10 inspiring beige bathroom ideas that are far from boring

Beige is a versatile colour that has often been tarred with the negative brush of being boring. But, these beige bathroom ideas are anything but pedestrian and offer a refreshing and calming element to your bathroom colour scheme. Beige is a great base colour to build on and is easy on the eye which is perfect for the bathroom where you want to unwind and relax. 

There are so many innovative ways to use beige bathroom ideas, you can go full neutral, incorporate texture for interest, or use it as a base for other bold colours or patterns. 

Warren Kinloch, bathroom interior expert at Bathroom Deal says an element of contrast is the key to making beige pop in bathrooms. ‘We recommend either black or a dark brown to balance out the beige. You could use this contrasting colour in your shower screen, under-basin vanity, or in accessories throughout the room to bring the interior style together. We also recommend selecting either black, gold, or brass fixtures - such as taps - as opposed to silver to bring through an extremely modern look. Using silver with beige could run the risk of looking dated.’ 

Beige bathroom ideas

Beige is a great way to add warmth to your bathroom ideas and be used for your tiles, flooring, bath, or soft furnishings. Debbie Leigh, design manager at ILIV says, ‘Try monochrome designs for a contemporary feel or opt for a modern floral to inject some colour. Restful shades of taupe, mushroom, brown and grey all look great with beige as well as deeper tones of green, navy and charcoal. Natural textures such as wood, stone, and simple greenery will create a spa-like feel and help bring life to a neutral décor scheme.’ 

'When it comes to neutrals used throughout the home, the last few years has been dominated by greys. Beige is a natural progression,' says Abbas Youssefi, director of independent tile specialists Porcelain Superstore. 'The world has gone through some strange times over the last few years and home has become a sanctuary for many. We are seeing this being reflected in their interior decisions.'

Beige is a timeless colour that will add elegance and style to your bathroom for years to come. 

1. Incorporate plants

If you feel your beige bathroom ideas could do with a bit of colour bathroom house plant ideas could be the answer. Plants not only add a vibrant shot of colour to your space, but certain plants absorb extra moisture from the air and act as a natural dehumidifier; ideal if you suffer from excessive bathroom condensation. The best plants to use are those that like a damp and humid atmosphere, such as the snake plant, Boston fern, ivy and peace lily. 

‘Layering plants such as Calatheas, Ivy and Spanish Moss in different levels will help you achieve a gorgeous plant paradise and work well in hanging containers to free up floor space. Ferns and Succulents will also add a positive touch and can be styled on a bathboard or windowsill to give an extra pop of life to a dull room,’ advises Claire Bishop, senior houseplant buyer at Dobbies.

If your bathroom has no windows, remember to choose bathroom plants that also need very little light.

2. Partner up with marble

Due to the neutral nature of beige, it pairs great with marble for an elegant and refined look. Using marble bathroom ideas alongside your beige bathroom ideas does not need to be expensive, unless you plan to use ceiling to floor Carrara marble. Now there are options to use ceramic and porcelain, which are lighter and cheaper and still allow you to enjoy the marble effect. 

Beige together with marble gives the space a spa-like makeover and won’t go out of style as trends change in the upcoming years. The neutral tone of beige will also make sure that the marble is not overpowered and the space maintains a cosy feel.  

3. Use warm lighting

When considering which bathroom lighting ideas work best with beige bathroom ideas, focus on using warm lighting. Interior designer Rudolph Diesel says, ‘lighting will play a big role in how the beige colour is perceived in the bathroom, with warm lighting drawing out the yellow tones and dark rooms making the colour look dingy and washed out.’ 

As one of the first places you enter in the morning and last place you leave before bed, setting the right mood is important. Warm lighting in the bathroom is best in areas that you want to feel cosy so work best in corners of the bathroom which don’t require task lighting. This would make it ideal for placing around the bath for added ambience. 

4. Use wood to mix different shades

Adding wood into your bathroom is a way of mixing different shades of beige bathroom ideas while also creating texture. When mixing different types of wood, pay attention to the grain, undertones and finish because this will help you mix and match with confidence. 

Look at the undertones of the largest wood piece, which will be neutral, warm or cool, and match other wood pieces based on those undertones. If you’re feeling brave, take the plunge with high contrast shades and pair light woods with dark woods for more depth and interest to the space. 

5. Take your storage beige

Your bathroom often has to work hard when it comes to storage, from cleaning products to keep your bathroom sparkling clean, to toiletries for your skincare routine. Having these products on show can make your bathroom feel cluttered and untidy so bathroom storage ideas are essential so you can enjoy the entire space. 

Rattan storage is the perfect way to incorporate beige into your bathroom and give the room a touch of 70s glamour. Under sink storage is another place to feature your beige bathroom ideas, with wicker baskets and wood drawers working well for both function and adding warmth to the space. 

6. Break up uniform beige by tiling a decor panel

Instead of the usual black and white marble, beige tones are a nice change, look sophisticated and ideal if you want a hotel chic look. But don’t leave it there, in a large shower like this one, add a mosaic panel in similar colours to break up the space and to create a focal point in the centre, and use the same colour marble on the vanity unit top. 

To make the panel stand out, mix it with a complementing colour such as a light grey to mix in your grey bathroom ideas, this will ensure the panel stays the focal point and is not overshadowed.

7. Make a feature wall

This small shower room is all beige but different textures have been used to ramp up the design. Large, smooth, beige tiles have been used on the floor and in the shower enclosure which means there are fewer grout lines, making the space look bigger.

Then to add interest, companion, colour-matched, split-face mosaic tiles have been used on the basin wall to give it an authentic, natural style. These Yosemite Ivory wall and floor tiles, £31.95 m2, Tile Mountain, combined with a rustic vanity unit and black brassware, it’s a sure winner in the style stakes.

8. Add colour with accessories

In a plain room, adding a textured finish to the walls is a subtle uplift, this could be achieved with plaster or with a paint effect. If you want to add the same textured effect to your windows, this Polka Dots Window Film, £15.63, Purlfrost can be added in different colours to compliment your beige bathroom ideas.

Then find accessories you love in interesting shapes and different shades of beige and cream, introduce wood and stoneware for depth and a deeper colour for the towels for a complete look.

If you're wondering what colour accessories you should go for, Helen Clark, head of marketing at Utopia says, 'Any bold colour works well with a beige background and striking patterned tiles can also add focus to a bathroom in neutral shades.'

9. Introduce pattern with a blind

If you want to add colour, and pattern, with a beige bathroom idea why not introduce both with a blind? This funky, chevron design roman blind packs a punch and echoes the deep striped tiles on the lower half of the room and on the floor. It’s subtle but makes a big difference. Painting the bath black adds drama too to a beige bathroom idea, to create a more contemporary monochrome scheme to that of a black and white bathroom idea.

10. Use pattern to break up beige

Although the overall effect is still neutral in this beige bathroom idea, the room is interesting due to the pattern created by the shaped beige tiles on the wall and the Moroccan-style floor tiles. The grey grout on the wall tiles gives them definition and even though the pattern on the floor is a large scale pattern, it makes the room look bigger. 

You can add pattern using beige tiles of varying shades and make your own bespoke pattern by changing up the order you place them in; creating something unique to your bathroom. 

FAQs

What colours go with beige in a bathroom?

Clare Pascoe, director of Pascoe Interiors recommends, ‘Opt for a beige palette with undertones of grey, green or blue as cool toned schemes are less likely to clash with other accent colours plus the tone is far easier to control - warmth can easily be added through accent colours, textural layering and lighting.’ This is something to keep in mind when considering your other bathroom wallpaper ideas. 

‘Opting for beige is much more adventurous than choosing white but less of a commitment than strong fashion colours which might date quickly. Natural finishes and textures are also very popular in the bathroom, perhaps to create that calming, spa-like effect that we crave. Beige teams very well with natural wood effects for a soothing effect,’ says Helen Clark from Utopia.

‘These colours are also a very sympathetic choice for period properties with gloss versions adding a sophisticated dimension. Any bold colour works well with a beige background and striking patterned tiles can also add focus to a bathroom in neutral shades.'

How do you make a beige bathroom look good? 

‘Use texture, tonal colours and natural materials where possible,’ says Dorota Hrstic founder of interior design company Moodesignz. ‘We love using wood in bathrooms and pairing it with an interesting tile such as terrazzo. Kitkat mosaics always look fantastics and a textured floor tile is both practical, in that it hides imperfections well and has a high slip rating, and offers future versatility - the different colour variations in the tile allow for future changes. The introduction of waterproof wood panelling instead of standard bath panels has also been a revelation - easier to remove than tiles and gorgeously effective.’

With these beige bathroom ideas, you'll be well on your way to creating a relaxing spa-like space. Start running that bath...