Coloured sanitaryware: trend or timeless choice?
Scroll through any bathroom mood board right now and you’ll spot the same colours on repeat: deep green baths, terracotta units, and pink basins in candy shades that would have made your grandmother wince. After what feels like thirty years of glossy white as the only acceptable choice, colour is back in the bathroom, and it’s not being subtle about it either.
But there’s a gap between admiring a burnt orange bidet on Pinterest and actually plumbing one into your new build. So is coloured sanitaryware here to stay, or just a bathroom design trend that photographs better than it wears?
I asked the experts who spec it, fit it and live with it for the honest answer, including how it holds up to a decade of family bath times, and whether that gorgeous olive green suite will still feel right in ten years’ time.
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Is coloured sanitaryware trendy again?
After decades of glossy white as the default, colour is one of the biggest bathroom trends making a comeback, but is that translating into what actually goes into new bathrooms, or is it staying on the mood board?
According to Keeley Sutcliffe, design manager at BC Designs, the demand is real and has been for some time. “Coloured sanitaryware stopped being a Pinterest-only idea several years ago. We have seen sustained demand for coloured baths and basins for a long time now, so the more interesting question is not whether people are choosing colour, but how they are using it.”
“Most homeowners are not recreating the fully matched avocado or pink bathroom suites of the past,” she explains. “Colour is being used with much more restraint, usually through one key piece such as a freestanding bath or basin. That gives the room personality without making the whole scheme dependent on one shade.”
James Roberts, director at Sanctuary Bathrooms, agrees, pointing to the staying power of coloured suites, rather than them having a passing moment.
“Coloured bathroom sanitaryware is definitely becoming more popular among our customers, not as a fad, but as a genuine, longer-term preference for coordinated, colourful bathroom schemes over individual white or chrome pieces,” he says. “This is particularly evident where coloured suites complement biophilic design and the growing use of bathrooms as wellness spaces, giving the trend real staying power.”
He points to his own company’s research to back this up. “Our recent survey of 2,000 UK adults showed that soft pink, blue and green colour schemes were among the retro trends people said they would be most likely to recreate at home, with interest particularly strong among Gen Z and Millennials.”
But whether it’s expressed through one considered piece or a fully coordinated scheme, both experts agree this isn’t a fad that will fade as quickly as it arrived.
Keeley Sutcliffe is Brand Manager for award-winning British bathroom designers, BC Designs. Since 1999 the award winning company has been leading the way with its thoughtful, innovative and considered bathroom designs.
James is one of three directors of Sanctuary Bathrooms, working alongside his father and brother. He joined the company in 2007 having previously studied to become a plumber
The pros of coloured sanitaryware
1. It gives a room personality
Done well, colour can give a bathroom a sense of character that white simply can’t. Sophie Chapman, interior designer at The Vawdrey House, explains more.
“Coloured sanitaryware is gaining momentum as bathrooms shift towards more expressive, personality-led spaces, with homeowners looking to move beyond all-white schemes in favour of something warmer and more individual.
“Softer pinks and earthy tones continue to lead the way,” she continues, “reflecting a broader move towards grounded, natural palettes that bring a sense of calm and tactility to interiors.”
2. It can tie your spaces together
Sophie also points out that colour can help a bathroom feel connected to the rest of the home, rather than sitting apart from it. “Increasingly, bathrooms are also being designed as part of a larger suite, where the relationship between bedroom, dressing space and bathroom is carefully thought through. Coloured sanitaryware can play a key role in this, helping to visually connect spaces through a shared palette.”
Shop coloured sanitaryware
B&Q
Modern Luxury Wash Round Basin
At under £100, this matt pink basin proves an affordable, above-counter swap can carry just as much personality as a full, plumbed-in coloured suite.
Better Bathrooms
Dark Green Freestanding Double Ended Bath
With its generous depth and ergonomic design, this emerald-toned standing bath is a far cry from the green suites of the past.
Sanctuary Bathrooms
Zero 3 Matt Pink Rimless Back To Wall Toilet
Finished in a refined matt pink, this statement piece would add a vibrant pop of colour and personality to a bold, contemporary bathroom.
A founding member of The Vawdrey House, Sophie oversees the design team bringing her trademark energy & creativity to projects. With a BA in Interior Design & Environmental Architecture, Sophie develops unique furniture packages, styles projects & loves sourcing trips to antique fairs & French brocantes.
The cons of coloured sanitaryware
1. It can limit flexibility
The case against is less about taste and more about commitment. Blanca Sanchez, director at Halo Design Interiors, is candid about the risks.
“The biggest issue with coloured sanitaryware is that it limits flexibility. A white suite acts as a neutral foundation that can work with almost any design style, whether you prefer modern, traditional, minimalist or colourful interiors. Once you’ve committed to a pink, green or blue toilet and basin, every future design decision has to work around them. That makes updating the space more expensive and more restrictive.”
2. Social media appeal doesn’t always translate into real life
Blanca Sachez is also sceptical of how much of the online appeal actually holds up in daily life.
“While they’re generating some attention on Pinterest that doesn’t really reflect what most homeowners are choosing when they’re investing thousands of pounds in bathroom costs they’ll live with for the next 10 or 15 years. Social media is brilliant for inspiration but it rewards bold, eye-catching designs that don’t always translate into spaces people want to use every day.”
Blanca Sanchez is a UK-based interior designer with 20+ years’ experience at Halo Design Interiors. From interior architecture to furniture, fixtures and equipment, they have worked on countless new-build and renovation projects throughout the UK and Europe.
How to make coloured sanitaryware work in your space
Let the walls carry the statement too
A coloured suite doesn’t have to work alone. Pairing it with a bold bathroom wallpaper can pull the whole room together rather than competing with it. The downstairs toilet pictured above (designed by Jamie Watkins, co-founder of Divine Savages) shows exactly how.
“By pairing blush pink sanitaryware with glossy green tiles and statement wallpaper, the result is layered, contemporary and full of character,” says Jamie, “proving that even the smallest room can make the biggest design statement.”
Jamie Watkins is Co-Founder of Divine Savages, the British design studio known for bold, eclectic wallpapers, fabrics and home accessories inspired by history, culture and nature, founded with husband Tom Kennedy.
Opt for earthier or muted shades
Not every colour ages well. Keeley Sutcliffe, says the shades with staying power tend to have some depth to them rather than being punchy or primary.
“The colours with the greatest longevity tend to have some complexity to them. Very bright shades can work brilliantly, but softer mineral tones, warm neutrals and deeper nature-led colours are easier to live with and can adapt as the rest of the bathroom changes. You can also replace brassware, repaint walls or introduce new towels and accessories without the bath suddenly feeling out of place.”
Choose one statement piece to add a pop of colour
Rather than a fully matched suite, the experts all tend to favour a single coloured piece doing the hard work.
“My advice is to choose one coloured piece, make sure the shape feels current and avoid matching everything around it,” says Keeley Sutcliffe. “Let a statement piece, like a colourful vanity unit, lead the room, then use the surrounding finishes to support it rather than compete with it.”
Add colour through finishes and taps
If a full suite feels like too big a leap, brassware and taps are a lower-commitment way to bring colour in without touching the sanitaryware itself. Emily Robertson, bathroom expert at Mira Showers, agrees this is often the smarter starting point.
“If you’re interested in adopting the trend without committing to replacing your whole bathroom suite just yet, it’s far more cost-effective to start with replacing your fixtures and fittings. Try swapping out fixtures like your taps, shower or shower head, cabinet handles, or bathroom lighting.”
A coloured tap, shower or set of handles can add just as much personality as a basin or bath, while being far easier and cheaper to change later if your taste shifts. It’s a good starting point if you want to test how you feel about living with colour before committing to anything permanent, and it means the rest of the room can stay flexible while one or two smaller details do the work.
Emily Robertson is a bathroom expert and regular contributor at Mira Showers, writing on trends, sustainability and design advice, with a particular focus on creating calming, spa-style bathrooms at home.
Shop easy ways to add colour to your bathroom
Amazon
Single Lever Modern Bathroom Basin Mixer
Also available in red and mint green, this tap makes the case for starting small without the commitment of a full coloured suite.
B&Q
Clara Clark Sage Green Accessory Set
A coordinated accessories set is one of the easiest ways to test a colour, without a single fitting needing to be replaced or refitted.
Dunelm
Ultimate Cotton Towel Set
Bathroom towels are the lowest-stakes way to test a bolder shade. One wash and you’ll know whether it’s a colour worth committing to.
FAQs
Does colour affect resale value?
“Resale is the worry that stops a lot of people committing to colour, but Keeley Sutcliffe thinks that fear is overplayed.
“Resale is often used as an argument against colour, but I think that concern is overstated when it is handled well. One coloured bath in a strong, contemporary shape is very different from committing every element in the room to the same shade. Buyers increasingly respond to bathrooms with character, particularly when the choice feels part of the wider scheme rather than added for novelty.”
Does coloured sanitaryware need more maintenance than white?
Not according to Keeley Sutcliffe, who says maintenance is more about the material than the colour.
“With a colour-through solid-surface bath such as ColourKast, the shade is integral to the product rather than sitting only on the surface, which makes it a practical choice as well as a decorative one.”
The same principle applies to damage. White sanitaryware in a coated or glazed finish can chip and show a duller layer underneath just as easily as a coloured piece can show white, so the real difference in durability comes down to how a piece is made, not what colour it is.
Can coloured sanitaryware work in a small bathroom?
Yes, but it needs a different approach to a large family bathroom. Emily Robertson warns against treating every space the same way.
“Adding a coloured suite to a small bathroom, like an ensuite, can run the risk of making the room feel overcrowded and dark. This is where you should consider pairing the suite with lighter and contrasting features, as well as good bathroom lighting ideas and bathroom mirrors to open up the space.”
Colour isn’t the only way to bring personality into a bathroom. If you’re after something calmer, our guide to spa bathrooms shows how texture, lighting and natural materials can create the same sense of character, minus the commitment. Or, if your tastes venture further afield, these Japanese bathroom ideas could be just what you’re looking for.