Have you ever walked into a bathroom that is painted almost entirely white or beige and just felt… meh? Not relaxed, not revitalized, just….blah. I thought that was just supposed to be “safe design” for a while.
Safe equals boring AF to me. Ok, so here’s what I learned after playing around with adding blue to bathrooms- my tiny ensuite, clients bathrooms, you name it. There is a happy medium between “Pinterest whisper white” and “living in a Santorini travel brochure.” It’s not that you should avoid blue because it might be “too much.” It’s about finding the right kind of blue for your space and your lifestyle.
THE SUBTLE BLUE Here’s the thing about tile: people always comment on it. They see white tile and think bathroom: fact.
So when I first used those accidentally-not-quite-white subway tiles in a rental condo refresh I learned a simple bathroom decorating truth- blue tile makes a space feel bigger and brighter.
And I’m not talking Ethan Allen spa blue here- think barely-there bluegray. It wasn’t until I watched people literally react to how large the space felt that I realised how powerful some colours can be. One little disclaimer before we go any further- not all blues are created equal.
That Pantone electric royal blue that’ll make your patio furniture Instagram pop? Yeah, that will make your windowless powder room feel like the buddy film submarine scene. But whisper blue?
Soft powder blue? Blue-green with just a hint of grey sage? That’s a horse of a different colour.
I’ve done the barely- there blue tile trick in three different bathrooms now. Whether it’s pale bluegray paint on an accent wall, white tile with blue grout, or white penny tile with dusty blue (almost grey!) grout like I used in my current guest bath, people always notice that “something feels different about your bathroom- funnier, brighter, cleaner.” But they can’t quite pinpoint what. And THAT, my friends, is the beauty of using blue toothpaste subtly in your design.
It subtly changes the vibe without screaming LOOK AT ME! THE MID-RANGE BLUE Ah yes, the good ‘ol in between. This is where things like a soft blue painted vanity come into play, or fun blue and white patterned floor tiles.
I painted my built-in vanity in our main bathroom a beautiful greyish blue (Benjamin Moore’s “Cloudy Sky”- it’s gorgeous!) to pop against the white quartz countertops and brass hardware. It gives the room some personality without competing with anything else. (Pro tip: if you ever get tired of it in a few years you can always repaint a furniture piece, but it’s a lot more work to replace an entire wall of tile!) THE BOLD BLUE And then there are times when you just gotta go for it. Like, full-force, death-defyingly bold.
Last year I worked on a master bathroom for a client that did floor to ceiling bluegreen subway tiles in a dark-but-not-navy shade. Sounds kinda intimidating, right? Hear me out.
This room had huge windows that faced east, so it got a TON of morning light. The effect of those blue tiles was like being inside a pool- vacationy, lush, unexpected. But would that tile have worked in a small windowless bathroom?
Nope. Would’ve looked like a bunker. Again- know your space.
Darker blues in tiny, enclosed rooms will feel oppressive. But in the right space they can pack a serious design punch. That was a hard lesson for me when I convinced a client to do navy penny tiles in their basement bathroom.
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It was the blacks submarine from before, only underground. And despite having the best LED recessed lighting we could fit, it still felt smaller and stressful. We kept the navies on the bottom half of the wall, but broke it up with white subway tiles on the top.
Much. Oh- speaking of light! That brings me to an important point about blue bathrooms.
Cool blue+ crappy fluorescent lighting= frightening soul-crushing mirror time every morning. But that same cool blue with nice warm LED recessed lighting that lets you adjust the colour temperature?? Game changer.
I splurged on these smart LED light strip things that go behind my bathroom mirror and love being able to change the colour temperature from cool white for task-focused mornings to warm white for relaxing nighttime baths. If you’re going subtle with blue, you don’t have to worry about mixing too many colours- white towels will always look awesome against blue paint or tiles. If you’re feeling brave, or going bolder with your blue shade, play with adding cream and natural linen shades to your towels and accents.
I’ve even thrown in the occasional coral or mustard yellow for accent pillows or flower pots. Warm pops of colour make blue more elegant and high-end, rather than plain and childish. One fun fact no one tells you about blue bathrooms- they take awesome photos, but they can look freezing IRL if you aren’t careful.
To offset the chill factor I lean heavily on warm woods (think: wooden stool for added bathroom seating, bamboo woven closet rolls, wood framed mirrors,) and at least one warm metal finish. Brass and copper are bahhumbling against almost any shade of blue, in my opinion. Just try not to go too crazy with the metal mixing in a small space- no brassy fixtures with rose gold towel bars, amirite?
Maintenance can really vary depending on how you lean into your blue bathroom. Pale blue paint will show water spots and soap easier than plain white paint, but it’s nothing a damp sponge can’t handle. Dark blue subway tiles in your shower will show EVERY WATER DROP EVER.
And until I started using a daily squeegee I thought I’d have to live with that. Hear me- daily shower squeegee sounds like a total pain. But it takes me about 30 seconds to run that bad boy over the shower walls after I get out and my shower looks AWESOME.
Bonus points if you can hang your shower curtain back up before your spouse gets up to use the toilet. #truestory Cost really depends on how subtle or bold you want to go with blue. A gallon of blue paint is only a few bucks more than white paint. Coloured grout is slightly more expensive than plain white or grey, but not by much.
Painting a vanity or buying blue accessories gets pricey pretty quick if you go crazy, but it’s easy to DIY those things rather than hire someone.
Big budget item? Suburbanite blue tile- but then you get that lovelyblends lovelyblend of blue in your space.
Which I Support. Not ready to take the blue plunge? Don’t overthink it- buy some blue hand towels, a blue shower curtain, or try out some blue soap dispensers.
See how the colour makes YOU feel in your lighting and space. Live with it for a few weeks, and if you love it build on that! If it’s not your style, you never invested much time or money into it. 🤷🏻♀️ Like anything design-related, the best colour decisions you’ll make for your blue bathroom are the ones that work with your lifestyle.
Do you want to feel energized or calm? Light and airy or cozy and enclosed? Do you tend to jump around with styles and trends, or prefer timelessly pieces that you won’t freak out about changing seven years from now?
Know yourself (and your bathroom habits!) first, and the rest will autumn into place.
