My ideas for a gray bathroom Keep It From Feeling Cold

I never really understood that until I redesigned my guest bathroom three years ago. I wanted sleek, spa-inspired vibes but didn’t temper my grey palette with any warm tones. The result?

A bathroom that looked icy and clinical – the aesthetic my sister lovingly refers to as “dental office chic.” After weeks of hiding from my friends when they came to visit, I realised my bathroom checked all the boxes for style… but not for mood. Here’s what I learned about how to warm up a grey bathroom without losing that sleek, spa-like vibe: Photos by Tara Nehman Styling by Haley Pierson-CoxBuy Simple Matters: Practical Solutions for a Happy Household NOW!What I Learned From Designing the Coolest BathroomAnyone could take photos in that bathroom. The all-grey palette made it feel bright, white, and clean – all things that work well for Instagram (my IG post from that bathroom got an unreal amount of likes and comments).

But live in that bathroom? It was a whole other story.

My issue wasn’t grey itself; it was my application of grey throughout the space.

If you treat grey like a wallpaper (i.e., slap it on every surface you can), you’re gonna run into problems. Grey wants to play well with others, so make sure you’re introducing it to some welcoming materials and tones.View PhotosBut First: Choose the Right Shade of GrayFirst things first: The wrong grey will undo all your hard work (and trust me, you don’t want grey countertops). You want to find a grey with warm undertones to avoid that harsh sterile vibe of hospital waiting rooms.

If you have your heart set on a cool grayColor Trends: Everything You Want to Know + Trends to Avoid | Architectural Digest.coool tonal grey. Add a little wood and warm metallics to balance it out. I promise.Bring on the Natural MaterialsWarm wood tones are pretty much the easiest way to balance out grey.

And when I say wood, I mean real wood. None of that cheap plastic laminate rubbish that everyone can spot from a mile away. In my bathroom, I opted to add floating walnut shelves above the toilet (you can get pretty!) ($180 for the wood and brackets) to warm up all of that grey below.

Warm honey-toned wood counters the coolness of the grey walls, and suddenly your bathroom goes from feeling like a clinic to a calming retreat.Replacing your vanity? Go for warm wood cabinet doors. Was I forced to replace my vanity because it was cold and grey?

Nope. But swapping out the existing cabinet doors with warm reclaimed teak doors from my favourite salvage yard helped balance out all that grey ($120 for all of the cabinet doors). Now the vanity feels more like a feature than a cold box taking up space.What Wood Tones to Avoid with GrayBare in mind that not all wood tones pair well with all grays.

As a rule of thumb, stay away from cherry (can look muddy), pine (cheap), and that orange-y hardwood populating every home from the ‘90s (we all know the one I’m talking about). Play it safe with walnut, teak, and white oak for now.Warm Up Grey with MetalTons of people email me about this “rule” that you can only use one metal finish throughout your space. Um, newsflash: Don’t listen to that person.

I break this “rule” ALL OF THE TIME and always make it work as long as I’m intentional about my choices. In this bathroom, I have brushed brass taps to help add instant warmth to the room. Black cabinet hardware to match the window frames.

And chrome towel bars since I already owned them and am never going to return to using cold, awful towel rings.Leather Goods for Men: Gifts That Fit the Lifestyle Fundamentalthere are three metals in my bathroom. The key is to choose one finish to serve as your statement piece and then accent with the other finishes. Brass is the star of my show (taps, mirror frame, light fixture), while the other metals serve more supporting roles.

You’ll notice this trick throughout my entire house.Where lighting is concerned, this is another non-negotiable. Grey walls paired with harsh LED or fluorescent lighting create a wash of sad, sterile grey that will bum you out every time you walk into that bathroom to brush your teeth. Save yourself the major design fail that I made twice and pay special attention to your lighting choices.

To warm up my bathroom, I installed a brass pendant light fixture over my freestanding tub that I found on sale at West Elm ($89). It instantly warmed up that corner of the room and casts a gorgeous, moody light onto the grey walls beneath.Let there be light. But, you know, good light.Amazon Basics LED Candle-Style Wall Light FixtureYour main source of light should be warm-toned light.

We’re talking around 2700K to 3000K on the Kelvin colour temperature scale. To layer your light, add LED strip lights underneath your floating shelves to help bounce soft, warm light up toward the ceiling. I spent less than $35 on the LED strip lights and installed them myself in about an hour.

Oh, and put them on a dimmer. There’s something about dimmable lighting that just makes your morning routines feel more energizing and your night routines more relaxing.Light a couple candles, too. I KNOW.

Bullet point 12 and you’re telling me candles? I swear by candles. Grab a couple pillar candles and keep them on those walnut shelves for an inviting source of warmth at night that literally smells good too.Hey, it can’t hurt.Spend (A Little) More on TextilesThis was definitely a trial-and-error process for me.

I went through about six sets of towels until I landed on cream and camel. The cream towels help brighten the space, while the camel towels helped echo the warm wood tones throughout. John Lewis sells a mean towel that will last you years for around £60 for a full set.Skip the clear shower curtain or glass shower doors.

This may seem like common sense, but I had all clear glass shower doors at one point. Not only do frosted glass shower doors with a hint of bronze add warmth to your shower, but they also hide water spots way better than clear glass.Shop Linen Window Shades on AmazonOpt for warm window treatments. Fluffy white curtains?

Passed. More grey? No thanks.

I went with natural linen curtains in a warm cream shade to help soften the sharp lines of my window.

Bonus: The way they filter light is next level. Last but not least…Add Some PlantsIf you have a window, I highly suggest keeping a snake plant on your windowsill.

And if you’ve got shelves, stick a trailing pothos on there, too! Not only do plants add some much-needed life to all of your grey, but they also look incredible and aren’t bothered by bathroom humidity. Trust.Bathroom Plant Options on AmazonMy $15 snake plant has been thriving in my bathroom for two years.You Don’t Have to Cover Every Surface with GrayLastly, don’t feel like you have to paint every surface grey just because you love the colour.

If you have grey floors, throw down an organic rug made from natural fibres like jute or bamboo. Or keep the floors light and bright with white oak plank tile like I did (it’s actually porcelain to help with wear and tear).Grey can look so cold because it IS cold when paired with the wrong materials. But it also can look so luxurious and spa-like when you dress it up with the right textures.

My guest bathroom checked all of the style boxes but failed miserably when it came to mood. My current bathroom has found that perfect balance of calming and energizing, modern and yet timeless. Most importantly, it feels like home.