Timeless bathroom in white Tips on design & effect
A dream in white: We have ideas and clever tips on how to furnish your white bathroom in a cosy and stylish way.
The colour white has become an integral part of the bathroom. Although today there is a wide range of coloured bathroom furniture and bathroom ceramics, there is still very much a place for the classic look. Take a look at the ideas and tips here.
1. Why you should have a bathroom in white
There are lots of good reasons for having a bathroom in white:
- It is timeless: If you choose a timeless design and timeless equipment for your bathroom, you will enjoy it for a long time to come. You will never tire of a neutral colour scheme and the room is not subject to trends, yet it is still popular because minimalism and Scandi style are always giving white a new lease of life.
- It is easy to combine: White and black are both achromatic colours and stand in strong contrast to bright colours. All colours and shades can simply be combined with white or black.
- It is easy to replace: Virtually every manufacturer has white bathroom furniture and bathroom ceramics in their range. If something should break, it is easier to find a replacement for a product in white than in fashionable colours.
2. The different shades of white
White has lots of nuances. The German RAL Institute (Institut für Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung e.V.) defines more than 80 different shades of white. The choice ranges from vintage white, through winter white to signal white.
- Generally, the following is true of all shades of white: a hint of yellow brings warmth and well-being into a room. Blue and green variations create a no-nonsense, cooler look.
- Alpine white, also known as sanitary white: Alpine white is a slightly warmer shade of white specially created for bathrooms. It was defined back in 1987 by the European Trade Association for the Sanitary Ceramics Industry. It corresponds to the popular RAL signal white and is seen as very neutral. In bathrooms, the colour exudes freshness, a sense of more space and lightness. Furthermore, it embodies hygiene and cleanliness.
- White matt: Matt-white products for the bathroom are a firm fixture in manufacturers’ ranges. They look modern and discreet, and are just as easy to clean and resistant to scratches as the glossy variants. Our tip: compare the matt variants available and ideally choose products from the same manufacturer as matt tones differ considerably from one another.
Important: White is a colour that is very easily influenced by the surroundings. It is not just daylight, artificial light or the orientation of the room that influences perception, but also the material. Even a precisely defined shade of white can look different on different material, such as plastic, glass or ceramic.
3. The effect of light in a white bathroom
- Creating atmosphere with light: Light in the bathroom plays a central role in ensuring that the room does not look sterile. There are now mirror cabinets and mirrors with ingenious light concepts in which brightness and colour temperature are linked and tailored to the needs of the bathroom.
- White reflects daylight: Light colours, particularly shades of white, reflect daylight and thus make even small bathrooms look bigger. Incidentally, you can achieve the same effect with a large mirror above the washbasin that reflects even sparsely available light, thus creating additional brightness.
4. Scandinavian: white with wood
Scandinavian design is all about naturalness and simplicity. The colour white as well as wooden elements are essential characteristics of a Scandinavian interior. While the white elements emanate simple, stylish elegance, wood brings warmth into the room. A washbasin cabinet made of solid wood or made to look like wood is a harmonious supplement to the bathroom with white tiles and bathroom ceramics.
A white bathroom represents timeless elegance, tranquillity, freshness and a feeling of spaciousness. All white can quickly make a room look cold or sterile – however, this neutral look has the specific advantage that it offers countless options for personalised decoration and ways of jazzing it up and and making it cosy.
Whether with natural materials, stylish accessories or targeted colour accents: With the right tricks, you can make a white bathroom both modern and homey.
Advantages of a white bathroom
1. White furnishings are timeless: If you keep bathroom furnishings and design simple, you will enjoy them for longer, because a neutral colour scheme is independent of short-lived trends. A white bathroom does not have to be remodelled at great expense every few years to look modern. Popular interior design styles such as minimalism and Scandi chic deliberately emphasise white and never go out of fashion.
2. White is easy to combine: White and black are achromatic colours, so they go well with all other colours and shades. This creates a lot of flexibility with bathroom design.
3. White bathroom products are easier to replace and extend: White sanitary ceramics and bathroom furniture are classics that almost every manufacturer always has on offer. If something breaks or the bathroom needs to be partially renovated, it is easier to find a replacement or another suitable product for a white bathroom than for a bathroom designed in trendy colours.
Tips for designing a white bathroom
Designing a white bathroom requires a fine sense of nuance – because not all white is the same. Different shades of white, combined with the targeted use of light, significantly determine the atmosphere in the room.
Especially in the bathroom, the lighting effect plays a central role: It can make the room appear larger, fresher or even warmer. With stylish details such as modern taps, the right actuator plate or playful accessories and decorations, you can also create highlights that add character to the white bathroom. And if you want to make your white bathroom cosier, opt for soft textiles that give the clean look a homey touch.
The effect of light in a white bathroom
Creating atmosphere with light: Light in the bathroom plays a central role in ensuring that the room does not appear sterile. There are now mirror cabinets and mirrors with a sophisticated lighting concept in which brightness and colour temperature are linked and tailored to the needs of the bathroom. For instance, the Geberit ComfortLight concept allows for continuous dimming and is intuitive to operate: the light automatically becomes cooler when the light is brighter, and warmer when dimmer.
White reflects daylight: Light colours, especially white tones, reflect daylight and make even small bathrooms appear larger. Incidentally, the same effect can be achieved with a large mirror above the washbasin which reflects even sparse light and thus creates additional brightness.
Not all white is the same
White has many nuances. RAL, the German institute for quality assurance and labelling, distinguishes between more than eighty different shades of white. The selection includes Old White, Winter White, and Signal White.
White is a colour that is strongly influenced by its surroundings. Daylight, artificial light, the orientation of the room, and the material all influence the perception of it. Even a precisely defined shade of white can have a different effect on different materials such as plastic, glass or ceramic.
- In general, when it comes to white shades: A touch of yellow brings a sense of warmth and comfort to a room. Blue and grey variants create a straightforward, cooler look.
- Alpine white is a slightly warmer shade of white specially designed for bathrooms, which was defined in 1987 by the European Fachverband für Sanitär-Keramische Industrie (professional association for the sanitary ceramic industry). It corresponds to the established RAL colour “Signal White” and is seen as very neutral. The colour tone creates freshness, spaciousness and brightness in the bathroom. It also represents hygiene and cleanliness.
- Matt white products look modern and unobtrusive and are just as easy to clean and just as scratch-resistant as their glossy counterparts. A little tip: Compare the available matt variants and ideally choose products from the same manufacturer, as even matt colours can differ significantly from one another.
Create highlights with taps and actuator plates
Well-matched bathroom taps complement the chosen bathroom style and create a striking visual highlight. Geberit ONE wall-mounted taps for the washbasin offer asleek design and outstanding functionality. They leave enough space around the washbasin and allow more freedom of movement, as well as making the washbasin particularly easy to clean. A matching actuator plate adds the finishing touch to your white dream bathroom.
Soft fabrics for a cosy white bathroom
In the minimalist white bathroom, soft fabrics provide added cosiness. Fluffy towels, a soft bath rug or an airy shower curtain bring warmth and comfort into the room – without detracting from the modern look.
Combination options in a white bathroom
A white bathroom offers the perfect canvas for diverse styles and creative design ideas. Whether in trendy Scandi chic with natural materials and light wood tones, luxurious surfaces such as textured tiles or matt marble, or in a modern black and white look with strong contrasts, white can be combined in many ways when furnishing a bathroom and can be reinterpreted again and again.
Scandinavian bathroom: White with wood
Scandinavian design epitomises naturalness and simplicity. White combined with wooden elements are essential characteristics of Nordic interior design. Whilst the white elements radiate simple and stylish elegance, wood brings warmth to the room. A solid wood or wood-look washbasin cabinet is a harmonious addition to a bathroom with white tiles and sanitary ceramics.
Modern bathroom in black and white
A black-and-white bathroom looks timeless and elegant while also modern at the same time. The strong contrast between light and dark brings tension into the room and lets clear lines come into their own particularly well.
Whether minimalist, graphic or with a touch of nostalgia – the combination of black and white offers a wide range of design options for a stylish and expressive bathroom. Black taps add striking highlights and emphasise the straight-line design concept.
Black tile joints enhance the graphic effect and emphasise the structure of the wall and floor tiles even more clearly.
A dream bathroom with unusual surfaces
Surfaces decisively influence the character of a bathroom: Marble, stylish textured tiles, and glossy or matt finishes create an exclusive, luxurious atmosphere. The materials feel good while lending the room depth and elegance.
Wooden surfaces in dark tones also add warm, stylish touches and create an exciting contrast to the cool aesthetics of stone and ceramic. In addition, fine shades of grey make the white appear softer – grey breaks up the severity of the bright surfaces and blends harmoniously into the overall effect.
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