Design Ideas for Beadboard in the Bathroom

This cozy cottage bathroom by Seth Benn Photo via Houzz features an unexpected twist to the beadboard theme: horizontal installation. Although beadboard is usually installed vertically, you can always break the mold. The horizontal effect draws you into the space and balances its depth. It's like walking into an old cedar closet.

In a monochromatic bathroom, you can use beadboard to create slight contrast with the wall color. This cozy bathroom by Jessica Helgerson Interior Design shows you exactly how to do it. The light gray of the beadboard and mirror frame contrast the paler wall for a chic effect. After all, there are many shades of neutrals.

This soft, family-friendly design by Lindsey Cheney of The Pleated Poppy is a great example of how you can successfully use color and beadboard together. There's a lovely sense of movement here. The all-over beadboard contrasts with the nearly square mirrors, adding a vertical dimension to them. Plus, the combination of mint green, white, and tan is simple and beautiful.

The beadboard in this beach-style bathroom by Courtney Blanton Interiors via Houzz is pretty typical. But what makes this space special is the combination of a beadboard wall and a mosaic tile floor. The two together avoid a cookie-cutter feel and add lots of personality. It's a cozy-yet-fun space that isn't afraid to play with textures.

Although the yellow-striped wallpaper in this beach house bathroom by Phoebe Howard looks like beadboard, it isn't. The beadboard here is used as an accessory on the vanity doors. It's a clever use of the beadboard look, without having to install it all over the walls. It also adds a sense of height to this mostly white vanity. 

If you have low ceilings, beadboard can make a room look taller by drawing the eye up. For example, this small farmhouse powder room by Farmhouse 5540 is greatly enhanced by the white beadboard that goes all the way up to the original wood-beam ceiling. The large, decorative mirror is another great touch to make the room feel bigger.

This master bathroom by Taste Design via Houzz shows how to use beadboard at different heights to add movement to a large space. The wall treatment is stacked at three different levels: under the large window, halfway up the wall just before the corner, and above the large vanity. Don't be afraid to play with heights. It can make your space feel more playful.

You don't have to add beadboard to every wall. You also can use it to define a small area within a larger space like this stunning bathroom by Kristin Petro Interiors. The black beadboard contrasts with the neutral light shade of the wall and sets apart the area where towels hang. 

"Cute" is the word for this powder room by Stacey Michaud. The neutral gray and white with a dash of yellow make for a small space with a lot of personality. The beadboard here is used in a pretty traditional way, about halfway up the wall. But it does have the effect of framing the beautiful pedestal sink and toilet and leaving the mirror and shelves to shine by themselves.

In this traditional master bathroom by Andrea May via Houzz, beadboard stretches almost all the way up the walls. There's just a small band of color between the edge of the wall beadboard and the ceiling, which is also covered in beadboard. This draws up our eyes and heightens the ceiling. Also, notice how the painting to the right is higher than the edge of the beadboard. This gives it more importance in the space.

Black and white is a bold choice in bathrooms, and beadboard can work well to create this contrast. This cottage bathroom design by Bella Mancini uses beadboard as the bottom white half, installed against the black wall color. Instead of flat white paint, the beadboard offers some interesting texture, which gives the space movement.

This elegant master bathroom by Tom Stringer Design Partners via Houzz features a two-level beadboard wall. The levels of beadboard add depth and help to frame all of the different elements of this bathroom, especially the eye-catching vanity space. Any element that touches the floor stays on the lower beadboard level, while the mirrors and light fixtures are on top. It's a great way to break up a large space to make it feel more intimate.

Take a hint from this minimalist attic bathroom by JAS Design Build: Beadboard is an excellent solution to low ceilings. This space would feel oppressively small if it weren't for the heightening properties of the narrow beadboard. Adding it along the drop-in tub gives the space a sense of harmony and continuity, essential elements of the minimalist style.