BLACK AND WHITE BATHROOMS: YOUR GUIDE TO ACHIEVING THE LOOK

A black and white bathroom commands your attention, enticing you with the symbiotic beauty of juxtaposition. 

From fashion to interior design, black and white has endured fluctuating trends and cemented itself as a timeless colour scheme. It’s beloved for its stylish contrast, where opposites do attract. 

It can make a bathroom feel sophisticated and will outlive even the most popular colour trends of an era. But executing a black and white bathroom isn’t as black and white as it may seem. There’s more to consider than meets the eye, and we’re going walk you through it all with our guide to achieving the look.

The black and white trend is incredibly versatile, and you can express the scheme in almost any way. Before you dive into the striking world of monochromatic palettes, think about what kind of interior design style you want to exude. Industrial, contemporary, Victorian, even coastal can all work within a black and white framework. Choosing what design you want helps the colour scheme take on a life of its own, making your space truly unique.

Focusing on two colours may seem like a straightforward process, but in actuality, there is a lot more nuance to the black and white bathroom than most people think. 

These contrasting colours complement each other perfectly, which extends the range of potential when creating a space. The easiest way we like to approach black and white bathroom design is by segmenting the realm of possibility into three—just for starters.

You can either choose:

1. A well-balanced mix of black and white 
2. A mainly white bathroom with black detailing 
3. A mainly black bathroom with white detailing 

We find that if you pick from these options, it provides a solid footing to run wild with the rest of your plans. 

If you feel just the two colours are lacklustre, grow bolder by expressing them through patterns! Motif floor tiles or backsplashes are a common choice in a monochrome space. For something more traditional, a checkerboard pattern helps achieve a classic black and white bathroom.

Since these areas generally have the most significant dimensions in a space, there’s ample opportunity to get creative. Think of your floors and walls as enormous blank canvases for your ideas.

Do you want some pattern work without a high level of commitment? Try a statement bathmat and towels. These items are interchangeable, so if your style interests fluctuate, you can always choose a new design to work with.

These colours are opposites, which means they embody complete contrast. As mentioned in the previous section, floors and walls are the largest bathroom sections, so using black and white in these areas will be the driving impact for your space.

People generally use one colour on the floor and the other on the walls. White walls make a space feel brighter, with dark floors adding depth. In comparison, black walls give a dramatic and sophisticated feel, with its white floor counterpart balancing intensity.

Tapware is a wonderful opportunity to express a bit of colour. Since tapware finishes tend to lean to the metallic side, they won’t clash with your monochrome scheme—if you choose the right ones. We have found that incorporating silver or gold fixtures works best. 

The tone of silver adheres to the coolness found in both black and white, enhancing a modern black and white bathroom. Our pick for silver tapware is brushed nickel, as its subtle brushed texture is not just unique but conceals marks better than chrome or stainless steel. 

We have an enormous range of bathroom tapware in brushed nickel that would look fantastic in a black and white bathroom, and you can browse the collection here. 

For a darker graduation of brushed nickel, brushed gunmetal is great for added depth and contrast. You can find all of our brushed gunmetal products here.

As for gold tapware, its supreme radiance makes a space feel elegant and opulent. It adds a pop of colour to a black and white bathroom without taking away from the drama. Our favourite gold tapware finish is brushed brass, as we think it sits perfectly in the middle of light-gold and yellow-gold. 

Our brushed brass tapware has the potential to give a black and white bathroom a point of difference, and you can view our entire collection here!

If you’re not interested in branching out of the black and white range, some tapware brands have what you’re looking for. At ABI Interiors, we are very big fans of monochromatic spaces, and we have a wide range of both matte black and white tapware.

To view our matte black fixtures click here, and for our white fixtures, you can find them here.

Why stop at tapware? Match all your fittings and fixtures to create a strong highlight in your black and white bathroom. 

Many items can be paired with the finish of your tapware, so here are some areas of potential. 

• Towel rails. We suggest the Elysian Single Towel Rail or the Milani Heated Towel Rail.
• Toilet roll holders. We suggest the Elysian Toilet Roll Holder.
• Hand towel holders. We suggest the Elysian Hand Towel Holder.
• Cabinetry pulls. For something quirky, we suggest the Imes Cabinetry Pull. For something more contemporary, we suggest the Tezra Cabinetry Pull.
• Shower rails. We suggest the Finley Shower Rail Set.
• Sink and floor wastes. We suggest the Avi Pop-Up Waste for sinks and the Pixi Tile Insert Floor Waste for floors. 

Whether natural or artificial, lighting is essential in any bathroom, but even more so in a black and white bathroom.

Their combination is interesting because the two colours absorb light in an entirely different matter. Black colours absorb most light but reflect none, which is why their tone is so dark. It’s the opposite for white. So when you light a black and white bathroom, a fascinating process is happening!

Sufficient lighting does improve the overall brightness, but it also helps to create an added dramatic contrast which makes the space even more remarkable.

Styling your black and white bathroom is where your initial design choice gets to shine. Mirrors, vases, toothbrush holders, bathmats, light fixtures and other things you want to incorporate all have an opportunity to personify your taste. 

For a more in-depth discussion into building your black and white bathroom, especially for help with fixtures, you can contact our friendly ABI Interiors team for a design consultation here.