Stylish Black and White Bathroom Ideas

If you're looking to add a long-lasting touch of style to your bathroom, black and white is the perfect colour combo.

There are many ways to use these two tones in a bathroom to create a look that is perfect for you. Whether you want a luxury modern or a traditional style, these colours can help you achieve it.

Take a look at some of the best black and white bathroom ideas and inspirational design tips to get started!

Is a black and white bathroom a good idea?

In short, yes! In long, here’s why.

There are a few reasons we love the black and white bathroom look and you will, too.

 

 

Time after time, it’s a winning design

First up, it’s a classic.

White has been featured as a staple bathroom colour choice since the dawn of time.

As a clean, energising colour that attracts natural light and allures the feel of more space, it's always been a go-to option for homeowners and interior designers looking to establish a peaceful, retreat-like environment within the home.

When contrasted against black, white comes to life.

The two colours intrinsically work together to create a timeless, yesteryear look while bringing your bathroom up-to-date with modern trends and design.

As opposite colours, they fuse together to create balanced and harmonious symmetry with minimalistic, yet elegant and authentic charm.

A highly achievable, low-cost bathroom option

Celebrate simplicity at its finest with black and white.

These colours lend themselves to achieving a beautiful up-market look for less, without cheapening the style and feel of your bathroom.

It’s a palette of choice that works for a range of budgets.

So, if you have a limited budget to play with and are looking for a cost-effective bathroom option that you’ll love for years to come, this is a fantastic doable design idea that won't break the bank.

 

A buildable bathroom of dreams

If you’re stuck for ideas or unsure which colour scheme to choose, black and white is the way to go.

This colour combo offers an utterly buildable foundation.

And by that, we mean there’s so much opportunity further down the line to add to and change the aesthetic of your space without ripping the bathroom out and starting again.

As one of the most forgiving and undemanding bathroom styles, you can have fun bringing new dynamics and colours to the style mix and changing up the look and feel as trends, preferences and seasons change.

Are black and white bathrooms out of style?

While bathroom trends drift in and out, and new colour choices come to light, black and white have and continue to offer consistency in their together-approach.

The monochrome look has never failed to stand the test of time.

In fact, it's now one of the leading palette preferences when it comes to interior design.

And how do we know this?

The answer is simple; demand.

Retailers are seeing a substantial spike in sales across black and white bathroom products, with favoured features on this year’s hot list including matt black taps and showers.

As we’re all getting a little more creative about how and where we use black across the bathroom, it seems that black is not just back, but it’s here to stay.

 

How to achieve a black and white bathroom

Here are a few key questions to ask yourself to ensure that you’ll achieve a look that will be loved for years to come.

First up: How much black do you want in your bathroom?

Choose which colour will predominantly feature across your bathroom space.

Will black take centre stage as the primary colour alongside a few smaller glimmers of white?

Will you aim for a 50/50 monochrome approach?

Or, will white stand out as the main colour, with dabbles of black adding detailed contrast as the accent colour?

 

There’s no right or wrong way of doing it, but there are a few things to consider.

Remember black tones will draw a lot of natural light, creating a more closed and intimate feel when used heavily as the main colour. White, on the other hand, has the opposite effect.

Establish what kind of feel you want your bathroom to give off and how the saturation of black and white will achieve this.

Keep in mind that every bathroom is different.

Size, shape, natural light, window and door placement and layout differ from bathroom to bathroom. What works in one bathroom, may feel out of place in another.

 

Next: where do you want to feature black across your bathroom?

Once you’ve considered how black and white should be balanced throughout your interior, the fun part starts.

It’s time to choose how you’ll feature the colours across your space. Here are a few ideas you might want to try…

 

Black taps and showers

For small quantities of black that make a big impact, opt for black taps and showers.

These bathroom features work well to add subtle yet protruding black detailing. It’s a much softer approach that still enables you to create a striking two-tone balance between white tiles and basins to achieve an enhanced feel of sophisticated monochrome luxury.

Because black shower heads, kits and taps are now available in a range of styles with variations in shape and detailing, there are plenty of opportunities to explore different geometrics to accomplish a beautifully vibrant and engaging space.

 

Feature wall in black

Are you blessed with an abundance of natural light and taller ceilings? A large black feature wall is the ultimate statement piece that you may wish to consider.

Create a feature wall in a number of ways.

Paint is one option. But, for something extra special and hardwearing, wall panels are the way to go.

Don’t forget, like any colour, black has a huge spectrum of shades. These can be explored across a selection of wall panel designs.

From midnight black with speckles of sparkle and soulful slate to majestic marble and gracious granite, find your favourite and make it your own across your bathroom space.

 

 

Smaller bathrooms don’t have to miss out on the feature-wall action. Instead, take a different approach.

You could incorporate an impressive black feature behind a shower or on a smaller area of the wall to add a bold and dramatic feel without making a room feel enclosed.

Or, instead split the wall in half. Feature dark black wall panels at the bottom half of the wall, and bright white panels at the top.

This half-and-half look will maintain the feel of an open and light space at eye level, whilst black tiles up to waist height will work to contrast against any white furniture and fittings such as toilets, baths and basins.

 

Black bathroom furniture and toilet seats

To create a stand-out look, without extracting natural bathroom light, why not investigate how black bathroom furniture can be used throughout your bathroom?

With a plethora of black vanity, storage, WC and mirror units, this is one of the smoothest ways to create a synchronous transcend between darker and lighter gradients.

And, to top off the look, opt for a black toilet seat, which is another flawless contrasting use of colour against a china white toilet.

 

 

Make a big splash with a black freestanding bath

These free-flowing bathroom features demonstrate real curve appeal with a bold and theatrical twist. Their softening silhouettes add ever-more sensory appeal to a black and white bathroom space while creating an elegant focal point that never fails to impress.

If you have plenty of room to play with but are stuck for design ideas, the black freestanding bath is a fantastic elevating core feature to start with.

From here, allow the rest of the bathroom design process to flow, using this stand-out feature to provide a balanced and tranquil theme throughout your space.

 

Wondering what to do with the ceiling? Paint it black

It’s different, but it’s cool.

For an out-of-the-box way to experiment with black, look up. Using the ceiling is an excellent way to create an expressive black and white bathroom look, whilst making use of all the surfaces and space around you.

This interior design technique is popular in older buildings that boast gorgeous tall ceilings and large windows.

Dramatise the look when you add a pendant light, with a large gold or white light shade. This will create more depth, whilst illuminating the space with a beautiful glowy tinge.

The finishing two-tone touches

Once you’ve established how you’re to use black across core bathroom features, furnishings and decoration, it’s time to think about those all-important little extras that create a 360-appeal.

When using just black and white in a bathroom, we can’t emphasise enough just how important texture is.

Without careful thought and attention to detail, two-tone bathrooms are at risk of looking clinical and flat.

Incorporating different patterns, materials and tones will help establish small pockets of detailing across the room, creating a multi-sensory space full of stimulating, 4D visual features.

 

 

Don’t be afraid to get bold and spoil your senses by choosing edgy and captivating patterns and textures when selecting blinds, shower curtains, door handles, towel rails and smaller accessories such as soap dishes and toothbrush holders.

For other great spots to drip feed black across your bathroom design, consider painting any doors, skirting boards, picture rails or dado rails.

 

What colour goes best with black and white bathrooms?

One key bonus of black and white bathrooms is that there are options to colour outside of the lines.

Colours that work well with black and white include:

 

Green

Naturally simple, plants offer an evergreen enchanted enhancement to a black and white space. From small succulents to large spider plants, little leaves of green stimulate a feeling of freshness and well-being whilst delicately lifting a monochrome space.

 

Gold

For a warm metallic mix, incorporate gold or brushed brass. In keeping with a traditional look, brassy taps, showers, toilet flush handles and door handles can help to create a luxurious flow, drawing the eye to subtleties and thought-about details across your bathroom space.

 

Explore a range of colours

Just because you’re basing your bathroom design around these staple colours, it doesn't mean you can't tap into the colour wheel.

Really, you can have what you like, but the keyword to remember is moderation.

The best colours are those that create a striking contrast between both black and white.

Ruby red, mustard yellow, flamingo pink, sapphire blue and even lime green are bold and playful choices that provide an opportunity to express a bit of your own personality through colour.

How do you spruce up your black and white bathroom?

If you already have a black bathroom and are looking for ways to give it a small facelift, there is lots you can do.

Add some colour

We already know that black and white bathroom interiors are particularly welcoming of other bright colours, so why not add a splash of your favourite shades?

This doesn't have to mean painting a wall or replacing tiles.

A little colour spruce-up is much easier than you think when you start small. Add and change up colours as you feel like it with a range of accessories including towels, artwork, toothbrush pots, and soap dishes.

Or for something a little more permanent, think about changing one or two core furniture pieces.

This is a quick, minimal fuss, maximum effect approach to changing your bathroom’s energy and extending homely personalisation into your bathroom space.

 

Add more black

If you held back on your use of black previously and feel like there’s room for more, then why not go for it?

Increase the impact of black in your bathroom space by adding a black feature wall.

Choose a quiet-looking wall, and opt for black tiles or wall panels to enrich the character of a previously unconsidered vertical space.

For a finish that oozes glamorous charm, paint the ceiling black. Many are surprised to find out how this simple, yet bold move can make a big difference to a bathroom space, particularly when contrasted against black and white flooring and bathroom furniture.

 

A summary of black and white bathrooms

No bathroom is too big or too small to embrace the monochrome look. Extract the best out of your space by enhancing natural light with white, and creating characterful contrast with bold and beautiful black.

Keep the texture alive by incorporating different textures and patterns throughout your furniture, flooring, wall panelling and accessory choices.

And don’t forget, propellant pops of colours can really enhance a black and white bathroom look whilst adding a meaningful personal touch to your bathroom space.