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Scandinavian bathroom ideas

Light is the starting point. A Scandinavian bathroom uses white walls, pale grey or white tiles and a pale oak or birch vanity to bounce daylight around a room that often has a small window or none at all. Dusty blue or sage appears in towels, a painted cabinet or a band of tiles. The look suits family bathrooms because it is simple to keep clean and forgiving of everyday mess, while wood and soft cotton stop it feeling clinical.

Try Scandinavian on a photo of your bathroom

Palette

• Warm white (#f1f0ec)
• Pale birch (#d9c29d)
• Dusty blue (#8ea6b8)
• Soft sage (#a9b5a0)

Key pieces

• Wall-hung vanity in pale oak or birch
• Simple white basin with brushed steel taps
• Round mirror with a slim wooden frame
• Opal glass wall lights either side of the mirror
• Waffle cotton towels in white and dusty blue
• Wooden ladder rail or peg rail for towels

Materials and finishes

• Matt white square or metro wall tiles
• Pale oak or birch with a matt lacquer
• Light grey terrazzo or speckled floor tiles
• Brushed steel or matt white brassware
• Pale grey grout for a soft grid

Tips

• Seal any wood near the basin or bath with a water-based matt lacquer and recoat when water stops beading on it. Keep solid timber out of the shower itself and use it for shelves, frames and a stool instead.
• In a bathroom without a window, pick a white with a slightly warm base rather than a blue-white, and fit a neutral 3000 to 4000K mirror light so skin tones look natural.
• Leave only daily items on open shelves and put the rest in a closed vanity drawer. One basket for spare toilet rolls looks calmer than three small caddies.

What to avoid

• Dark stained or orange-toned wood
• Gilt or ornate mirror frames
• Shelves crowded with bottles

Questions

Which grout colour works with white Scandinavian tiles?

Light grey is the most practical choice. Pure white grout looks crisp on day one but discolours on floors and in showers within months, while a pale grey grid stays even and still reads as soft and light. Save bright white grout for walls that rarely get wet.

Can a small windowless bathroom work in this style?

Yes, and it is one of the better styles for it. Use large pale tiles with few grout lines, a wall-hung vanity so the floor runs underneath, a mirror at least as wide as the basin, and two light sources: a ceiling downlight plus lights at face height by the mirror.

More bathroom styles

• Japandi bathroom ideas
• Mid-Century Modern bathroom ideas
• Minimalist bathroom ideas
• Industrial bathroom ideas
• Boho bathroom ideas
• Modern Farmhouse bathroom ideas
• Coastal bathroom ideas

Scandinavian in other rooms

• Scandinavian living room ideas
• Scandinavian bedroom ideas
• Scandinavian kitchen ideas

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