Easy bathroom decorating ideas

Looking to refresh your bathroom? Ideal Home shows you easy, clever and purse-friendly bathroom decorating ideas, from vanity units to crates and panels

There are so many beautiful bathroom design ideas out there, it can be hard to decide which one is right for your home. Whatever your style - modern, traditional, minimalist or extravagant - our experts can help you to find your perfect bathroom decor.

Whether you are looking to completely overhaul your bathroom fittings, or just want to modernise with a few well-placed accessories, there are so many ways to redecorate your bathroom.

One of the quickest ways to update is to invest in smart storage. Decluttering your bathroom will create a feeling of space and will help to organise a big family. Choose tall shelving units and allocate a shelf to a different need or family member to make sure your bathroom stays in place: Fresh, clean and decluttered every day.

Add some homely touches to a stark white bathroom with a pop of colour. Bright flooring or tiles will instantly lift all white fittings, as will mutli-coloured soft furnishings. Give your bathroom a Moroccan feel with some richly-coloured accessories: Lanterns, pretty soaps and fluffy towels are inexpensive ways of adding a touch of luxury to your bathroom.

Or choose classic bathroom styles, such as a monochrome colour scheme or country theme and completely redecorate your bathroom. Black and white floor tiles are one of our favourite flooring options and always look chic, even in a tiny space. Or replace a bath panel with tongue and groove, which will look feminine and elegant when paired with floral wallpaper.

1/28 Fit a pretty vanity unit

bathroom basin with storage space underneath

(Image credit: TBC)

Need country-style bathroom storage? Paint a junk-shop low-level cupboard with white eggshell and conceal the plumbing for a countertop basin inside, drilling holes for the tap and waste pipe. Add a few pretty touches, such as a selection of toiletries and a vase or tumbler for fresh flowers.

Vanity unit paint
Crown Paints

2/28 Store towels in a vintage crate

white bathroom with wooden crate and metal shelves

(Image credit: TBC)

Give your bathroom reclaimed style, even if your fixtures and fittings are modern, by adding a vintage crate for your towels. Choose white, brick-shaped tiles for the walls and a square wall-mounted basin.

Similar storage crates
NextBailey's
Similar basin
B&Q
Metro wall tiles
Topps Tiles

3/28 Panel your bath

blue floral wallpaper with blue bathtub

(Image credit: TBC)

Replace an old bath panel with tongue and grove for a vintage country-style bathroom. Either cut planks to size or buy a pre-made bath panel. Paint a calming blue shade, picked out from a floral wallpaper.

Tongue and groove bath panel
B&Q
Painted in Bone China Blue
Little Greene
Antique Rose wallpaper
Cath Kidston

4/28 Add a strip of coloured tiles

white bathroom and shower with tiled basin

(Image credit: TBC)

Inject colour into an all-white bathroom with a strip of 10cm x 10cm feature tiles. Go for a rich aqua shade and team with towels in jewel-bright tones.

Similar countertop basin
Bathstore
Similar glass tiles
Original Style

5/28 Line shelves with wicker baskets

brown shelves with wicker storage and towels

(Image credit: TBC)

Fill open shelving with baskets and neatly folded towels to give your bathroom colour and texture. Allocate each member of your family their own basket of lotions and potions.

Similar shelving
Oak Furniture Solutions
Similar baskets
Dunelm Mill

6/28 Introduce pops of colour

white bathroom with colourful floor and bathmat

(Image credit: TBC)

In an all-white space, change the flooring to a bright rubber design and add bold towels for a quick bathroom update.

Rubber flooring
The Rubber Flooring Company

7/28 Go for slick high-shine white gloss

large bathroom mirror with white basin and vanity unit

(Image credit: TBC)

Brighten up a small bathroom with white gloss units. Keep the wall tiles neutral so you can easily change your accessories for a mini makeover.

Soft Shape basin
B&Q
Cooke & Lewis vanity unit
B&Q

8/28 Style with jewel shades

brown shelves with wicker storage and moroccan lanterns

(Image credit: TBC)

Arrange Moroccan-style accessories on a low-level bench to spice up a traditional bathroom. Lanterns, shallow bowls filled with posh soaps and fluffy towels in rich shades are inexpensive updates.

Molger bench
Ikea
Lanterns
Dunelm Mill

9/28 Pick monochrome for a smart look

black and white bathroom with checked floor and plain walls

(Image credit: TBC)

Go all-out traditional with a chic black and white bathroom look featuring checked floor tiles - finish with a personal touch by printing out family snaps and framing them.

Similar tiles
Topps Tiles
Ribba frames
Ikea

10/28 Try dog-motif wallpapered bathroom

country bathroom with dog motif wallpaper

(Image credit: Future PLC/Daniel Farmer)

Add some character to your bathroom with a patterned wallpaper. This dog motif design is both quirky and fun, while the copper bath and french-style chair add a more traditional touch.

Wallpaper
Thibaut

11/28 Create a bright pink and red bathroom

bright pink and red bathroom with dark wood floor

(Image credit: Future PLC/Carolyn Barker)

Add some contemporary flair to your bathroom with bold colour. Here a traditional toile is brightened up using a palette of pinks and oranges

Curtains
Colefax and Fowler

12/28 Be inspired by this exposed brick bathroom

Exposed brick bathroom with white suite

(Image credit: Future PLC/Simon Whitmore)

Small bathrooms don't always need to be painted in neutral colours. Here, deep blue paint adds interest and depth to an all-white bathroom suite.

Similar wall paint
Dulux

13/28 Go for a black and white bathroom

black and white bathroom with monochrome tiles

(Image credit: Future PLC/Carolyn Barker)

Black and white is always stylish, team with soft accessories to avoid the scheme looking too harsh.

Wallpaper
Cole & Son

14/28 Add a touch of luxury in a grand bathroom

grand bathroom with wooden flooring

(Image credit: Future PLC/Luke White)

Add some opulence to your bathroom with a huge ornate mirror and statement bath.

Bath
Drummonds

15/28 Update a vintage country bathroom

vintage country bathroom with exposed wooden beams

(Image credit: Future PLC/Brent Darby)

Create an antique homely vibe with plenty of rustic funiture, a classic roll-top bath painted in a neutral colour and a vintage cafe curtain.

Paint
Farrow & Ball

16/28 Go for an all-white bathroom

bathroom with white tiles and white vanity unit

(Image credit: Future PLC/Tim Young)

Go for a crisp palette of whites to create a bathroom that is glamorous yet relaxed.

Tiles
Topps tiles

17/28 Create a feminine bathroom

country bathroom with floral wallpaper

(Image credit: Future PLC/Jon Day)

Use pretty wallpaper and a roll top bath to create the ultimate in feminine luxury.

Bath and shower mixer

Catchpole & Rye

18/28 Create a modern, luxurious bathroom

modern luxurious bathroom with marble splashback

(Image credit: Future PLC/Robert Sanderson)

Go for a chic modern look with soft colours and simple lights. Marble around the bath adds a hint of luxury.

Wall lights
Portaromana.co.uk

19/28 Add plants to a small bathroom

small white country-style bathroom with plants

(Image credit: Future PLC/Richard Powers)

Use plenty of plants to warm up an otherwise all-white scheme.

Similar tiles
Topps tiles

20/28 Feature Wall Tiles

coastal Collection tiles

(Image credit: TBC)

Add personality to your bathroom with feature tiles incorporating colour, pattern or texture, or even a mixture of all three. You don’t need to go all-out and cover every surface with them – try using them on a feature wall or lay them around a favourite feature such as the basin.

Similar tiles

Welbeck Tiles

21/28 Polished Nickel Fittings

nickel bateau bath

(Image credit: TBC)

Less shiny than chrome, nickel has a warm and classic finish, which is left unlacquered to develop a beautiful natural patina. It can be found coating baths, framing console basins and even being used to make cisterns for loos, and does a fine job of adding glamour to a more traditional bathroom. It's already a massive hit in the States.

Bateau bath

Catchpole & Rye

22/28 Marvellous Marble

east hampton white marble tiles from fired earth

(Image credit: TBC)

Given they have more than 200 tile ranges, it’s bold for Fired Earth to predict their next best seller, but they reckon it will be the East Hampton white marble. Customers can’t get enough of its upmarket feel, using it in various formats all over the house, but judging from this stunning shot, the bathroom is the place to start.

East Hampton white marble tiles

Fired Earth

23/28 Supersized Shower Heads

lounge rain shower head from porcelanosa

(Image credit: TBC)

Re-create the spa experience with a shower fitting that guarantees you’ll get a good soaking. Just make sure you’ve got enough water pressure, your ceiling can take the weight and that you have a shower tray deep enough to handle the extra spray.

Similar rain shower head

Porcelanosa

24/28 Fittings With Natural Wonder

kreto shower tray from roca

(Image credit: TBC)

Close your eyes and think of a relaxing location. What springs to mind – an idyllic country garden, or a waterfall cascading into a tropical pool? We thought as much and so, it seems, have many bathroom designers. By creating fittings that mimic flowers, leaves, twigs and even dry earth, they’re intending that we turn our bathroom into a soothing sanctuary modelled on Mother Nature.

Kreto shower tray

Roca

25/28 Mixing Old And New

dahl bathroom suite from B&Q

(Image credit: TBC)

We're used to seeing a fusion of old and new designs in kitchens, but B&Q has turned its attention to the bathroom. Its Dahl suite combines the ultimate heritage piece – a roll-top bath – with a sharply-tailored WC and pedestal basins. You can take the look further by mixing modern and traditional brassware.

Dahl bathroom suite

B&Q

26/28 Water-saving Sanitaryware

concept water-saving bath from ideal standard

(Image credit: TBC)

Think carefully about the fittings you’re installing in your bathroom and you won’t just help the planet – you’ll cut your bills, too. As much as 25% of your energy bill comes from heating water for your home, and by installing this low-capacity bath, the average household could be warming up 21,170 litres less water each year – wow!

Concept water-saving bath

Ideal Standard

27/28 Radiator Art

eileen radiator from aston matthews

(Image credit: TBC)

Ever wanted to incorporate artwork into your bathroom but weren’t sure how? Look no further than this satin-aluminium radiator. It works as a unique focal point, provides ample heat either as an electric or centrally heated version, and, most importantly, gives you somewhere to hang soggy towels.

Eileen radiator

Aston Matthews

28/28 Gold Brassware

coral crosshead basin mixer from bristan

(Image credit: TBC)

Gold, the most regal of metallics, usurps chrome or brushed steel as the trendiest finish for bathroom taps. This Neoclassical design is a particularly opulent option.

Similar basin mixer tap

Bristan

Managing Editor

Thea Babington-Stitt is the Managing Editor for Ideal Home. Thea has been working across some of the UK’s leading interiors titles for around 10 years.

She started working on these magazines and websites after graduating from City University London with a Masters in Magazine Journalism. Before moving to Ideal Home, Thea was News and Features Editor at Homes & Gardens, LivingEtc and Country Homes & Interiors.