Pure Joy: Design An All White Kohler Bathroom

Most of us think of white as a classic colour that matches everything and never goes out of style. That’s one of the reasons it’s such a popular choice for home décor. At first glance, it might be hard to tell the difference between the many shades of white. But understanding the range of this powerful hue can change the way you use the classic “white-on-white” in your home—specifically in the bathroom.

Pure as the Driven Snow

Barbara Kalis, a Seattle-based interior designer and colour consultant, says people are drawn to all-white bathrooms because we associate white with purity, health and hygiene. “It looks so clean,” she says, “and that’s what we do in bathrooms; we get clean.”

If you’re thinking about using an all-white scheme for your bathroom, consider using a broad palette of whites instead of just one and vary texture for the best effect.

“When you’re working with whites, you want to look at honed, brushed and tumbled as well as shiny surfaces,” says Kalis. “You can combine those textures relatively easily in an all-white bathroom.” For example, if your toilet, sink and bathtub are glossy white, you could use a matte-finish tile for the tub surround and backsplash, and perhaps a tumbled stone tile for the countertop.

Add Interest

Fixtures are also available in texturally interesting whites. The combined neutral colours and organic materials add extra depth and character to traditional white fixtures.

Decorative glass shower doors can create variety and additional visual interest. By gently obscuring the transparency of the glass with subtle patterns, the play of light, shadow, steam and water, combine to achieve beautiful effects without a hint of colour.

Colouring in Between the Lines

If you’re thinking about combining colours with white—using colours as an accent in your primarily white room, or using white as the accent in a colour scheme—you’ll want to keep warm and cool colour families in mind.

Pastel Schemes

If you’re starting from scratch and plan to use white as the main colour in your bathroom, make it simple and choose the white you like best. Kalis recommends a softer white, rather than a stark one. Once you’ve selected a white, look for accent colours that coordinate with its yellow or blue base.

Add a blue tile tub surround and countertop or maybe just a few blue decorative tiles in the backsplash.

Or you can keep all of your bathroom surfaces white—walls, tile, fixtures and flooring—and add colour with rugs, towels and art. That way, you have the option of changing accent colours whenever the mood strikes you.

Create a perfect bathroom with Kohler.