A Guide to the 2019 Bold Black Bathroom Trend
The days of subdued colors and spa-like bathroom designs may be at an end. Modern bathroom designers are loving bold colors, large format patterns, and unique features that really stand out.
With black being the new black, it’s time to incorporate some of the top onyx design features into your own bathroom environment. If you’re wondering exactly how to create a sophisticated Stygian space, read on here for some useful tips.
Metallic Accessories
You might love the big, bold black elements in your bathroom, but that’s no reason to shun every other color. Some of the best hues to mix in, that won’t dilute the impact of a midnight bathroom, are brushed metallic details. Depending on the undertones of your black shades, you could be looking at a variety of options including:
- Antiqued Silver
- Polished Silver
- Brushed Brass
- Patina-ed Bronze
- Polished Copper
- Medium Gold
- Brushed Nickel
Metals can be introduced in a number of places — from your faucet and cabinet handles to wall sconces and accessory sets. They’ll give your eyes a break from all that black and add tiny points of interest throughout the space.
Paint, Tile, & Paper
There are innumerable options when it comes to the backdrop of your bathroom. With paint, tile, wallpaper, marble, and everything in between available to you, you’re only limited by your imagination and your budget.
For those who love rustic decor, dark stained wood may be the way to go. If you prefer a polished, clean look, matte tile and veined marble are your go-to materials. There’s even a style for the bohemian spirits out there that utilizes brushed and feathered painting techniques to bring more life into the space.
While you might not have considered it, for those on a budget, the bathroom is one of the best places to experiment with applying wallpaper. You can explore ready-made patterns with an inky basis that allow you to introduce other colors as accents into your space.
Mirror Details
Black is a light absorbing color, so to counteract this dimming effect, glass elements and mirrors are essential. Bouncing the available light around the room helps make your space feel larger and less claustrophobic.
Since you’re probably going to want to apply makeup, fix your hair, and generally touch up your appearance while you’re in the bathroom, mirrors are a critical element. You can opt for a frameless mirror to avoid any unwanted additional colors, but it could be a creative challenge to match your mirror with whichever metallic accents you’re introducing in your faucets, handles, and sconces.
Shades of Black
Just because your primary color is black, doesn’t mean you are trapped with one shade. There are myriad shades, tones, and hues that range from charcoal, soot, and onyx to ebony, sable, and obsidian. There are blacks with warm undertones and blacks with cool undertones that can completely change the way your bathroom feels. Blacks that have a brown, rust, or grey base will keep your bathroom warm and create a more intimate space. Blacks that have a blue, green, or purple base are cooler colors that produce an aloof, austere environment.
Visit your local hardware store or compare swatches online to start differentiating between the many types of black. You’ll probably discover that you do have a preference for the perfect shade. Comparing colors will also ensure you can properly mix and match blacks for the variety of accents and elements you introduce into your space.
Playing with Texture
There are two ways you can play with texture in your bathroom: within your black elements or with external accessories. Choosing materials that mimic woodgrains, brush strokes, and marble veins can help break up the monotony and create asymmetrical visual excitement — all while maintaining the comprehensive black backdrop. For textural elements other than your black walls, look at your towels, hampers, countertops, and other accessories to define the space. Woven seagrass, natural wood cabinets, tiled soap dishes, and ribbed glass containers are unique choices that help you design a space that speaks to you.
Eye on the Finish
Depending on where you implement your black features, you can play with a few different finishes. The most popular places to explore finishes include tiles and paint.
For your tiles, your finish options include glazed, glossy, matte, textured, unglazed, honed, lappato, and polished. Each has its own pros and cons that contribute to making them more durable, efficient, and effective. Often, the glazed, polished, and glossy finishes create a stain resistant, easy to clean coating. Matte or textured finishes are best on walls and floors due to their scratch resistant and anti-slip tendencies.
When it comes to paint, you can choose from flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and high-gloss finishes. Flat finishes look sophisticated but don’t necessarily clean well in a bathroom environment. The eggshell finish offers a decorative touch due to its low luster, and it cleans much better than a flat finish. A satin finish provides a washable (not scrubbable) surface that’s ideal for woodwork, walls, and doors. The semi-gloss and high-gloss finish options are very similar, as they give your bathroom a subtle shine, but high-gloss offers a durable, stain resistant coating.
Let There Be Light
Because black shades swallow light, you have to be very strategic with your lighting placement. If you have a number of options, explore those that have a further reach, like vanity lights, under cabinet LEDs, and large pendant lights. Choose amber-hued lighting and bulbs that burn at 2700 Kelvin, as opposed to blue-ish white lights with a tendency to glare off of shiny surfaces and blind you.
Keep it Bold
Just because black is such a bold color, doesn’t mean you should shy away from making daring decisions. With so many augmented reality design tools available at a number of online stores, you have the chance to change every minute detail of your bathroom blueprint before committing to a particular material, color scheme, or contractor. Take a chance on one of the most important spaces in your home, and fabricate a fearless bathroom where you wouldn’t mind spending hours luxuriating in a tub.
About the Author:
Katie Tejada is a writer, editor, and former HR professional. She enjoys writing about events, travel, decorating trends, and innovations for the home, but also covers developments in HR, business communication, recruiting, and CRM solutions.
Images:
Leave a Reply