18 Creative Grey and Blue Bathroom Ideas
When it comes to colors, grey gets a bad reputation for being dull or even depressing. However grey is also a neutral that embodies the idea of balance. In the right shades, it even looks soothing. Pair that with a calming and well-loved color such as blue, and you have a winning combination.
Grey and blue complement each other well. Together, this combination makes for a relaxing, comfortable, and contemporary color scheme that’s sure to impress in any setting, especially in your bathroom, where you prepare for the day, get ready for bed, and unwind in a hot shower.
To demonstrate just how winning this combination is, here are some ideas to help you incorporate a tasteful grey and blue bathroom design in your home.
Freshen Up the Walls
If there is a single step you can take to instantly elevate the look of your bathroom, or any space, it has to be a fresh coat of paint. Painted walls will quickly tie together your color scheme and the shade you use will set the tone for your space.
While painting may not sound like a budget option, it requires only one purchase to transform the look of your bathroom. That’s probably more wallet friendly than adding a new tile floor, replacing the counter, or swapping all of your décor and towels together. Even just one accent wall can add a spa-worthy touch.
Use Wallpaper Instead
Just like paint, wallpaper transforms the look and feel of your bathroom. Wallpaper also offers the opportunity to add a chic geometric pattern, playful print, or floral vibe. Pair it with a few items in solid colors and you will have a classy, contemporary space that still shows off your personal style.
For best results, stick to papering a partial wall or up to half the bathroom or so. The motif should add interest without overwhelming the space in pattern.
Go For Gold
Grey and blue are already an elegant combination, but you can take that sense of luxury a step further and add gold to the mix. Gold is a versatile addition, acting both like a neutral and a pop of color, depending on how you style it.
Shiny gold accents will stand out beautifully against the more mellow blue and grey tones. If you are mixing multiple grey and blue shades, your golden flecks can add a sense of cohesion and help you maintain a more refined look.
Add Another Neutral
Grey doesn’t have to be the only neutral in your space. Without sacrificing your grey and blue bathroom design, you can make room for a second neutral. While a third color adds a dynamic look, a third neutral color will fade into the background more, allowing your main color scheme to steal the show.
Many bathrooms already have white tubs or wooden features. You may as well incorporate the neutral you already have to create a harmonious look. Just reduce it to an accent or small detailing on décor items to keep that neutral from overpowering your main colors.
Navy and Grey For a Nautical Look
Little seashell soaps and anchors are a bathroom classic. Whether you choose to decorate with little lighthouses or not, you can enjoy a hint of the seaside without all the fuss simply by leveraging your navy and grey bathroom.
For a nautical look, add a hint of wicker and a few bright white touches to your navy and grey base. Stripes and simple shapes that will bring a little taste of the coast to your bathroom – without requiring you to buy out a beachside souvenir shop.
Style Easily With a Curtain
Next to painting the walls, the color of your shower curtain is the easiest way to add plenty of color or set a theme in your bathroom. For less time and effort than it takes to paint, you can decorate your bathroom to perfection with a high quality curtain and a few other matching pieces. Add a mat, towels, and a piece of art and your room will quickly come together.
Keep it Light and Cheery
Blue and grey make a sophisticated combination, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for variety. Aqua, turquoise, and other cheerful blues add a vibrant, joyful tone. Pairing a bubbly color with a shade of grey will keep the mood in check, leaving you with an upbeat, yet polished effect.
Take the cheer a step further with a pop of a third color like red or pink. Throw in a patterned rug or shower curtain to tastefully blend styles. A light blue and grey bathroom with an added pop is perfect for those who want to elevate their style without sacrificing a homey personal style.
Keep it Subtle with Muted Tones
For a softer look, opt for muted shades of grey and blue. Low contrast tones create a modern look while contributing to a relaxing feel. Pair with lighter woods or neutrals to complete the vibe and use dark colors sparingly as accents.
Your bathroom will quickly come together for a polished look that is so subtle it will look effortless. It’s the perfect way to create a comfortable, inviting room worthy of your self-care routine.
Tile it Up
There’s more ways than one to decorate a space, and when it comes to the bathroom, tile is a classic choice. A tiled floor, shower, or strip of wall can add lively color and texture. Unlike the wrong paint color for a wall, a darker shade on the floor especially will not sacrifice much light reflection, which is great news if the room has poor lighting.
Tile is also a great opportunity to create patterns or designs to tie in your décor. You can also play with the type of tile used, mixing shiny and matte options for a more dynamic or textured look. Besides, tile is generally quite easy to clean!
Use Silver Instead of Grey
Unless you are matching specific items, it’s a good idea not to overlook any shade when considering your options, like silver. Silver is always an elegant choice. The way it tends to glimmer as it catches the light will add a dynamic feel to your space. Best of all, you can easily find and match your décor to your fixtures, mirrors, faucets, and more.
Give the Counter Some Attention
Don’t overlook the bathroom counter when redecorating. While many think to repaint their dressers and bookshelves, few will ever think to give their bathroom counters a fresh coat. Built-in models may be a challenge to spruce up, but with some care, they can often be painted or revamped with a different wood stain.
Likewise, you’re not necessarily stuck with the counter you have. That furniture can often be replaced with a chic dresser-like table with a sink – or with anything else you fancy. Even if you’re not looking to rip out a built-in, alternative sidings and top finishes compatible with your counter are likely available.
One Single Pop of Color
It can be tough to find the line between “too much” and “just right” when decorating with two colors. To keep your space from getting too monotonously grey and blue, consider just a single pop of a complementary color, like pink or red.
Use one big swatch of this color, such as a large rug or shower curtain. Then, round it off nicely with one or two very small accents of the same color, to make it feel intentional. You might be amazed at how quickly this can liven up a space while still respecting your overall color scheme.
Less Contrast For a Relaxed Atmosphere
Colorful variety is a cheerful way to decorate a space, but that’s not always the vibe you want in your indoor spa room. For a more relaxing or even zen-like feel, let your colors blend together with a low-contrast look.
It’s easy to find blues that are naturally greyer or greys that almost seem to have a blue tint. Take advantage of this and choose similar shades that are not much brighter or darker than the other. This muted contemporary look is a softer, calming way to enjoy color in your bathing space.
Let One Color Dominate
Choosing two primary décor colors does not mean you have to use each one equally. Feel free to let one color dominate over the other in your space. Have a light grayscale bathroom with a few splashes of aqua or go ahead and reduce one color to a single accent!
Not only is it easier to match items with one dominant color, the less favored hue will also become an exciting punch of drama simply because it’s now unexpected.
Use Dark Colors For Drama
As always, one of the fastest ways to add some sophistication and drama to your space is to make use of bold, dark colors. Opt for navy, charcoal grey, or both to add some “oomph” to your bathroom. Tone both shades dark or let one stand out as a dark contrast for a more drama.
You can get away with less décor, paint, or other additions as the dark colors will naturally draw the eye with little help needed. Even unpainted white walls will look intentional next to a few well chosen darker elements.
Vary the Shades
Design newbies may want to get some help on this one, but if you have an eye for color, consider this your invitation to let yourself run wild with color!
Keeping basic principles like the need for cohesion or some kind of matching element in mind, mix up the shades you use in your bathroom. Find complementary shades of grey and/or blue and put them in the space together. Create unity with a third color, in shape, or another other aspect. The sky’s the limit.
Don’t Overlook Towels
When you excitedly dream up bathroom decor ideas, beautiful wallpaper, a new mirror, and other items likely come to mind first. But don’t underestimate the power of those basic pieces in your bathroom, like a matching set of hand towels or soap dish, to pull together your color scheme. It’s easy to find towels in common shades and they add that extra little touch.
Keep it Homey But Chic With Stripes
Grey and blue can be delightfully contemporary, but the color combination can also be softened into something with a more classic, homey feel. By adding some vertical stripes into the mix – such as with an old-fashioned wallpaper – your bathroom can feel timeless and inviting.
Larger swaths of stripes will look more old-fashioned. Otherwise, you can bring the look into the new millennium by combining a small accent wall of stripes with contemporary solid, soft shades. Or, make it your own by swapping stripes with old-fashioned florals or other details.
Final Thoughts
Grey and blue are classic choices for bathroom décor, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room to make the space uniquely yours. Using the same design tips you know and love – like embracing contrast and variety or finding ways to harmonize different elements – you can take a simple color scheme in a variety of directions.
Whatever you choose to do, we’re sure you’ll create a chic, but relaxing space worthy of your “Me Time.”
