Take your bathroom colour to the dark side

Once upon a time, bathroom colour was light. The belief was light colours made small rooms appear bigger. But architects and interior designers are pushing the boundaries of bathroom decor by washing walls and floors in bold blacks and chocolates where neutrals once ruled unchallenged.

Architect Albert Mo, of Architects EAT, has developed a portfolio of bathrooms rich in black tiles of various sizes and textures. He says the trick to bathroom colour being beautiful is to be bold. "We've been using dark colour inside small spaces for quite a few years," he says. "Dark colours help a small space appear bigger by drawing your eye to a light source." That light source can be a big sheet-glass window, a skylight that creates a beam of light that travels across a room as the day passes, or even moody artificial lighting reminiscent of a club or bar. The result is both dramatic and cocooning.

Golden Rules of Bathroom Colour

There are a few golden rules when opting for a dark bathroom colour. Choose a colour and stick to it on the walls, floors and even the ceiling. Then create interest by using different sized and textured tiles in your chosen colour, rather than the same tile on every surface. The dark colours will also highlight your crisp white basin and bath, and shiny stainless steel tapware, Albert says.

Interior designer Amanda Lynn says black is a particularly useful bathroom colour because bathrooms often have awkward angles and spaces. "A dark wall colour and ceiling can blur the boundaries of the space," she says, and dilute any unwanted complications. However, she says dark bathrooms more often than not need a good window. "If you are doing a really dark bathroom colour, you should really have an extensive view, because it can get too claustrophobic," she says. "But there are exceptions to the rule. The best trick you can use in a small bathroom is wall-to-wall mirror."