Eclectic Bathroom Design Ideas

If you're planning to install a brand new bathroom or just looking to update an existing one, and your personal style leans toward the unique and interesting, you'll likely want to peruse eclectic bathroom design ideas.

Eclectic bathrooms can unite a variety of styles in a single space, incorporating everything from vintage furniture to carefully chosen art and decor elements from different eras, design movements and decorating styles.

The best way to define eclectic style is to say that it draws inspiration from a variety of design sources. Mixing and matching elements from complementary and contrasting styles often creates a visually impactful design in rooms that adopt an eclectic style. Since bathrooms are often small spaces, eclectic style can be especially effective, particularly because these spaces often "stand alone" from the overall design style of the home. Many homeowners use bathrooms as an opportunity to express some style personality and experiment with wide-ranging approaches to design — which can make eclectic design a great option, since it can incorporate diverse influences and comes without many hard-and-fast design "rules."

Combining contemporary and traditional design is a great way to achieve an eclectic mix in your bathroom. For example, if your prevailing bathroom design is contemporary — featuring smooth surfaces, up-to-date furniture and updated lighting fixtures and other elements — you might consider adding a few design elements from different eras, like a traditional claw-footed tub or a rough-hewn, hand-distressed bench in unfinished, natural wood. Resting the classic tub design on an angular, modern tub stand or base — or encasing a traditional porcelain pedestal sink in a contemporary cabinet and mirror scheme—can have the same effect of combining distinctive but complementary styles.

Another way you can achieve an eclectic bathroom design is by adding rustic elements to a contemporary design. Accessories like soap dishes, soap and moisturizer dispensers, containers for toiletries and even linens can reflect a natural theme by incorporating natural materials and colors like greens and browns — in contrast to a more stoic overall design that might feel wholly man-made.

Eclectic bathroom design can also feature a wide range of decor accessories that can be a great opportunity to express your personal style. Artwork and photography from different historical eras can combine seamlessly in a gallery wall-style display featuring a selection of diverse frames and intermixing color and black-and-white photography, paintings and drawings and different subjects, from family members to flora and fauna.