How Should You Decorate a Classic-Style Bathroom?

Inviting, dignified, romantic and captivating through its furniture, accessories, textures and details, classic style generally draws inspiration from materials and decoration associated with particular historical periods. Keeping the visual language of different eras alive, it also encompasses various subcategories. Styles such as country classic, rustic classic, vintage classic, Baroque, Louis XIV and Victorian draw their basic principles from classicism, yet today each is recognised as a distinct style within the vocabulary of interiors.

Some decorating styles call for specific colour palettes. Vintage style, for example, comes into its own in pastels. Rustic style loves earthy tones. A more modern movement such as Pop Art calls for vibrant, energetic bursts of neon colour. Traditional classic style, however, can be created with any palette. The key is to choose colours that complement rather than contrast with one another: turquoise-cobalt-blue-white, beige-blue-green-grey, beige-cream-white or indigo-blue-grey-grey, for example.

Slender cabriole legs, flowing curves, delicate handles… It is hardly surprising that “elegance” is one of the first words used to describe classic style. Classic bathroom furniture, commonly made from maple, walnut, oak or cherry, can take many forms. If you lean towards country classic, your furniture might have substantial legs, simple panels and porcelain or ceramic handles. If you are a traditional classicist, on the other hand, look for hand-carved details, symbolic ornamentation, gilded mouldings, layered front panels and crystal or gold-coloured handles.

Here is one of the most striking features: using symmetry rather than an informal arrangement. Symmetrical placement is classic style’s most distinctive formula. Think twin basins, matching mirrors hung symmetrically above them and wall lights placed symmetrically beside each mirror.

A classic bathroom’s wall and floor tiles should follow the same aesthetic—but how? If you are a traditionalist, collections with classically patterned decorations and borders against a plain background will do the job. But if you do not want the same bathroom as your neighbour, it is worth exploring current trends. In recent years, ceramic tile designs with three-dimensional patterns have come to the fore. Among them are elegant, understated interpretations of classic motifs.

Another approach is to explore materials beyond ceramic. Marble, for example, is a favourite in classic bathrooms. With its authentic, luxurious character, it can be used in large formats on floors and walls, as well as on basin worktops, bath exteriors, furniture and accessories. Granite and mosaic are also part of this family. For walls, you might consider ceramic tiles, such as metro tiles, above panelling with decorative mouldings.

A roll-top, claw-foot bath is, of course, a classic bathroom essential. If the room is too small, however, you can create the classic emphasis with the basin and reinforce it in the shower area. Alongside classic basins with surrounding shelf space, console basins on legs or pedestals are also popular. Taps, shower mixers and shower heads made from brass, copper or bronze complete the ensemble, bringing gravitas and historical authenticity to the space.