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Victorian Bathroom Ideas

Harriet GoodacreHarriet Goodacre

October 25, 0021

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Victorian bathroom design

The ‘bathroom’ as we know it today came together in the late 1800s, innovative sewer systems, running water with indoor plumping and of course, the flushing toilet. The Victorians put their own stamp on the bathroom like every other room in the home, particularly amongst the wealthier homeowners.

 Traditional Victorian bathroom ideas include a copper, zinc, or tin style bath (as the enamelled cast-iron tub wasn’t invented until 1883) and marble sinks. The floor would feature a statement floor tile or a floor rug in an exotic pattern and lively colours and metal pipework on freestanding sanitary ware would be exposed.

 Modern Victorian bathroom ideas take elements of the traditional designs but are usually pared back in comparison to the rich, dark, and bold designs of the Victorian era. Free-standing bathtubs with claw feet are a classic reproduction of this era but you’re more likely to see a simpler tile design and a more neutral colour palette.

 In this blog, we look at Victorian bathroom ideas for both larger and smaller bathrooms to help recreate the unique design era in your own home. Don’t be afraid to take the design and make it your own, you can go full force, or you can just take elements that fit for you. It is a beautiful, adaptable, and functional interior style which will never date. We’ve curated a selection of our favourite Victorian tiles but you can shop our full range of vintage tiles to find the right style for your home.

Small Bathrooms

If you’re working with a small footprint then an intricate pattern on the floor will help draw the eye around the room; the smaller the pattern, the bigger the room will feel. Although any traditional style pattern would fit in the space, it’s a great idea to continue the design into the room’s skirting to help widen the floor space. For this, marble works particularly well.

The Carrara Basket mosaic ticks both requirements, it also links nicely with the rest of the Carrara marble range, including ready-cut skirting. This neutral base allows you to create either a classic neutral palette or to play with colour in the rest of the room.
Victorian bathroom marble
A classic design nod to a Victorian-inspired bathroom is the free-standing claw foot bathtub. This can be tricky in a smaller bathroom but if you’ve got room for a small tub then an exposed shower unit can be used on the adjacent wall. With exposed metal pipework being a key element, these components tick multiple style boxes!

Pair the look with some dramatic tiles. Paint your tub a similar tone to your floor and you will create a more seamless effect and the bathtub will feel less bulky in a small area. Using a darker tone on the floor and working up into a lighter tone will also help draw the eye up and give the room depth.

We love glass tiles on the wall, they help to reflect more natural light and bounce it around the room. 
Victorian bathroom torrano
Tiling only halfway up the wall and then decorating the top half, either with paint or paper, will help a smaller room feel larger. If you’ve used a marble floor and skirting then anything can work on the walls but whatever you choose, the ceiling should be kept in a tonal colour; avoid a visible line between your wall and ceiling, this will chop your room height in half.

If you’re using a monochromatic floor pattern, like Darlington from the Victorian Flooring range, then be a little experimental with your colour choices. We love a clash of pastels with pops of clean white.
Victorian bathroom darlington

Large Bathrooms

Victorian Flooring’s Darlington in blue is a great starting point for an inspiring colour palette, here the moody Sea Mist of the Minton Hollins Roker range beautiful marries the light blue and charcoal black in the floor pattern. The stormy atmosphere is carried on up the wall with the use of a darker, matt paint shade.

 If you’re using colour and pattern together then styles often don’t matter but ensure to keep them in the same colour family, this will bring harmony to different surfaces and be more visually pleasing.
Victorian bathroom Darlington blue
Budget dependent, in a larger space the details are important as they can help bring a scheme together. If you’re opting for a more neutral colour scheme, then it’s important to add in accents of something bold to give the room interest and depth.

If you’re using a light tile, a metal trim like Foundry will not only give the room a professional finish but will help tie in your taps, sanitary ware and styling accessories like mirrors.
Victorian bathroom Bellingham

Do you adore Victorian bathrooms as much as we do? Don’t be afraid to take the design and make it your own, you can go full force, or you can just take elements that fit for you. It is a beautiful, adaptable, and functional interior style which will never date.

 Tried it yourself? We would love to see! Tag us on Instagram with your finished projects @TOPPSTILES

More to explore:

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