Layering Whites In The Bathroom

Layering different shades of white to create a warm and cozy space with charm, isn't always as effortless as it looks.

Here are a few tips to create a warm and cozy white bathroom.

And still keep it light and bright.


Our bathroom renovation is finally complete.

Can you believe it?? Well, it took me long enough...I mean five months from start to finish is just a little too long wouldn't you say?

Ok, full disclosure, the nuts and bolts were swapped out with relative ease. The hold up was all my fault. You see when I said that I wanted an all white bathroom, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Decorating with white is not as easy as it looks. Layering those tones to create a warm and cozy space, that doesn't feel like an arctic well, takes skill.

And apparently, it's not one that I inherently possess.

I'm a color girl. I've got that design process down to a science...especially if it involves red. I know exactly where to place the pops, my gut tells me which patterns coordinate and when there's just too much.

But with white, I was lost.

There are bright whites, gray whites, creamy whites and yellow whites. There are whites with purple and blue undertones and ones so blinding the light just bounces right off the wall.

And mixing and matching them to get a cohesive look is much more difficult than adding a vase of crimson tulips to accent a room.

And anyone who tells you differently has never really played this particular decorating game.

Do you remember where I started?

My red bathroom. I loved that room. The walls were so dramatic that, if anything, the space needed to be toned down.

Accessorizing was simple.

Just add white things and ta-da, fabulous.


However when everything in the room was already white, I was lost.

Here's my tale. You might want to grab a drink...it's a long one.

We started by replacing the tub.

If you recall, that was the motivation for the entire project.

It wasn't easy to find one that fit the existing area, had the sleek lines I was looking for, got decent reviews and didn't cost thousands, but eventually we found one.


And I couldn't be more pleased. Thankfully, the white matched our existing toilet and wall tiles. So far, so good. Phew.

Once that was in though, my husband was all pick a floor and what are we doing to the vanity? I honestly had no idea. I was at a standstill.

I looked at floors for weeks and when I thought I couldn't look any further, he literally forced me into one last tile shop, where I found this beauty.

That became the inspiration for the rest of the room. It exudes a sort of vintage, cottage, classic elegance. So I went with it.

A wooden floor tile sample - the inspiration for my new wooden countertop - and an old faux floral pot became my muses and helped me see that the vanity needed to be white.

Ok, but which one?


I spent more hours in the paint shop looking at colors to makeover the old vanity and ended up picking one that looked a teeny bit silver, Benjamin Moore Silver Satin to be exact, so it would match the slight silver sparkle in the floor.

Of course once it went on the cabinet, it was cream. Go figure.

I swear, those paint chips lie. We had the same issue with the walls. Again, my husband said, pick a color. I said, no, I want all white.

The room has no windows and while I have adored those red walls for almost two decades, I was craving a lighter, cleaner aesthetic.

I was looking for fresh, but soft and warm, and those were the exact words I used with the paint guy when he recommended Chantilly Lace.

Ooh...that sounded perfect.

Well, that was another lie. It's the whitest white I've ever seen.

I was ready to tell my husband to paint over it, but it already took him too many coats to cover the red. More painting wasn't really an option.

The room would have to be warmed up in other ways. I was hopeful that the other elements in the room would take care of it...but not necessarily convinced.


The next big decision was what to do with the huge mirror behind the vanity.

By now I was pretty burnt out and I was almost ready to leave it alone, when common sense got a hold of me.

That metal finish was not going to work. It had to be painted, but should it be wood or white?

Oh boy. In the end I picked white...light and bright and all white was the original plan, so I kept going. But again...which white??

My husband said, Let's spray it.

It seemed like the obvious (and frankly, easiest) answer, so I let him. Big mistake.

It was terrible. Cold and shiny. Nope.

So I grabbed my paint brush in an effort to warm it up and gave it a few coats of that creamy decidedly not Silver Satin.

And wouldn't you know it, now it was silver.


Just as I was about to drag it to the curb, common sense once again intervened and I called my friend Susan from Homeroad.

She came to the rescue with a brown antiquing gel that I just rubbed on and off and it warmed the whole thing up.

Thank goodness for crafty friends!!


The place was starting to shape up, but now it was time for those all important accessories.

I grabbed my Frankenpot from the living room, found a few crochet trimmed towels at Tuesday Morning and combed the internet for a suitable shower curtain.


I was looking for something with character and style, but, again, in white.

Stark white wasn't going to do the trick, neither was anything made of polyester, too frilly or too beige.


In the end, I found the perfect one from Laura Ashley, with just enough to lace to make it feel vintage. And it didn't break the bank...which is perfect since I tend to swap out my shower curtains often.

Even better, I found these darling antique looking shower hooks that coordinate with the ring pulls on my vanity.



By now, I think I had about ten different shades of white in the room. I was getting the hang of where to put the creamy ones, the grayer ones, the bright ones.

But the walls were still bare. I was able to mitigate one blank area by painting the old white mirror. However the other side of the room needed something else. Art.

When it was red, I had simple white frames mounted in the space, however now, that simply wouldn't do.

So I started searching for colorful prints and ended up with this beautiful free botanical from my friend Handan's collection.


I printed it out, found a 40% off frame at the craft store and hung it up. Right away it warmed up the room. And I would love to say that now I'm done. But alas, I am not.

You see, this view is lovely. Cameras can crop out unsightly areas.

In reality, this print and a horrible light switch are the only things on the wall. There's still a lot of blank space that needs to be filled.


What's the hold up? I just haven't found what I want yet.

Ideally, I'd like three oval frames with more artwork up there. Oh, and a replacement for that nasty light switch cover would be nice.

I'd also like a towel holder or hook of some sort to mount there, as well. The countertop is not that big and it is a working bathroom. That towel looks very sweet, but it's not practical. At all.


So I guess the bathroom isn't really done yet. (psst...it is now!!)

But that's ok, it's well on its way.

It's warming up in there, and I'm learning how to decorate with white.

Hopefully, by the time the new year rolls around, the walls will be filled and the room will feel a little cozier, to me.


If not, well hey, I could always paint it red.

Just don't tell my husband I said that.

Do you decorate with white?