Minimalism is becoming all the rage, and for good reason. Sometimes less really is more, and when you consider the speed with which minimalism is catching on, the proof is in the pudding.
Intentional minimalism, interestingly enough, is not actually a focus on getting rid of things, it’s a focus on the objects that we allow ourselves to have. The idea is that each object takes thought, energy, time, and in some cases, money. Minimalism is becoming aware of those concepts and reducing those draws on yourself by reducing the things you surround yourself with.
By focusing on quality instead of quantity, we intentionally choose the things we surround ourselves with based on the effect they have on us. Once we begin this practice with our physical things, it translates over into the mental side, helping us prioritize things that really matter, not giving so much time, energy, and money to things that don’t.
Keeping that in mind, let’s go over some minimalist ideas for bathrooms. This is a design style that you can really take and make your own!
Greenscape
The clear focus of this bathroom isn’t actually in the bathroom itself. It’s the grass and ivy outside. Each item placed in this bathroom has a counterpart in color, and they’re all very muted, which almost forcibly draws your eye to the exterior landscape.
Tropic Vibe
Something common to minimalist looks, but certainly not a requirement, are “seamless” looks. Minimalism isn’t just limited to your possessions, it can be applied to your decorating color palette as well.
Rose Gold
The only really notable piece in this bathroom that didn’t come with it is the plant. Why? It has the only non-reflective surface in the room! If you’re having a hard time choosing what to use in your minimalistic decor theme, use something different than the things you’ve already chosen.
Hypnosis
Even if you’re only going to use a few colors, you can generally find those colors in a design or a wallpaper that can then be incorporated into your look. Just because you’re embracing minimalism doesn’t mean you have to give up detail.
Taste of Autumn
Regardless of the style of decorating you’ve chosen, there are some rules that will always apply. If you’re wanting to add an extra dimension to your room, add your favorite color to some elements of the room!
Industrial
Black and white, almost checkered tile, with the exposed metal, gives an undeniably industrial feel to this bathroom. Incorporate the features that your bathroom comes with to figure out the direction you want to go!
A Hint of the Future
Using or installing alcoves is a beautifully unique way to display things without protruding and taking up the space that you used to decorate in. This provides a modern, almost futuristic feel to your room.
Bare Necessities
Minimalism, out of all the decorating styles or techniques, doesn’t brag to be anything fancy. It’s about the things you need, and if that’s all you have, that’s enough.
Snow Blind
You’re not going to get a room that’s brighter than a room that consists completely of white, reflective surfaces. Break up that brightness by adding some softer colors and textures to create a more welcoming environment.
Don’t Waste Space
Minimalism isn’t just about how little you decorate your space, it’s how you use that space. Incorporating your washer and dryer into your bathroom not only makes sense, but it saves space.
Masterpiece
Everything in this bathroom is perfectly balanced, and it based on rules of opposites. Black and white, interrupted only briefly by a single plant. The order of the lines on the black wall, countered by the chaos of the random discoloration of the marble.
Elements
Combinations of stone and wood will always be a classic. Even if you can’t cover your entire bathroom with it (or don’t want to), you can still incorporate elements of it by using things like polished stones, or driftwood.
Shades of Grey
If you don’t feel like putting a ton of work into figuring out a color scheme, pick one color and then decorate using different shades. Doing this provides variety without the hassle of too many choices.
Simplicity
It’s ok if you don’t have a lot of space, you can always change something up to make it your own. Take something that comes with the bathroom, and change it out with something else. A door, towel rack, or sink are easy options.
Layers
This bathroom is meant to be observed in the different levels it creates. The different ledges of the walls and the top of the mirror, brought down by a lower ledge, and solitary lights dangling low from the ceiling. A single Jade Tree is all that has been given to this bathroom to break it’s functional, almost industrial feel.
Translucence
Do you want to increase the amount of natural light in your bathroom, but don’t like the idea of people being able to see inside? Install some opaque windows! They’ll let in light, but not sight.
Uncommon Space
Make sure you’re properly utilizing the space you have! For example, many people don’t use space above their toilet for anything.
Light the Room
Changing up the light in your bathroom is a great way to personalize without taking up room. For example, you can replace ceiling lights with wall fixtures, or vise vera.
Floorplans
If you don’t have the space to work around much, you can change up the floor! The floor on the inside of this shower has been replaced with stones, and in combination with the blue and green, gives a neat oceanic feel.
Floor to Wall
You don’t have to change up your floor tile to something else, just because it’s what is normally done. Continue using that tile to climb up the wall for a change in pace!
Change of Texture, Change of Pace
If your bathroom is seeming a little sharp and full of hard edges, add a soft rug to give the room a more inviting appeal. Having multiple textures in the room will help you add depth!
Exposure
Having intentionally raw elements in your bathroom can actually have a charming “unfinished” look. The polished particleboard countertops and the visible wires for the lights don’t detract for the allure of this room, they add to it.
Playing with Shapes
This bathroom includes hexagons, squares, rectangles, and circles in its base elements like the floor, walls, and mirror. Adding variety like this is a simple way to personalize without adding too many actual objects.
Texture
If your bathroom is big enough, consider adding a rug. It boldly claims the center of the room, and you can build your color palette off of the colors you like in the rug.
Hidden Light
Alcoves don’t have to just be limited to your walls, they can be used in your ceilings too. Hiding the source of your light, especially when used in corners and edges, is a good way to give your room a seamless look while not sacrificing light.
Something Old, Something New
Adding older objects, like a radiator, to an otherwise new and modern room is an effective way to claim your space, and good use of this technique shows off your ability as a decorator. It grabs attention, even if you can’t immediately figure out why.
Outside In
Making the features that are outside your bathroom a part of your decor inside is a great idea, especially if you need more space, or have limited options. The wooden wall outside covered in ivy may not be in the bathroom, but it’s certainly part of the decor.
New Growth
Adding a plant element is a beautiful way to diversify a room, especially when you’re not wanting to add too much. They aren’t busy, and especially in a minimalist room, shouldn’t clash with anything.
Shake It Up
With a mixture of marble and wood paneling, this room is a modern throwback. Heralding from an era of stability and open spaces, designs and choices in decor like this remind us that we can use time periods as our inspiration, not just colors and places.
Change of Direction
With the black wall taking our vision upward, and the lighter, natural wood paneling drawing our vision outside, it’s easy to see the importance and significance of direction. Keep that in mind when you’re picking out paneling for your walls and floors!
Reflections
The use of many reflective surfaces in this bathroom helps brighten it up, when it may have otherwise been somewhat dark. If you’re worried that your bathroom is too dark, replace some of the existing elements with something more reflective to bounce the light around.
Using Edges
If you’re wanting to bring some contrast to your bathroom, but you’re worried about overdoing it, start with the edges of existing objects. A mirror with a dark frame, some dark marble surrounding an outline on the floor, or the borders of towels. Start small!
Diversity
This bathroom design cleverly takes tale from the floor and backs it with the shower, while taking the color of the outside wall and using it as the floor for the shower. It’s a subtle change and is an effective use of resources, which fits perfectly into the theme of minimalism.
Mix and Match
This design took tile from the shower and incorporated it into the bathroom floor. It gives a sense of cohesion with the rest of the bathroom, and unity is always a desirable quality.
Radiance
Have fun with the lighting! Lights of different sizes, and from different sources can have some great effects, and you’ll want great lighting in your bathroom.
Stone Wall
Using natural stone is a great way to give your room a somehow rustic and modern look. It’s aesthetically pleasing, and a great way to personalize your space.
Circles and Squares
Mix up the geometry in your room! Shapes can do a lot to make a statement when you aren’t using very many items or colors.
Stone and Wood
This use of light and dark elements is quite spectacular. Using dark stone to contrast a light wood gives an almost primal feel, while the cuts and layering of the material are unmistakably modern, generating a unique appeal.
Cross the Line
Setting an object perpendicular to the other lines in the room may seem counterintuitive, but it’s a great way to grab attention, and claim a center.
Using tile to draw the eye is just as effective as using a rug, or something hung on the wall. Even better, it’s incorporated into the surface, so if you decide later to use something like a bath mat, you can have both.
Tile Variety
From this angle alone, you can see at least four different kinds of tile, and none of it clashes. Don’t be afraid to use different colors and shapes of the same kind of decor, especially when it comes to your walls and floor.
Stormy Sea
Cleverly placed mirrors reflect light from the far window into the bathing area, while the light-colored wood further assists in brightening up the room.
Ocean Blue
Normally you’ll see white walls with a trim of a different color. Why not reverse it? White suddenly becomes the accent color, and it’s surprisingly pleasing.
Matte
This room features many matte, or non-reflective surfaces, which is immediately noticeable because they’re all surfaces that generally shine. It also has a pleasing symmetry, maintained by having different objects of similar colors and sizes to either side of the centerpiece, which is the tub.
Dichromatic
Of course, at the end of the day, you can pick two colors, and buy a stool, a rug, and a towel in those colors and call it good. A large part of minimalism is simple functionality.