When someone walked into my guest bathroom for the first time and said “This feels like a cave”, I wanted to hide. Literally crawl into the toilet and never come out. I’d painted those walls charcoal grey over three agonising weekends convinced I was going for moody and modern.
Spoiler alert: I had actually managed to craft the claustrophobic opposite of my original vision. I told you the guest bathroom; this is the main bathroom. And guys… I learned from my mistakes.
Now no one mentions caves when they visit. In fact, people love this bathroom more than any other in my flat.
They linger. (*pause for you to throw tomatoes* People linger in their bathrooms!
Hear me out.) Guests ask what paint I used on the walls. Where I found the mirror. How on earth did I make a tiny bathroom feel so… intentional?
TLDR: Dark bathrooms are a thing, and they’re actually brilliant if you do them right. Painting yours dark doesn’t mean wall-mounting mushrooms and wearing a robe à la The Witch. It means understanding that dark colours need different supports than their lighter counterparts.
Let me explain… Design recommendations will have you believe dark bathrooms are inherently problematic. They’ll say it’ll make the room feel small, drab, and that sticking to white or beige tiles is risky. Years living with navy, charcoal, and yes – black grout, have taught me nothing about decorating bathrooms is set in stone.
Literally. Dark walls and flooring can help your bathroom feel luxurious, calming, and yes, even larger – when executed correctly. Light is going to be your best friend when decorating a dark bathroom.
Lots of it. Bright lights. And bulbs that distribute those bright lights evenly.
When I first attempted the dark bathroom (see above), I had one overhead fixture with a yellowish light that cast shadows on everything. Uh oh. These days I have at least three light sources in my dark bathrooms: Strip lighting behind the mirror.
Guys… this made the biggest difference. I don’t leave my lights on all day Instagramming my sink like some people I know, but every morning when I flick the switch it feels like a spa. LED strip lights cost about £45 from Screwfix and are a total game-changer.
Combine them with a smart lighting system and you can set the vibe from your bed. A proper light over the mirror. This should be obvious, but it’s amazing what shadows a traditional pendant light will cast under your chin.
Instead, go for a broad forehead-to- chin light that evenly distributes brightness. I never thought I’d say this but add an actual table lamp. Yes, in your bathroom.
I sound like a mystical guru but bear with me – it’s the final piece of the puzzle. I got mine in brass with a white shade from West Elm (£89, probably worth every penny), but any lamp will do. Ikea has tons of cheap options and so does Amazon.
The trick is placing it on a floating shelf about shoulder-height so it throws that cozy glow around. Don’t put it too close to the sink or bathtub, but that should be common sense. Warm light, people.
Reflections are your friend. Like light, this wasn’t obvious to me until I lived in a bathroom with literally no reflective surfaces. Mirrors, tile, fixtures; if it gleams, it helps.
A large mirror should be a given, but try swapping matte tiles for glossy ones. I love dark green subway tiles in a crackle glaze from Tile Mountain — they almost look black in dim lighting but help bounce any bit of brightness around the room. Chrome faucets instead of matte black.
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They photograph 100 times better, but they also help elevate your space. Same thing goes for glass vs. wood or metal shelves. After living with an open shelf that practically disappeared against my dark walls I added this three-tier glass shelf from Amazon (£12) and it honestly changed everything.
Light reflects off it from all angles, and while it’s pretty subtle it instantly made that corner of the room feel less heavy. Speaking of heavy…I said dark accents, not dark everything. It’s like wearing all black and thinking it’ll look chic.
Sure, but only if you’ve got a menswear model’s waist-to-chest ratio. Throw in a white towel and everyone will notice your dark sweatpants. Instead, add cream and sage green towels.
Splurge on that blush pink bathmat you saw online. Nothing’ll pop more against those charcoal walls than a few unexpected bright accents. Hang on — bright accents?
Yes! White doesn’t have to be the only bright colour in your bathroom. Hell, throw in a few pops of colour that complement your dark walls.
A small plant (even if it’s a hardy pothos that can survive nuclear winter), white or light stone soap dispensers, or artwork with white mats in light wood frames. I picked up three small botanical prints to hang in my navy bathroom — vintage herb illustrations that are black ink on cream paper framed in pale oak. They were £8 each from an Etsy print shop but add such a considered touch to the whole room.
Dark colours help camouflage dirt. Case in point: water spots. While glossy surfaces help reflect light, they also hide the edges of things.
Buy that beautiful woven bamboo basket, but put it on a white wall and those dark edges are going to draw attention right to it. Instead, go for brass or chrome hooks to minimize how many things you’re “hanging” on your walls. Get creative with open shelves and storage that has some visual weight – like a wooden storage stool that doubles as extra seating and towel storage.
Dark paint is heavier than lighter tones. Bear with me – I promise this elegantly bridges into heated towel rails. Because while dark colours may be better at hiding dirt, they can also make a small space feel heavy and closed in.
Warm light helps. So does picking the right dark shade. But I also found that adding a small heated towel rail… made my bathroom. (Not hotel standard where they take up an entire wall of your bathroom, I mean a small chrome rail from Victorian Plumbing that cost £120.) Warm towels don’t just feel fancy (they do), but in a dark bathroom they somehow balance out the visual temperature.
And finally. Baby dark. Pale grey masquerading as navy is not your friend.
Grey bathrooms can feel serene and stylish, sure. But if you want dark – do dark.
Full on jet black.
True navy. It won’t look like you painted your bathroom using too little water unless you start watering down those blacks and charcoals. Trust.
My current bathroom is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Railings and I’ve never looked back. Even on the cheap (£15 instead of £80 using Crown’s colour matched alternative) it feels like a sanctuary. Like, a place I actually want to spend time and linger in.
Brushing my teeth feels more intentional. Taking baths feels more indulgent. Hell, even getting ready in the morning feels like an event.
Invite people over and they always comment on how relaxing it is. Nobody mentions caves anymore.
