Who Said Colorful Bathrooms Are Kitsch?

Don't write bright fixtures off as retro—but with the right balance, chromatic toilets, sinks, and tubs can help make a space feel surprisingly fresh.

Text by Kenya Foy

If you walked into a bathroom and saw a green sink, what would be your first reaction? For some, it might evoke the nostalgia of a 1970s sitcom set, but with the right approach, a green sink can feel decidedly modern and moody. Like any bold design choice, it’s all about balance and context—a principle that applies to all areas of home decor, from colorful couches to beige interiors.

So, whose ideas were colored fixtures anyway? In the 1920s, technology led homeowners away from all-white options, which gave rise to to the sort of colorful bathrooms you might find in a ’20s-era Los Angeles apartment. Midcentury bathrooms featured colorful tile (and the fixtures to match), and the trend surged in popularity during the ’80s. Today, however, colored fixtures have shed their retro stigma and are finding their place in contemporary design, with more and more homeowners leaning toward anything but white or neutrals to liven up functional spaces.

For advice on how to successfully transform your bathroom into a colorful haven that doesn’t skew too retro, we asked Jessica Maros of Maros Designsand Courtnay Elias of Creative Tonic Design for some advice.

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