Creating an autumnal bathroom

Harriet Goodacre

October 05, 2022

As the night’s get darker, we are instantly drawn to autumnal colours as we find them comforting. So, we’ve created a simple style guide to creating a cosy bathroom with some warm bathroom ideas!

Typically, warm colours for bathrooms create a calm and serene setting, perfect for unwinding in after a long day. So, the first step to creating an autumn bathroom is to choose your colour palette.

The Colour Palette

Dulux Paint L-R: Golden Cookie, Healing Spice, Intense Truffle, Conker, Tuscan Terracotta, Brick Red, Redcurrant Glory, Ruby Starlet, Royal Berry, Deep Aubergine

Traditionally autumn colours in the UK are red, orange and yellow to reflect the changing landscape in the British countryside. However, used in their raw form these colours can feel a little brash, overwhelming, and hard to style so we’ve looked at some alternative shades that will fit the bill, here’s some of our favourite autumnal colours.

We’ve mixed darker and lighter tones together to create dimension across stunning golds, ochres, rich browns and decadent russets. You could also mix these with neutral shades with similar undertones to create light and shade across the scheme.

Styling Your Tiles

Image credits L-R: Torrano Gold, Dulux Intense Truffle & Conker, Zara Home Sage Towels, Butler & Rose Nickel Taps, Zara Home Sage Bath Mat, Zara Home Ceramic Accessories, Mora Walnut.

Next up is choosing your tiles, adding in different textures and finishes will lift the scheme and provide much needed depth.

Your tile choice will not only depend on your colour scheme but also the aspect of your room. If it’s a naturally darker or smaller room then opt for a tile with a glossy finish as this will nicely rebound both natural and artificial light, crucial in those wintry months.

A gold tile can feel a little intense but the off-white base of Torrano Gold helps balance out the intricate, colourful veining. You can also use your fixtures to help tone down the warmth. Here we’ve opted for a nickel metal, it still feels in a similar tone as the gold but not as warm, we’ve further balanced this out by choosing the brown shades of our palette, matched this to the wood effect on the floor and then balanced out the tones with sage in the accessories. You can then bring back the warmth with yellow toned lighting, candles and cream stoneware ceramics.

Image Credits L-R: Dulux Tuscan Terracotta & Brick Red, Flute Terracotta Decor, Hartley Sand, Lights and Lamps Wall Light, Marble Sink, H&M Home Candle, Zara Home Baskets, Zara Home Stool.

Amplify the cosiness by opting for a matt wall tile, interesting surface texture or using a different laying pattern will draw your eye in. A warmed toned tile is key here, so it blends harmoniously with your colour palette.

Go bold with your colour to add a little spice to a bathroom, you can then pare it down using more neutral tones of the same shade, like this wall and floor tile combo, the texture adds interest to a muted palette. Opt for worn brass in your hardware and lighting to create further texture and ground the look with accents of black in different materials such as jute, wood and ceramic. We’ve thrown in a beautifully dramatic calacatta sink as it ties the whole scheme together with its natural cream and black shading.

Image credits L-R: Prossimo, Zara Home Towels, Zara Home Mirror, London Basin Company Sink, Drench Tap, Dulux Redcurrant Glory & Ruby Starlet, Diamante Bone, Design Vintage Soap Dispenser.

For the floor tiles, you definitely want something textured, so it feels nice and comforting underfoot. If you want something smoother then choose luxury vinyl flooring that is suitable for bathrooms. However, we think a wood effect tile is the perfect choice as the realistic, texture-filled grain adds movement to your floor whilst providing those natural autumnal colours. To add that extra cosiness, install some electric underfloor heating, it’s life changing in the winter time!

Mixing berry shades with a rich walnut has traditional interior connotations so we’ve played on that by introducing soft warm neutrals like this rectangular wall tile with a bevelled edge and fluted sink with gold detailing. To juxtapose this, and to avoid it feeling too old fashioned, we’ve then opted for a more modern streamlined mirror and tap style. Adding in twee details such as embroidered towels, reeded glassware and floral artwork creates a feminine and classic feeling space.

Lighting & Scent

The styling is the key element here as it will ensure your space feels seasonal, which also means the space will have longevity as you can change it easily from season to season.

Continue to add texture with natural fibres like jute, rattan and wicker, as well as cosy cotton towels, aged metals and worn ceramics. Your fabric choices are key to creating a cosy bathroom but you can also add to the cosy atmosphere with considered lighting and scent.

Lighting – ensure your using warm tones and go for shaded fixtures for more ambience, wall lights and candles are perfect for an autumn bathroom.

Scent – obviously choose scents that you enjoy but those with a deeper profile such as oud, sandalwood and vanilla will create a foundation then you can add lighter tones of citrus or florals to your taste.

So, there you have it, some warm bathroom ideas for a quick seasonal transformation!

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