Long the stuff of clubs and hotels, dark and moody bathrooms are nothing to be afraid of.
COMPILED BY Martin Jacobs PHOTOS Nicole Franzen, Elsa Young, Dustin Hallec, Tim Lenz, Justin March, courtesy of Jeeves
They’re evolution’s take on colour drenching, if colour drenching were dressing for a night out. Dimmable ambient (or mood) lighting in warm Kelvin temperatures is vital to making a success of this look – because a nightclub is never a nightclub by daylight.
New York interior designer Crystal Sinclair reinvents the dark arts in this high-contrast bathroom (above). Her use of a uniform black on the walls, ceiling and mirror- and doorframes makes for an enveloping and evocative space. Black-and-white striped tiles introduce graphic drama. Source similarly veined stone basins at Lavo Bathroom Concepts. crystalsinclairdesigns.com | lavo.co.za
“Introducing warmth in the form of timber floors was key to softening this monotone space that could otherwise have been stark,” says Studio19’s Mia Widlake of her design. “Warming” accessories – such as a tonally apt rug, or the Firefly metallic sconces that she used – are an affordable way to soft en a monochromatic bathroom. Source similar flooring from Oggie Hardwood Flooring. studio19.co | oggie.co.za
Interior designer SuzAnn Kletzien’s monochromatic composition feels airy and light because of her considered use of black. By sticking to a dark colour only in the lower half of this bathroom, she’s focusing the eye on the white upper half. The white window frames are key to the design hack. suzannkletzien.com
Bruce Fyfe of Fyfe Boyce Interior Design believes that varying textures and forms is key to a contemporary black-and-white scheme. “We played with contrast – graphic patterns, sleek surfaces and bold lines – to create this dynamic yet refi ned bathroom,” he says. “Mixing textures kept it from feeling too stark, proving that a monochrome palette can be full of life and personality.” fyfeboyce.co.za
Mia Widlake of Studio19 opts for the studio’s glossy-plated Lian swing lamp in the design of this guest toilet. “Both the lamp and the plating of the swivel mirror provide textural contrast to the matt wallpaper and terrazzo countertop,” she says. A swing lamp in a guest bathroom allows for focused task lighting. studio19.co
Don’t shy away from decorating intimate guest toilets in very dark shades. In this compact space by Crystal Sinclair, she’s thoughtfully chosen metallic gold accents. Not only are they tonally warm like the primary shade, they’re also reflective, and so bounce subtle mood light into the space. crystalsinclairdesigns.com
Use carefully placed lighting in monotone bathrooms as a way to distinguish differences in tone. Lighting above a bathtub should be soft or dimmable – and here, ambient pendants in a bath alcove enhance the shadows in the fluted wall. The striations in the wall are repeated in the clever addition of a Jeeves heated towel rail. jeeves.co.za
In a guest toilet, task lighting can be replaced by ambient, mood-driven lights. In this cocooning space, interior designer Carly Ripp, of Life of Plenty Home in Nashville, opted for the symmetrical placement of sconces on either side of a mirror. The look is particularly pleasing because of the limited palette – vanity, taps, mirror and sconces are all in the same warm tones. Source similar sconces from Coricraft. lifeofplentyhome.com | coricraft.co.za
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