Not Every Bathroom Should Be White

The Moody Bathroom at the Lodge, Mt Kanimbla

Bathrooms have become very predictable. Don’t you think?

White tiles. White vanity. White everything.

Safe.

It’s actually pretty rare to walk into a bathroom that has presence. Something that feels a bit bold. Something that actually makes you stop and look.

On Pinterest, sure. There’s a whole world of incredible bathrooms. Amazing tiles. Strong materials. Real mood.

But where are they in the real world?

When was the last time you stayed somewhere and thought, wow, that is a freaken cool bathroom.

I honestly can’t count many.

So when I was designing the bathroom for the Lodge at Mt Kanimbla, I knew I wanted to push it a little.

The Lodge itself had a strong personality. Timber everywhere, big fireplaces, and dramatic views outside the windows. A little masculine in feel, with a Yellowstone, cowboy-ranch kind of energy, so the bathroom needed to match that mood.

A safe white bathroom would have felt completely wrong.

So I went dark.

Black marble tiles across the walls with bold white veining. They immediately gave the room presence. Once they went in, the whole space just came alive.

To soften the marble, I added a floating timber vanity. Timber always brings warmth into a space and stops darker rooms from feeling too heavy.

The basins are solid concrete, which I love for bathrooms. They have this soft matte finish that balances out the drama of the marble.

Then came the detail that made the whole room feel properly bold.

Copper tapware.

Against the black marble it almost glows. Warm, rich and a little bit sexy.

Underfoot I used black penny tiles, which add texture and anchor the walls. They also feel amazing to walk on.

Would I do it again?

Absolutely. If the space called for it.

Dark bathrooms are not right everywhere. But the Lodge was the perfect place to try something different.

And honestly, it ended up being one of my favourite bathrooms I’ve ever done.

Because sometimes design needs a little bit of bravery.

And sometimes… not every bathroom should be white.