Colour combinations for your bathroom

In a bathroom, the main colours are in the fixed materials: the wall finish, the floor, the shower tray and the countertop. Changing them means building work. Towels, mats and objects can be changed in a day.

So the base should be a colour that lasts: white, cream, beige, light grey, stone or wood. The stronger colour goes on what is easy to change. This is the 60-30-10 rule applied to this room:

• 60%: walls and floor.
• 30%: vanity unit, countertop and shower tray.
• 10%: taps, mirror, lights, towels and accessories.

This is the calmest palette, and the one that best suits a small bathroom. Light colours reflect more light and make the room look larger. Cream warms up white and avoids a clinical look.

To create small highlights, add touches of gold: the mirror frame, the taps or a wall light.

Black in the details adds contrast and depth: the shower frame, the taps, the mirror frame. Wood brings the warmth that black and white alone do not have. It is a versatile combination, suiting styles from minimalist to industrial.

A practical point: on matte black surfaces, limescale leaves pale marks that show more than on chrome. In hard-water areas, dry the taps after use.

A white or light marble finish, with taps, handles and accessories in gold. It is the most classic of the 4 combinations, and the brightest.

Here, the quality of the finish matters. On gold taps, a PVD finish resists scratches and wear better than traditional plating, which can lose its colour over time. To keep it, clean with soap and water and avoid abrasive products and scourers.

The brown of wood or of a warm-toned stone creates the most welcoming room of the 4 combinations. Against a light base, the wood stands out.

Wood holds up in a bathroom on 2 conditions: a finish that protects it from water, on the faces and edges, and good ventilation, so that humidity does not build up. Wipe up splashes straight away, with mild soap.

• Small bathroom or no window: cream and white.
• For more contrast: black, wood and white.
• For more light: white and gold.
• For a warm room: brown and white.

To take the same approach to the rest of the home, see the guides How to combine colours and The 60-30-10 rule. For the mistakes to avoid in this room, see 5 things not to do when decorating your bathroom.