These Unexpected Bathroom Colors Are on Trend for 2021, According to Design Experts
If all the extra time at home has you wanting to take on a pandemic home project but you don’t want to deal with the headache (and cost) of a major home improvement project or renovation, giving your bathroom a refresh could be a slightly more budget-friendly way to spruce up a highly-trafficked part of your home. If a fresh coat of paint is on your mind, you might be surprised to learn the top-searched bathroom colors for this year so far, according to an interior expert.
Richard Roberts, the director of the U.K.’s Sanctuary Bathrooms, shared the top bathroom color trends of 2021 so far, and they’re definitely unexpected. Based on Google search results, the company told Apartment Therapy that burgundy is the top-searched bathroom shade of the year, experiencing a surge of 300 percent in the early months of 2021.
Still, Roberts notes that “a full burgundy bathroom can easily overpower a space, transforming your bathroom into the opposite of the relaxing haven you want it to be.” He suggests trying a feature wall if you want to incorporate this “adventurous” deep red shade, with Lucy Ackroyd the head of design at U.K.-based home goods company Christy adding, “To incorporate burgundy in a softer way, opt for strategically placed key accessories such as a bath mat and towels to add a pop of this trending shade.”
Also seeing a huge surge is mint green, which the company notes has seen a whopping 200 percent increase in 2021. Though mint hues might harken back to retro bathrooms from the ‘60s and ‘70s, it’s surprisingly easy to incorporate this pastel shade in fresh, modern ways. Roberts said, “Mint is the perfect shade to create an invigorating and uplifting bathroom, which feels especially fitting in the springtime. When incorporating mint into a bathroom, focus on the flooring and window dressings which will allow the tone to bounce around the room. Mint green subway tiles on walls or green patterned mosaic tiles on floors can both complement a classic white suite beautifully.”
Mint isn’t the only earthy hue seeing tons of Google searches these days. After a stress-inducing year for literally everyone, it seems people are all about incorporating shades of green into their spaces. Per Roberts, “Green is often associated strongly with health, well-being, and nature, so it is unsurprising that this color is heavily trending at the moment and more people are searching for green bathroom ideas. Many people are looking to green to help create their own spa-like experience in their own home.”
He added that “green pairs itself well with wooden tones, whites, and pale colors or equally with darker tones such as black fixtures and fittings if you’re feeling a little more daring. One of the simplest and cheapest ways to incorporate green into a bathroom is through adding in lots of plants. Not only are plants lovely to look at, adding greenery into a room can also help oxygenate the space and be mentally stimulating too.”
Another unexpected color trend for bathrooms: black. The company has seen a 116 percent spike in searches for black, especially when paired with whites and metallic shades. “Black can be the perfect statement color in a bathroom and works well in both sleek, modern spaces and traditional period properties,” said Roberts. “Black is great with brighter tones, such as white, but has also seen a real surge when it comes to being used alongside different metallic hues, such as brushed brass instead of chrome. When using black, try sticking to monochromatic shades of black, white, and grey tones to really embrace the theme.”
Rounding out the list are lemon, coral, and tan, each seeing a 100 percent increase in searches. Neutrals like tan are seemingly always on trend, but vibrant hues like lemon and coral work for those who want a bright, sunny vibe that can have you feel like you’re in a tropical oasis… even if you’re nowhere near a beach, pool, or other slice of waterside paradise.