I came across it as I was waiting for the steam to dissipate after my shower. It loomed there mockingly on the wall: an empty patch of plaster begging for something, anything, to fill it. Every room in your house should tell a story about you, and your bathroom was slowly revealing itself as the only exception to this rule.
It had become completely functional. There were stylish-but-not-too-bold choices in colour and décor, like the ceramic subway tiles we selected together. But the moment I stepped in the shower and wiped the steam from the mirror, I was met with a gaping hole in my carefully curated life.
You know how some rooms in your house are missing that ‘something special’ to make them feel complete? Our powder room was that something.
It was impeccable.
From the dark wood flooring to the sleek, floating vanity, everything was planned down to the toilet paper holder. I had even managed to fill every inch of wall space with glorious subway tile. But as I rinsed the shampoo from my hair, I realised that while my bathroom ticked every box on the wish list for a stylish space, it was sorely lacking in personality.
This wasn’t the first time I’d thought about filling those barren walls with art. Believe me, I had given this some serious consideration. I just never quite knew where to start.
Artwork for bathrooms can be a bit of an unexpected challenge if you don’t know what you’re doing. The wrong type of materials can mock you with warp marks and stains while the wrong style can age you quicker than fine print on an insurance contract. Don’t get me wrong – I love art as much as the next girl, but someone should have warned me about how difficult it can be to decorate a bathroom before I got started.
After wasting way too much money on watercolour prints that turned to mush in a matter of weeks, I decided to do some serious research into what *actually* works in a bathroom. For my year anniversary in the house, I vowed to finally turn my bathroom into a stylish oasis that wouldn’t shed all its bits and bobs after three days. Here’s what I learned about bathroom art that you should know before you get started: It turns out that there are plenty of materials that can survive the daily abuse of a hot shower.
And thanks to some talented artists out there, you don’t have to sacrifice style for function either. I found that art behind glass was a good place to start. Not only did the outer barrier protect my pieces from humidity, but it was also super easy to clean!
One of my favourite bathroom decor items is a vintage-inspired print that I moved from our bedroom to the guest bathroom. It’s the same print, but the bathroom frame has glass fronts while the one in our bedroom does not. Six months and many, many hot showers later, there’s not a single sign of wear while its muted counterpart is starting to show spots. *Hint hint eye roll* Canvas and acrylic-based paint are surprisingly another winning combination.
The heavy fibrous texture of canvas stands up well to moisture, and many artists use acrylic paint which is basically plastic so that death shower hasn’t killed it yet. I bought this abstract print from a local street fair. It’s shades of blue-grey with squiggles that remind me of water without actually looking like water (which can be tough to resist around the bathtub).
Painting felt like a natural choice since I knew it could handle humidity just fine. The artist had sealed it with some sort of varnish which helped to protect it even further. Speaking of big…this may sound like an advertising slogan, but *size does matter* when it comes to art in small spaces.
I loved this print as much as the next gal. Botanical drawings have been really popular ever since I was in junior high and forced to draw the human genome for art class. But when I hung it above my toilet, it ended up dwarfing my small bathroom instead of complementing it.
And let me tell you, when you’re brushing your teeth before work at 6am, you really don’t need a monster fern staring back at you. You want art that fills your space, not overwhelms it. Aside from taking up too much real estate, I also discovered that there are certain spots you want to avoid hanging art in the bathroom.
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Pro tip: The open wall across from the toilet is a great place to fill with art because you’ll inevitably be looking at it regardless of what you’re doing. Hang something pretty over the sink and you’ll just be annoyed every time you try to apply eyeliner. Unless you plan on taking a bath every time you brush your teeth, hanging low is never a good idea either.
Keep art high and away from the shower to avoid moisture damage. This one drove me nuts until I figured it out. Don’t hang your precious pieces with regular old picture hanging hardware.
I don’t care how stainless the screws or nails are – they will rust. Try to find picture hanging kits with stainless steel screws or where the screws are plated with plastic. They may cost a smidge more but you’ll save yourself the heartache of rust spotting on your walls.
Command strips can also be used in bathrooms if your art is lightweight enough. The five-pound picture of my puppy isn’t going anywhere, but those dollar store posters? I’ll be snapping those up in no time.
Not all art has to be framed and hung on a wall. I’ve found some pretty unique pieces at thrift stores that work great on shelving. My collection of vintage medicine bottles has become one of my favourite parts of our bathroom.
The sun hits them just right in the mornings and makes the room feel extra magical. Look for objects that you can display instead of necessarily pictures you have to hang. You might be surprised what you can find.
Pressed flowers, anyone? Of all of the art in our bathroom, this is actually the piece I’m most proud of. It wasn’t expensive, took minimal effort, and I feel totally badass knowing that I made it myself.
I grabbed some cheap frames from the craft store (cost me about £5 each) and pressed flowers from our yard between some heavy books (hello wedding magazines, I’ve found a new use for you!). Leave them for a couple of weeks and voila! Not a ton of humidity damage since it’s not exposed to the shower, but it still helps fill that empty space on my wall.
Black and white photography is also a great choice for bathrooms. There are some seriously amazing black and white photographers out there, and your bathroom is the perfect place to showcase their work. I have a series of three small black and white prints that are close ups of shells I photographed while on vacation.
It doesn’t have to be revolutionary or world-changing art to look good in your bathroom.
Creating a gallery wall felt oddly overwhelming. Like, how was I supposed to pick *just one* piece of art that I loved?
I decided to go big and ended up with…a lot. Before you know it, you’ve covered every square inch of your wall creating a cluttered collage that will make your small bathroom feel even smaller. Keep odd numbers of art pieces grouped together and leave some negative space between them to create a more polished look.
Hang too many pieces that match or complement each other and it will feel forced. Instead of buying art that perfectly matches the grey in your subway tiles, look for pieces that have similar cool tones. They don’t have to be exact matches, but they should feel like they were made for each other.
Trust me, I wanted to tear all of our bathroom walls down and start from scratch when I first got started. But the right pieces that can stand up to humidity and heat can truly make your bathroom shine. Maybe that sounds cheesy…but I love walking into our bathroom now and seeing artwork that makes me smile.
Or at least not cringe.
