Bathroom Design Idea: Minimalist Strategies

In a bathroom design with neutral colors and a minimalist decorating scheme, the accent colors you choose can make a big difference in how the room feels.

A few well-chosen accents warm up the minimalist look of this bathroom.

The owners of a modern, minimalist-style home wanted the same decorating style for their bath but without the chill this look can sometimes impart. Choosing a sophisticated palette of taupe, plum, and silver was an excellent start: The color scheme, largely neutral, is warmer and more interesting thanks to the selection of plum as an accent color.

The taupe curtain adds color and warmth.

Crystal vases and large pieces of silver-painted pottery add a few dramatic light-reflective elements to this minimalist space, creating interest without too much softness. Pale floor tiles; a textured glass-block window; and frameless, hardware-free cabinetry create a repeated geometric theme.

To add more warmth and depth without busyness, the walls were ragged and glazed in layers of taupes and ivories to create an aged, faux-stone impression. The result was an added dimension much more appealing than the previously sterile, white walls.

Against the expanse of ivory-white surfaces everywhere, the bright accents of silver and the warm accents of plum and taupe stand out even more dramatically.

If you love a spare aesthetic but want more warmth than a minimalist design can offer, think about the horizontal lines and sculptural fixtures that a modern art design can offer. See the next page for some good examples of a modern-art bathrooms.