tile pattern.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “Due to the size of the shower and the door placement, we decided on a floating corner bench to give the homeowner the desired element,” Arwine says.
Paint: Pure White (cabinets) and Argos (walls), Sherwin-Williams; tile: Emser
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
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Shop for your bathroom
Designer: Heidi Arwine, Heidi Arwine Interiors
Location: Irving, Texas
Size: 90 square feet (8.4 square meters)
Homeowner’s request. “The homeowner wanted to remove the tub-shower combo and replace it with a walk-in shower for their guests,” says principal designer Heidi Arwine, who worked with project manager Brittany Patterson on the project.
Room features. Perusing Houzz for inspiration, Arwine and Patterson designed the bathroom with both vanity and wall storage and a low-threshold shower with a frameless glass enclosure. The focal point is the beautiful blue Emser subway tile in the shower laid in contrasting patterns: herringbone on the back wall and vertical running bond on the side. The floor features a complementary penny tile in varying shades of blue.
Designer tip. “The tile was installed in a herringbone pattern to create an added design element,” Patterson says. “We are always looking for ways to go beyond the traditional subway tile pattern.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “Due to the size of the shower and the door placement, we decided on a floating corner bench to give the homeowner the desired element,” Arwine says.
Paint: Pure White (cabinets) and Argos (walls), Sherwin-Williams; tile: Emser
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom remodeler
Shop for your bathroom
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On #2 where did they purchase the vanity with the countertop cabinet?
Built in Cabinet over toilet!
I guess, I'm late to the discussion but I love blues and always have. Over Covid I finally got to redo our 1990s contractor-grade master bathroom, in what else: BLUE