For as long as we can remember, taking a shower, washing your hands, or using the toilet are the least glamorous parts of our daily routines. And, no, not because basic hygiene is mundane and can easily veer into TMI territory. Rather, the appliances themselves are downright boring. Sure, you can add a patterned shower curtain, cute hand towels, or a decidedly indulgent hand soap, but at the end of the day? Most bathroom appliances are white monoliths that feel…well, basic.
The good news? Designers and homeowners alike are ready to sidestep the status quo and reimagine those basic bathroom appliances in technicolor. “In a time of highly personalized interiors, color on fixtures has become a form of self expression,” explains Alex Yacavone, industrial design senior manager at Kohler. “We are seeing that people want their kitchens and bathrooms to feel less generic and more like reflections of who they are.”
Yacavone says that, according to independent research among homeowners, 88 percent of people are interested in color palettes other than white and chrome for their next kitchen or bathroom remodel. For designers like Sean Symington, the rise of statement-making fixtures points to one thing: Everyone’s excited by color again.
“There's a growing realization that it doesn't have to be limited to walls or soft furnishings,” says Symington, who splits his time between London and the Cotswolds. “[Colorful tubs and toilets] feel considered rather than safe, and people are craving that.”
Miranda Cullen of Inside Stories in Littleton, Colorado, says this shift transforms a once-obligatory eyesore into a deliberate design decision. “What was once neutralized in white porcelain or deliberately cropped out of photos is now intentionally spotlighted,” she says.
Pigmented plumbing packs on the personality, but Symington says it also gives a subtle nod to the past. “There's also a strong thread of nostalgia running through interiors right now, a return to tradition, to craftsmanship, to the kinds of details that felt joyful and personal,” he says. Colorful fixtures tap into all of that.” Historically, pastel toilets ushered in optimism after World War II, but now? Even the most mundane part of the home is delightful.
But here’s the thing about bringing some unanticipated color into your bathroom: There’s a fine line between “just enough” and “too much.” Symington likes to find the balance by adding a colorful, cast iron tub, but keeping sinks and toilets white.
“What's particularly freeing about cast iron baths is that you can repaint them whenever you like, so committing to a color doesn't feel permanent,” he says. “There's also something about the contrast I really enjoy: Color where it's unexpected, white where it anchors everything.”
Meanwhile, Cullen prefers to tone down her playful plumbing by matching it with the rest of the room. In a recent project, she paired a black toilet to a wallpaper with an unmistakably moody palette. “The black toilet doesn’t disappear against the wallpaper,” she shares. “It reads as a sculptural object, holding its own within a richly patterned, maximalist backdrop.”
Black fixtures might bring a sultry allure to a more dramatic space, but those who are looking for a more joyful palette will find themselves inundated with options. “Color brings warmth, character, and emotion to spaces that have been traditionally driven by function,” Yacavone says.
So, where to begin? According to Yacavone, independent research from Kohler suggest homeowners are gravitating toward greens—and for good reason: Earthy tones cleverly bring the great outdoors inside, making them more approachable than, say, bubblegum pink or tomato red.
However, if you ask Symington, personal preference should inform your bathroom’s—and, frankly, any room’s—color palette. “Pick a color you genuinely love rather than one you think you should love and let the bath be your starting point,” he says. “Trends will come and go but a bathroom that makes you smile every morning is never wrong.”
Kelsey Mulvey is a freelance journalist who has over a decade of experience in print and digital media. She covers interior design and lifestyle content for a breadth of publications, including Good Housekeeping, Country Living, House Beautiful, Veranda, and more. Her hobbies include themed spinning classes, Netflix, and nachos.
