5 ways to choose your bathroom colour scheme
When renovating or redecorating your bathroom, choosing a colour scheme can be one of the most difficult tasks. All other styling choices, such as tiles, accessories and tapware, will fall from this decision so it is important to plan it early and be confident in your selection. It can be hard to visualise the colours in the space, but it doesn’t have to be. The following are our top tips for choosing a colour scheme in your bathroom.
Pick colours you have an emotional connection with.
Colour can set the mood for your room, so first think about how you want to feel when you use your bathroom. Do you want it to be a place of relaxation and calm? Softer, neutral colours would be best to create this ambiance. Or do you prefer a bright, bold place of energy that wakes you up in the morning? If so, then strong, bold colours would be more suited to you.
Bring in colours from other rooms.
Another great starting point is to consider colours you have already used in other rooms of the house. Take a walk around your home with a pen and paper and spend time in each room writing down the colours you have used and the ones you like the best. Using the same colour in different rooms will create consistency and rhythm and bring the styling of the house together.
Consult the colour wheel.
The colour wheel is widely used by interior designers and decorators, and is a visual representation of colours and their relationships to one another. The most common version of this wheel contains three primary colours and nine of their derivatives. Without becoming an expert, one of the safest and easiest colour wheel schemes is called “Monochromatic” which is essentially selecting one colour and using different shades and tints of this single colour. Another simple scheme is called “Complementary” and consists of selecting any two colours that are located opposite to each other on the colour wheel.
These two schemes are shown on the colour wheels below, alongside two other examples.
Image: Colour Wheel Schemes
Use the three colour, 60/30/10 rule.
This rule states that around 60% of a room should be dominated by a primary colour, usually one that is light or neutral. This primary colour should be used on walls or other large surface areas. Next, 30% of the room is dedicated to a secondary colour that supports the dominant colour, and is usually a richer hue. Finally, 10% of the room should be dedicated to an accent colour, one that is bright and bold.
Start with large surface areas and get smaller.
When considering a new bathroom colour scheme it can be as simple as starting with the largest surfaces such as floor, walls and ceiling, then moving onto medium surfaces such as the vanity and the bath, and finally finishing on the smallest surfaces such as accessories, tapware and towels. This tip can be used alongside the 60/30/10 rule and is a great way to break the bathroom up into more manageable colour decisions.
Image: Estilo Bathware & Ceramics
Remember to take time when considering your colour scheme, it will be less stressful when it comes to selecting and purchasing your materials and décor, and you will be more confident in your decisions.
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