17 Modern Bathroom Wall Ideas
There is nothing like the feeling of visiting a home and finding yourself pleasantly surprised by a particularly charming or well-designed bathroom. If your powder room or primary bath could use a little refresh, this collection of bathroom wall ideas will inspire you to upgrade your bathroom to true throne status.
1. Accent with Marble
Adding a visually stimulating accent piece in any room is a great idea to change the atmospheric quality of the space.
This marble slab holding bathing fixtures in this home is a great example of a simple yet striking way to change the dynamics of a space.
2. Decorate with vintage finishes
The designers of this home selected a Barclay Stanford 550 pedestal sink to replace a short, built-in vanity in the shared bathroom.
The vintage mirror complements a caged sconce from Portland Architectural Salvage.
3. Add curved trim detailing
The curved trim detailing along the tile and mirror of this bathroom easily allow the eye to trace edges of different wall elements, which adds tactile value to the intersection of materials.
Curved trim is a little unexpected in the best way—it draws attention to the mix of materials in this bathroom.
4. Decorate with newspaper
The designers of this renovation made use of salvaged newspaper that was used for installation in the original walls as wallpaper.
The chandelier is a salvaged item from the family’s contractor, found on another project.
5. Try a glass wall
The en suite bathroom in this Mountain View cabin has a full-ceiling skylight and a glass wall, minimizing separation from the outdoor landscape.
Invite the outdoors in—take advantage of the natural landscape and incorporate glazing throughout.
6. Add a built-in fireplace
The ebony finished walls of this bathroom are complimented by a black built-in fireplace, making an otherwise materially cold room a bit more cozy.
A fireplace in a bathroom is a modern luxury.
7. Use colorful keystone tiles
The room shown here, in suite 302, features tiles in a light blue color. The orange surface is by Shelfology, and the soap bottle is Cloud 9 Clay.
In this building, matte one-inch keystone tiles in different tones are used in each bathroom.
8. Use penny tiles
Two colors of penny tiles in cover the walls and wall-mounted plumbing fixtures preserve countertop space atop the solid brass sink.
Penny tiles create visual interest and add texture to an otherwise quiet bathroom.
9. Mix and match textured materials
The accumulation of various textures in this bathroom add to the dramatic complexity of its presence in the home.
Penny tiles, stained wood, marble, and granite all come together in this bathroom.
10. Use subway tile
This brick red bathroom is completely wrapped in subway tile— a straightforward way to animate a room.
Subway tile is here to stay, but is much more exciting when done in color.
11. Pick bold and colorful patterns
Bold blue patterned wallpaper offers an unexpected pop of color in lower-level bathroom of this home, with a sink to match.
A pattern like this could be overwhelming in a larger space, but is perfect for a powder room.
12. Return to wallpaper
Wallpaper is becoming increasingly popular again. This bathroom has a vintage elegance to it with tiling that complements the accent wallpaper.
A little panel of wallpaper against sunny yellow tile feels fresh without being twee.
13. Invest in ornate custom tiles
Here, the homeowners handled the tiling of this bathroom themselves, investing their money in the custom tiles instead of the labor.
The custom tile in this bathroom is the star of the show.
14. Try terrazzo tile
Anything terrazzo can be hit or miss due to its bold presence, but this bathroom makes good use of ceramic terrazzo tiles in paring them with unfinished plywood.
You could do terrazzo on the floor, but on the wall? Now that's something special.
15. Get a colorful sink
This aquamarine sink was salvaged from the house’s previous iteration, and is paired with a Hang 1 Drop Mirror from Blu Dot and a vintage sconce.
A colorful sink is a very dainty touch for smaller scale bathrooms, like this salvaged version
16. Use a half wall
On the upper level of this house, the primary suite features a double-height ceiling with original beams and an interesting take on the en-suite bath.
This bathroom uses a half wall to separate spaces while also taking on the trendy in-room soaking tub aesthetic.
17. Install sculptural fixtures
Rounded, sculptural fixtures resonate with the soft curve of the segmental arches in this bathroom and make fixtures such as the bathtub and storage feel more solid within the walls.
Accented caned cabinet doors and brick flooring provide a unique touch.
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