If you’re fed up with a windowless bathroom that feels like a depressing cave, here are some pro tips.
Dim and dank don’t rank high on the list of dream-bathroom buzzwords. Yet the bathrooms in many homes dismally lack windows.
Without fresh air or natural light, it can feel like you’re in a dungeon. City-dwelling clients or people who live in condos are often saddled with walled-in baths. We suggest banishing the sadness with an airy design. Step one: papering the compact room’s four walls (and ceiling, too) with an ethereal wallpaper or faux paint. It can really open up the space and make the whole room feel lighter.
Bring in Nature
In a room with no windows it’s particularly important to do things inspired by nature. For our part, we rely on accents like a wood-framed mirror or Hinoki bath mat, which exudes a light cypress scent — subtle ways to connect your tiled cell to the organic world. Even simpler? For a pop of freshness, we suggest finding a spot for a few sprigs of eucalyptus — which lasts for weeks and emits a clean, invigorating fragrance.
Think Clearly
Because glass tricks the eye and can “expand” a sense of space, when dealing with the shower in a dim W.C., we shun shower curtains and engineer a clear partition. Reflective surfaces can also mimic windows. For a new bath reno, you can try a playful arched wall cabinet with glass doors to reflect light. It helps replace what’s lost by not having a window.
Reel in the Great White
Many homeowners assume the way to remedy a dark space is to use bright white everywhere — but some designers caution that a white-out can evoke a hospital. The trick to keeping things fresh, not clinical? Use a mix of whites, from milky to icy, and neutrals.
One gutsy, counterintuitive move: Rather than running from it, lean into the darkness. In a petite powder room that I designed, shadowy reads as dramatic thanks to the beautiful flower print against the black background wallpaper. All you see is flowers, you forget about the fact that there is no natural light!
If you’re interested in exploring what ABID can do to update your bathroom, please request a free phone consultation on our contact page by clicking this link!
Light the Way
Without the luxury of sunlight, choose lighting as strategically as a president chooses their cabinet. One big no: Edison bulbs. They’re terrible for bathrooms! “They can be glaring and the exposed bulbs cast terrible shadows,” cautions Chase, an expert from Rittenhouse Electric. To soften the severity in a recent reno, we swapped out offending Edisons for a pair of alabaster sconces. They diffuse light over a honed marble sink and its dramatic veining. The result: a dreamy, not at all dreary, vibe.
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