17 refreshing windowless bathroom ideas from the House & Garden archive
It's the perennial oxymoron of design: the smaller the room, the more difficult it is to design. Even more difficult a room is to decorate when natural light is lacking and even further, it seems, windowless bathrooms – common fixtures in many a house – can be the most perplexing to zhuzz up properly. Of course, with our stylish windowless bathroom ideas, you'll soon find that there are plenty of ways to brighten up even the darkest of spaces. No window? No problem!
Great panelling is a guaranteed way to add texture to any room. By choosing light, zippy or plain white paint colours, as Rita Konig did in this Manhattan house, your windowless bathroom is instantly given a new sense of vitality. To minimise the darkness of a room, be sure to paint your panelling in colours which have no grey tones, as recommended by the design duo Salvesen Graham.
Tiles are a surefire way to make the most of any bathroom's decor. For those of the windowless variety, however, Salvesen Graham say that being creative with your tile design is of utmost importance: “Even with an inexpensive tile," says Mary, "you can create great patterns”. For those uninterested in pattern, opt for more colourful options – still perfect for adding verve to your space (after all, even without a view, you still have something interesting to look at). Additionally, tiles are an excellent choice for darker, ill-ventilated bathrooms, as they impede mould and bacteria growth and are easier to clean. If you have a generous budget, try a dramatic style of marble, as this will add a sense of luxury to the room, distracting from the fact that windowless bathrooms can feel a little mean.
Painting any dark room in lighter colours can help to brighten the space. However, with windowless bathrooms, dare to do even more with that paint. Consider painting a trim around the room or giving your bathroom a multi-toned spin, as the Salvesen Graham duo suggest. “It's all about interesting details," says Nicole.
By simply adding a large mirror or two, as Zoë Zimmer did in her London flat, any light in a dark or windowless room will be captured and amplified. As a bonus, too, mirrors create the optical illusion that your space is twice the size, giving you a bit more wiggle room in the bath.
No matter how good the interiors, it is great lighting that makes the room. For windowless bathrooms, adding lighting (strategically, of course!) wherever you can will help revive the space. By adding a great lighting scheme in your shower, for instance, as Georgina Cave did in her London house, the room feels instantly fresher and the space more breathable.
Windowless bathroom ideas from the House & Garden archive
Sarah Griggs1/15In this Notting Hill house, interior designer Natasha Quick has taken the jewel-box approach to this downstairs loo. Wrapped in Soane's ‘Persian Maze’ wallpaper, it has joinery specially designed to house the sink, painted in ‘Caddie’ by Paint & Paper Library. The curtain is made from another Soane fabric, while the tiny lampshades were made bespoke by Eloise Scotland.
Christopher Horwood2/15The bathroom in this Hackney coach house by Evelina Mamedovaite is a lovely room, thanks to the interior window that allows light to flow in from the landing. If you're considering a major renovation, an internal window can be a brilliant solution.
Christopher Horwood3/15The handsome second bathroom in this elegant west London pied-à-terre is lined in marble, which creates a sense of luxury in a windowless space. The green stone is Vert d’Estours – chosen for its uniform green grain and butter-coloured background, which provides a striking contrast to the soft grey of the Carrara marble. The taps and light are by Waterworks.
Christopher Horwood4/15This ensuite bathroom in a Chelsea townhouse restored by Steph Hill Designs and Devereux Designs has a fresh and pretty colour scheme to counter the lack of natural light. The vanity unit is painted in Edward Bulmer's ‘Invisible Green’, while the zellige tiles are ‘Bles’ from Ann Sacks.
5/15The bathrooms in this Notting Hill flat designed by Sarah Vanrenen were once described as “basement dungeons”. Now, they've been transformed into colourful, cheerful spaces. The walls in Edward Bulmer’s Milk White provide a nice counterpoint to Vanrenen’s custom-designed pink-and-black encaustic floor tiles and Aspa curtains in raspberry. The arch of antique plates mirrors the bathtub’s circular panels and floor tiles.
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Mike Garlick6/15The shower room in the same flat is a festival of pinks and greens, from the diamond-tile flooring and mirror to the painted woodwork and walls.
Simon Brown7/15Expanses of intricate Calacatta Vagli marble lend depth and luxury to the bathroom in Emma Burns' compact London flat. "It distracts me from the fact that there isn't a window," says Emma. The basin is from The Water Monopoly.
Simon Brown8/15Panelling in a deep shade of blue livens up this small bathroom in a Georgian house revived by Salvesen Graham. Adding panelling up to a dado rail is an easy way to bring decorative character to a windowless bathroom.
Owen Gale9/15Georgina Cave of Cave Interiors chose these reclaimed patterned tiles to cover the floor and back wall of the bathroom in her London house. The lighting in the shower is strategic, playing well off of the lighter colours in the tiles and drawing more light into the space.
Owen Gale10/15The cupboards in Joanna Plant's upstairs bathroom are painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Arsenic’. The lamps are by Hector Finch, the tiles are from Bert & May, and the brass-edged mirror is one of Joanna and Nick’s own designs. The colour palette, tile patterns and strategic mirror placement bring life to the windowless room.
Simon Brown11/15Each area of the open-plan main room in this small west London flat has its own distinct atmosphere, thanks to the inventive details introduced by interior designer Beata Heuman, who relished the creative challenge of making every inch count. A bespoke Carrara marble shower surround and vanity unit contrasts with walls in a dark blue gloss paint. Best Tile’s ‘Moroccan Encaustic Cement Pattern 06k’ tiles add decorative detail to the floor. Even without a window, the bathroom is stunning and beautifully lit.
Michael Sinclair12/15Fonace Brioni tiles create a show-stopping shower space in Pandora Taylor's house. Fonace's use of different tiles and patterns is a prime example of a well-decorated, windowless bathroom.
Owen Gale13/15The bath in the master en-suite of Georgia Cave's house is a perfect example of mixing textures and materials, which makes for a visually interesting room. The combination of tile and marble is a bespoke design, with the walls and steps covered in Ruivina marble and Clay Atelier handmade wall tiles from Artisan of Devizes. Riven black slate tiles line the inside of the bath and cover the floor.
Paul Massey14/15Finding a compromise between the minimalist tastes of its owner and her love of tactile fabrics and pattern, Rita Konig has subtly enhanced the airy interiors of this Manhattan house. In the bathroom, walls painted with faux panelling conceal storage and add to the country theme found throughout the house. The panelling, too, adds particular intrigue to the space – necessary for a windowless room.
Chris Horwood15/15The bathroom in James Shaw's Shoreditch house is tiled in Domus ’Seta’ mosaic tiles with ‘illustrations’ created from colour samples. James cleverly covered the side of the tub with a reflective material, creating the optical illusion of more space and light in the tiny bathroom.
