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Simon Upton
You've been in a white, spa-like bathroom time and time again. Don't get us wrong: It's lovely. But it's not your only option for a bathroom that feels like a luxury getaway.
The black bathroom is a dramatic dive into slightly masculine, yet decidedly elegant, design. "Everybody likes a crisp white, spa-like bathroom, but not every bathroom has to be a spa," says interior designer Susan Ferrier of McAlpine House, whose has incorporated black bathroom design into her past projects. "Black bathrooms are so dramatic, which means you're emotionally moved. You don't have that drama in an all-white bathroom."
However, designers agree that executing a bold black bathroomdemands a bit more thought than a can of black paint. Take, for example, the brilliantly textured black bathroom below in decorator Kate Rheinstein Brodsky's home, designed by James Shearron and Richard Bories, founders of the architecture firm Bories & Shearron.
"The family has three daughters, so Kate wanted this to be a masculine bathroom just for her husband," says Bories. Still, Shearron adds that a black bathroom is a welcomed design for anyone, of any gender, who appreciates glamour.
Read on for tips from Bories, Shearron and Ferrier for designing your own sophisticated black bathroom.
Simon Upton
Start With The Walls
First, decide what type of material will create the backdrop for the space. In this particular bathroom, Bories and Shearron used Saint Laurent marble with gold streaks.
"It may seem gaudy or loud at first, but it's warm and much better than having flat black walls," says Shearron.
However, black marble isn't your only choice. Beyond painting the walls, Shearron also suggests black porcelain or ceramic tiles or black sheets of glass.
Ferrier, on the other hand, has introduced dark stained wood into her black bathroom projects.
"The walls are the first thing to think about, because it's what gives you a great backdrop for other colors to pop off of," says Ferrier. "When you're using a really dark color, it's really important to introduce great texture, such as wood walls or textured paint, to create shadows within that dark color."
Don't Go Jet Black
In certain cases, a jet black bathroom can make a space seem less sophisticated and dated (think: a bar bathroom) than black blended with another hue, says Ferrier.
"I like to pick black that has gray or brown in it," she says. "Think about the color palette in the rest of the house, and if it is warm or cold. If the color palette is cooler, go with black that has gray hues, and if it's warmer, choose a black with brown."
Ferrier also notes that other surfaces should showcase an intentionally different black than the walls.
"Go with a different color black for, say, the cabinetry than the walls," says Ferrier. "It needs to be different enough to make it look like it was done on purpose. It can't be a near-miss."
The bathroom Shearron and Bories designed is also not true black. The space is clad with surfaces they call the "blackest brown," lending the bathroom an inviting warmth.
Courtesy of Bories & Shearron
Incorporate contrast
Part of what makes a black bathroom so dramatic is the contrast of black surfaces with other hues, so incorporate a few highlights of colors (like bright white) that are strikingly noticeable against the black. (Plus, an all-black bathroom can evoke a sense of claustrophobia.)
For Shearron and Bories, introducing that contrast meant skipping a black floor for a lighter, yet still masculine, option — limestone.
"We liked the engaging, humble masculinity of the raw limestone," says Shearron.
For Ferrier, incorporating contrast means adding brushes of white.
"A black bathroom is all about mastering reflection and light in a dark space," she says. "Keep the fixtures, sinks, tubs and commodes white for contrast. The walls are absorbing light, so you need to use white for almost a reverse mascara effect."
Add A Bit Of Shine
Most well-designed black bathrooms have one thing in common: Shiny surfaces and fittings. Whether with metal or glass, it's another way to add reflectivity to the otherwise light-absorbing space.
"Most metals work really well in a dark room, because they reflect, but I wouldn't use something like oil-rubbed bronze," says Ferrier. "Use a metal that's highly reflective and shiny to bounce the light."
In the black bathroom Shearron and Bories designed, that reflectivity was weaved into the design with an Urban Archaeology sink with glass and brass legs, fittings by Waterworks and black glass cabinets with brass trim.
"We got as much glass in there as we could, even with glass doorknobs," says Shearron. "Everything is also outlined in brass, which has a nice, shimmering effect."
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