Neutral Bathroom Ideas

Harriet Goodacre

March 31, 2022

A neutral-coloured bathroom is a go to for many homeowners, it often ensures more longevity than a coloured scheme, it’s more interchangeable over time with accents of colour and accessories and of course, more appealing when selling your property for those looking for a blank canvas to work with. But this doesn’t mean it can’t be interesting or reflect your personality.

In this blog post we walk you through some neutral bathroom ideas that spark a little creativity with a basic colour palette of white, beige, and grey. We show you how to style them up to not only look nicer but also feel more luxurious. Adding both flair and cash to your home..

White

If you’re sticking to a classic white scheme, then it can easily become a little clinical when mixed with white sanitary ware. We talk you through some hints and tips on how to make white feel lived in, and we don’t mean dirty sealant!

Warm Contemporary

If you’d like a white tile on the wall, then start thinking about its texture and format. A marble effect like Albus is a great way to add interest as it mimics the intricate veining of marble but because it is printed it’s more predictable than the real material and therefore consistent in colour.

Go for a larger tile so there are fewer grout lines allowing the veining to take centre stage. Once you’ve got your tile in place, start introducing your furnishings. To warm up the white scheme we’ve introduced a walnut sink unit with a white marble top to match the tile. The wood tone provides the colour whilst keeping the overall scheme feeling neutral and clean.

Tie in the wood feature with metal accents like a thin black framed mirror, clear and brown glassware and add a little foliage in to break up the fixed shapes, eucalyptus not only looks great but smells good too.

Rustic Minimalism

A minimalistic bathroom is somewhat hard to achieve but if you stick to a base tone and work with texture then you’ll be able to achieve something stunning. Here we’ve paired a rustic brick effect tile, Hartley White with an equally rustic looking gloss tile from the Minton Hollins range. This contrast in finish is what draws the eye in, and the difference in format is what adds the interest.

Work with floating shelves and barely-there mirrors to create the illusion of space and of course, keep all your necessities neatly out of sight in built in storage.

Classic Accents

An easy way to dress white up and make it feel more opulent is firstly to go with a glossy finish in an interesting laying pattern, Zellica White ticks all the boxes, and secondly add in touches of gold or brass in the tapware and accessories.

Keep the luxurious feel by adding in a marble sink top, a built-in unit with a basin on top has 5* hotel vibes.

Dark blue painted bathroom with a hexagon marble tiled floor

Beige

Neutral bathrooms are often associated with beige, and it really is a great tone for achieving a variety of looks, here are some of our favourites.

Neutral Pattern

You can bring a neutral scheme to life by adding in a patterned tile, the pattern should be small and simple (not your typical floral design!) and preferably a matt looking tile, a gloss would be overkill in a neutral scheme. Archivo Crochet is the perfect combination of rustic, graphic and modern, pair it with the coordinating plain tile to break up the pattern and create a random effect.

A simple stone basin and ash toned wooden unit will add to the overall rustic feel of the space. The similar tones work harmoniously together to create a cohesive neutral bathroom scheme.

Coastal Chic

If you want to recreate a coastal feel in your bathroom, it doesn’t have to be white and blue or full of shells (unless that’s your thing). A beige mid-format tile such as Kamber is a classic foundation to build your scheme around. Opt for a wall hung basin, preferably something streamlined, with wall taps. Add in some wood elements, driftwood or oak would work best, and to keep it modern, try a marble mosaic as your backsplash and a large frameless mirror. We particularly love the panelled ceiling painted to match the wall colour for a seamless but homely touch.

Night sky star wallpaper on the ceiling in a white tiled bathroom

Textured Simplicity

As previously mentioned, texture can work wonders in bringing a space to life, especially in a neutral colour scheme. The Suburbia Natural tile replicates the look of terrazzo whilst its earthy tones complement other neutral colours. Its matt finish also makes it feel more cosy and natural than its glossy counterpart. Go for a large format as the feature and then contrast this in your shower with a smaller off-white mosaic.

To darken the scheme for that cosy feel, opt for black sanitary ware and taps but keep them matt to tie the look together.

Grey

There is no particular shade of grey that works best for bathrooms, it purely depends on the look you want to achieve, however different tones really make a difference in the bathroom. Here’s some examples of what to look out for in bathroom tiles.

Cool (toned) Perfection

Abrasio Steel is the perfect cool toned grey. This means it works well with other neutral colours like white and black, ideal for the bathroom. The cement effect lends itself best to a contemporary scheme so stick to slick sanitary ware and add in matt black accents.

Bring in some colour to create a full rounded scheme but stick to similar tones, for example if you want to add some natural greenery then go for a green toned towel to match.

Mix and Match

A great way to dress up a simple grey tile is to contrast it with another whether that be in colour, format, or layout (or all three!) Here we’ve paired the lovely Kelsey Light Grey with Attingham but made sure to choose alternative directions when laying them together. This helps the change in colour and size of tile feel less disruptive to the space, the clean white unitary and sanitary ware ensure the tiles do the talking.

Avoid adding in any more colour into this scheme, to do this opt for frosted lighting and light grey or grey-toned beige accessories, pampas grass works particularly well here.

Striking Layouts

Finally, consider using an unusually shaped tile to add interest. Cliq Silver is a small format cross design that can be laid in a variety of ways depending on the look you want to achieve.

Here we’ve created a diagonal flow to juxtapose the linear units and sink. This is a great tip if you’re looking to make your bathroom feel taller or wider.

By cutting out some of the tiles from the design you can create a graphic feature but also introduce a colour. Here we’ve gone for a neutral feeling blush but the sky’s the limit on what you can do with a grey tile!

Create your neutral bathroom of dreams now by shopping our bathroom tile range online and in store. Need a little more inspiration? Check out our Instagram @toppstiles.

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