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Mid-Century Modern bathroom ideas

Picture a 1960s bathroom at its best: a long walnut or teak vanity with slab drawers, globe lights over the mirror and tiles that carry real colour. Mid-century modern brings warm wood together with teal, mustard or burnt orange, usually in one confident tiled area such as the bath wall or floor, while the rest stays warm white. It appeals to owners of post-war houses and flats who want character with clean lines, and to anyone tired of all-white bathrooms.

Try Mid-Century Modern on a photo of your bathroom

Palette

• Walnut (#8a5a38)
• Deep teal (#2e6a6d)
• Mustard (#c8982e)
• Warm white (#f2ece0)

Key pieces

• Long walnut-toned vanity with slab drawer fronts
• Brushed brass taps with simple lever handles
• Globe or opal glass lights by the mirror
• Pill-shaped mirror with a slim brass edge
• Bath wall tiled in teal or mustard
• Rubber plant on a teak shelf

Materials and finishes

• Finger or square mosaic tiles in teal or mustard
• Walnut veneer sealed against moisture
• Terrazzo floor tiles with warm chips
• Brushed brass or satin gold brassware
• Warm white matt paint above tile height

Tips

• Put strong colour into the tiles only if you will still love it in ten years. Otherwise keep tiles warm white and bring in teal and mustard through paint, towels and a bath mat, which cost little to change.
• If the house still has an original coloured suite in good condition, consider building the scheme around it. A primrose or avocado bath can sit well with walnut and white, and removing a cast-iron bath is costly.
• Finger mosaics look right but come with a lot of grout lines. Use an epoxy grout in the shower so the joints resist staining and need far less scrubbing.

What to avoid

• Cold grey porcelain everywhere
• Ornate traditional taps and mirrors
• Plastic vanity units with chrome trim

Questions

Which tap finish suits a mid-century bathroom?

Brushed brass is the closest match to the walnut and mustard palette and hides water marks better than polished. Matt black works if the tiles are pale and a sharper edge is wanted. Keep taps, shower and waste in one finish; mixing them breaks the clean 1960s line.

How can a rented bathroom get the look without retiling?

Swap the mirror for a rounded one, add a freestanding teak-toned cabinet, and ask the landlord whether a globe wall light can be fitted by an electrician. Towels, a bath mat in mustard or teal and a large plant carry most of the colour, and all of it leaves with you.

More bathroom styles

• Scandinavian bathroom ideas
• Japandi bathroom ideas
• Minimalist bathroom ideas
• Industrial bathroom ideas
• Boho bathroom ideas
• Modern Farmhouse bathroom ideas
• Coastal bathroom ideas

Mid-Century Modern in other rooms

• Mid-Century Modern living room ideas
• Mid-Century Modern bedroom ideas
• Mid-Century Modern kitchen ideas

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