Blue and white, white and black, pink and beige. Your typical bathroom is understated and calm. But, who says the bathroom has to be boring and can’t be fun? Changing your home’s décor isn’t limited to choosing between pastels and floral patterns. Get inspired to make a statement during your remodeling efforts by considering these 10 fun and unusual bathroom themes:
Pop culture. Decorators seeking nerd chic have made news with their bathroom designs. Would it tickle your fancy to have a “Super Mario” bathroom — sky blue walls or maybe brick levels painted on the wall? How about “Star Wars” character tile mosaics in your shower?
Rotating holidays. When you’re remodeling your bathroom, use neutral colors and fixtures — so you can easily swap around holiday decorations during the year. Search for themed towel and shower-curtain ensembles to use on a holiday-based schedule. Entertain your creative side by thinking of other ways to add to the décor.
Aquatic. Another name for the bathroom is the “water closet,” so why not embrace a submarine theme for your bathroom? You don’t need to stop at a seashell soap dish. Creative home decorators can stencil images of marine life onto aquamarine walls, sourcing mirrors framed with mother of pearl mosaic, and hanging photos of fish on the walls. If you have the space for it, set a goldfish or beta bowl on the shelf.
Favorite brands. Take your love affair with your favorite brand to a new level by creating an homage to their product, logo or mascot. Use the company’s color scheme as inspiration for your paint and tile choices, and search for branded swag online you’re your brand doesn’t usually make bathroom products with its logo, consider how you can improvise by customizing plain products with stickers and decals.
City theme. Sometimes in the bathroom, we’d rather be somewhere else. Create a tribute to your favorite city. Frame photos or postcards from your town of choice or paint the skyline on the wall. Souvenir items from a vacation there can be utilitarian as well as decorative — use place-specific coffee mugs as toothbrush holders, for example. The city’s most famous sports team might inspire a color theme as well.
Country theme. If you’re a world traveler at heart, embrace a whole country in your bathroom’s theme. Look to your ancestral heritage for inspiration or to your bucket list. Flags, maps and native handicrafts are good items to start your theme with. If your country of choice has a ceramics industry, include one or two featured tiles from that nation on your shower walls or inset into your countertops.
Time period. Choose a decade or an era to base your design around. Do you like ’70s music? Lava lamps and shag bathroom mats might complement your theme. A fan of Victorian England? Floral printed wallpapers and brass fittings may work for you.
Hobbies. Think about ways you can bring your favorite pastime into your decorative plan. Cyclists could frame a maillot jaune from the Tour de France, sports fans can work pennants and team colors into the theme or you can recreate a scene from a video game, as one household of “World of Warcraft” players did. If your hobby involves creating something, don’t be shy about displaying your own artwork or handicraft in your home.
Color theme. For a less time-intensive theme to create, choose a color and work your bathroom theme around that. Paint one wall lime green and the rest white, and alternate green and white tiles in the shower.
Nature theme. Perfect for an eco-conscious household: Go natural in your bathroom. Choose wood and stone accents for your tile work and cabinetry, and stick to a color palette that is reminiscent of the forest. If you can, maximize on natural light to give your bathroom a more outdoorsy feel.
Image from Flickr’s Creative Commons
About the Author: Writer Kenna Watson has loved home décor ever since her parents let her paint the bathroom she shared with her siblings when she was 12. Kenna has more than 10 years’ experience as an interior decorator.