33 White Bathroom Ideas That Are Simple and Sophisticated

33 White Bathroom Ideas That Are Simple and Sophisticated


A bathroom that's all-white, aside from a few beige accents and a couple green plants

There’s a reason the all-white bathroom is considered a classic. White is sleek, elegant, and timeless. It looks just as good today as it did a few decades ago. If you want to craft a bathroom that stands the test of time, going all in on white is a great way to do it—and experts agree.

“The goal of an all-white bathroom is to achieve a feeling of cleanliness, simplicity, and timelessness,” Barbara Sallick, co-founder and senior vice president of design at Waterworks, says. “Your bathroom is the ultimate retreat for relaxation and rejuvenation—it needs to feel just right for you.”

If you don’t have the budget for a designer or architect, don’t worry. We rounded up 33 stunning white bathrooms worth taking cues from—and cited a white bathroom design idea worth stealing from each of them.

 

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Set the Scene With Crisp White Walls

A bathroom with white beadboard walls, white ceilings, and white windows and doors

The first step in crafting a dreamy white bathroom? Paint your walls white. The crisp walls will set the scene in your space, especially if you paint other accents in your bathroom—like your doors, windows, and trim—to match.

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Craft a Textured Accent Wall

A white bathroom with a white marble accent wall

Accent walls are a fun way to make a room more eye-catching, and painting your wall a fun color isn’t your only option. Instead of making a colorful accent wall, craft a tactile one: line your wall with textured wallpaper, sleek marble, or ceramic tiles.

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Mix and Match Different Tiles

A white shower decorated with three different kinds of tiles

Pairing different tiles can be tough, but when you’re working within a streamlined palette, it becomes a whole lot easier. Simply snag a bunch of white tiles in different textures and shapes, and put them next to each other. Since the tiles are the same color, they’ll look good together, no matter how you arrange them.

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Invest in a Striking Shower Curtain

A shower with off-white tiles, warm gold hardware, and a tassel-lined white shower curtain

Your shower curtain is the first thing people will see when they step inside your bathroom, so choose yours with care. Look for a crisp white option that boasts a subtle print, an interesting texture, or decorative edges. (After all, sticking to an all-white palette doesn’t have to mean getting stuck with a boring shower curtain.)

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Play With Shape Instead of Color

A white bathroom with an arched shower and arched shelves sculpted into the wall

When designing an all-white bathroom, color may be off the menu. But, there are tons of other design elements, like shape, you can play with, instead. By trading traditional straight lines for curves and arches, you can create a bathroom that’s sculptural and show-stopping—even though it’s all one color.

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Line Your Walls With Glass Shelves

A white bathroom lined with glass shelved topped with white and clear bathroom accessories

One way to add storage space without disrupting your all-white palette? Mount glass shelves on your walls. Since the shelves are see-through, they’ll blend right in with your color scheme, giving your favorite bathroom accessories a sleek place to live.

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Spring for a Sleek Marble Shower

A white marble shower with some fluted detailing

Marble isn’t just luxurious—it’s also incredibly textured. Line your shower walls with sleek white marble, and watch as your entire bathroom becomes more eye-catching.

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Pick a Single Accent Color

A bathroom that's all-white, aside from a few beige accents and a couple green plants

Color doesn’t have to be off-limits in your all-white bathroom, but if you want to keep the space looking mostly white, pick a single accent color and stick with it. Subtle colors, like beige or gray, are ideal.

“If you decide to add color, I suggest light or medium tones, which will avoid an abrupt contrast,” Sallick says.

That said, you can probably get away with a bolder shade if you use it in small doses.

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Splurge on a Statement Tub

An all-white bathroom with white tiled floors, a small white rug, and a white clawfoot tub

When designing a bathroom, snagging a bold tub is always a good idea. But it’s an especially good idea in an all-white bathroom. Why? When your palette is so pared-down, every piece gets a chance to shine. So that pretty tub you’re eyeing will stand out even more than it otherwise would.

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Snag Some Textured Drawer Fronts

A white bathroom vanity with fluted drawer fronts

Want to dress up your vanity without totally replacing it? Switch out your drawer fronts. Ditch the classic drawer fronts you already have, and replace them with something textured. The detail will make your space more eye-catching without jeopardizing your all-white palette.

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Stock Up on White Towels

A white bathroom decorated with a teak bath stool and a woven basket full of rolled-up white towels

Plush white towels are a classic, and since they match your all-white palette, they can double as décor. Invest in a set of ultra-cozy white towels, and store them somewhere visible, like on a sleek towel rack or inside a woven basket.

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Color-Coordinate Your Art

A white bathroom decorated with minimalist black-and-white art

Art is a great way to bring your bathroom together, and if you snag the right pieces, you won’t mess up your palette. Keep an eye out for line drawings, charcoal sketches, and black-and-white prints. These sleek works will dress up your bathroom without throwing off your color scheme.

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Soften Your Floors With a White Rug

A white bathroom decorated with an off-white jute rug

Bathroom floors can get cold and slick, so look for ways to soften yours up. By lining your floors with a cozy white bath mat or a textured white rug, you can make your bathroom cozier, while cementing your all-white palette.

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Layer Lots of Different Textures

An all-white bathroom with beadboard ceilings, a white ceramic tub, shiny white tile floors, and some gauzy white curtains

When you can’t play with color, texture becomes a lot more important. Pair exposed wood beams with beadboard walls, snag a ceramic tub, and sprinkle in some shiny tiles for good measure.

“A layered effect gives the room its language, its depth, and its character,” Sallick says.

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Add a Glass Shower Door

A bathroom with a white marble shower and glass shower doors

If you’ve put lots of effort into crafting the perfect white shower, show off your work. Trade the traditional shower curtain for a glass shower door that will put your masterpiece on display.

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Paint Your Vanity White

A vanity with white cabinets and white marble countertops

PURE SALT INTERIORS

Your walls may not be the only part of your bathroom that needs a paint job. If your vanity doesn’t fit within your crisp white palette, whip out your paintbrush and get to work. The DIY project may require some elbow grease, but it’s a budget-friendly alternative to replacing your vanity.

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Pair Different Shower Materials

A shower lined with white tiles and white marble panels

Your shower doesn’t have to feature just one material. Instead of sticking with sleek tiles from top to bottom, sneak in a few marble panels. The mismatched materials will make your shower more eye-catching, while respecting your clearly defined color scheme.

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Line Your Walls With White Wallpaper

A white bathroom lined with printed wallpaper and white-painted millwork

Add some flair to your bathroom by lining your walls with printed wallpaper. Favor options with white backgrounds and delicate prints. Remember, you want to dress up your space—not dominate it.

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Let in Lots of Light

A white marble shower with a massive ceiling-to-floor window

Bring out the best in your bathroom by letting in lots of natural light. “Windows are important in bathrooms, as the flow of natural light into a space infuses it with warmth,” Sallick says. 

Of course, adding a new window is no simple feat, so focus on making the most of the windows you already have: Keep your curtains pulled back, your blinds rolled up, and your windowpanes squeaky clean.

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Hang a White Chandelier

A white bathroom with an off-white beaded chandelier and a white ceramic tub

Hanging a chandelier is an easy way to make your bathroom more glamorous. And if you snag an all-white option, you can cement your pearly palette—making your bathroom sleeker and more showstopping in one fell swoop.

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Snag a Striking Sink

A white bathroom with a white ceramic tub and a white marble sink

Since sinks are so practical, they’re easy to overlook. But, you can make a serious statement if you snag the right one. White sinks are available in a range of styles, silhouettes, and materials, so spring for a sink in an unusual shape or texture. Or keep it classic with a striking marble sink.

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Line Your Bathroom With Textured Tiles

A bathroom with white walls that are largely covered by textured, white-gray tiles

Not a fan of plain white walls? Line your walls with white tiles, instead. Let the tiles on your shower walls extend to cover your entire bathroom, or let your bathtub's backsplash grow so tall it touches your ceiling.

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Mind Your Undertones

A bathroom with warm white walls and warm gold hardware

White doesn’t come in just one shade, and depending on its undertones, the color can make the room feel warmer or cooler.

“White is often called the colorless color, but I find that it has incredible range and depth,” Sallick says. Choose your shade of white with care, and pay attention to the other accessories in the room.

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Switch Out Your Blinds

An all-white bathroom with a white tub, a white bathmat, and off-white blinds on the window

When designing a monochromatic space, no detail is too small to consider. So if your blinds are messing up your pristine palette, swap them out—and snag a set of blinds that matches your walls.

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Sprinkle in Some Unusual Tiles

A bathroom lined with white square tiles—with a few sage green rectangular tiles thrown in

One easy way to dress up your tile walls? Trade some of your smooth white tiles for colorful, printed, or textured options. The pops of contrast will make your shower walls more interesting without throwing off the sleek look of your space.

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Invest in a Bathroom Fireplace

A white bathroom with a black tub, an off-white beaded chandelier, and a fireplace with an ornate white mantel

Fireplaces are luxurious in any room, but they’re particularly luxurious in bathrooms—one of the last places you expect to find them. Upgrade bathtime by building a fireplace next to your tub, and outfit your fireplace with stunning white details, like an ornate mantel and some minimalist art.

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Score a White Storage Mirror

A white bathroom with white marble floors, white wood-lined walls, and a white medicine cabinet

If storage space is limited in your bathroom, snag a mirror that doubles as a medicine cabinet. Just make sure the cabinet is white, and you’ll end up with an accent that’s both pretty and practical.

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Soften Your Space With Personal Touches

An all-white bathroom decorated with two small framed paintings

Your bathroom isn’t complete until it feels like yours, so weave in a few personal touches.

“Decorative objects, baskets for storage, wall sconces, family photos, and well-chosen accessories soften the space, and, more importantly, make a personal statement of your style and taste,” Sallick says.

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Colorblock Your Floors

A white bathroom with colorblocked floors that are lined with white marble tiles on one side and hardwoods on the other

Want to get that floor-to-ceiling white look without sacrificing your hardwoods? Colorblock your floors. Line just part of your bathroom floors with white tiles or marble, and leave the rest as is.

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Streamline Your Light Fixtures

A bathroom with white tiled walls, a white marble tub, and a white light fixture with a gold underside

Your work isn’t finished the moment you’ve painted your ceiling white. If your light fixtures aren’t white, they’ll disrupt your crisp color scheme. Switch out your fixtures with sleek white options, and consider making your bulbs matte white, too.

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Search for a White Bath Stool

A white bathroom decorated with an off-white bath stool and a matching off-white vase

Bath stools add function and form to any bathroom—giving you a place to sit, some storage space, and a welcome pop of décor. So, upgrade your bathroom with a creamy white bath stool that transforms your storage set-up and fits right into your palette.

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Let Your Hand Towels Make a Statement

An all-white bathroom with white hand towels lined with faint black stripes

Hand towels don’t usually make much of a statement, but since white bathrooms are so pared-down, even subtle towels get the chance to stand out.

“Don’t assume that because the bath is white you need to impose colored towels,” Sallick says. Instead, stick with something simple—like white towels with a faint color scheme. 

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Finish Things Off With Fresh White Flowers

A bathroom with a white vanity, white tiled walls, and a silver vase full of fresh white flowesr

Put the finishing touches on your bathroom with a vase of fresh white flowers. The flowers will pull your all-white color scheme together—while making your entire bathroom feel warmer and more welcoming.