26 Gray Bathroom Ideas for Every Design Style

By
Kristin Hohenadel
Kristin Hohenadel
Kristin Hohenadel is an interior design expert who has covered architecture, interiors, and decor trends for publications including the New York Times, Interior Design, Lonny, and the American and international editions of Elle Decor. She resides in Paris, France, and has traveled to over 30 countries, giving her a global perspective on home design.
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Updated on 07/14/22
gray bathroom

Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Photo by Margaret Austin Photo

Gray is an understated neutral color that is timeless and classic for a reason. Easy on the eyes, it is versatile enough to work with virtually any design style, from traditional to industrial to contemporary. Gray can be warm, cool, light, or dark. Depending on the tone and shade you choose, gray can fade into the background or set the mood. 

Using gray paint for a primary bathroom or a powder room can create an elegant, calming feel. But you can also mix and match flooring, backsplash and shower tiles, and textiles such as rugs and towels in fun and unexpected ways to create a lively gray-toned space.

Check out these stylish bathrooms in a range of styles and sizes that prove that decorating with gray is anything but boring with a little effort and imagination.

About This Term: Primary Bathroom

Many real estate associations, including the National Association of Home Builders, have classified the term "Master Bedroom" (or "Master Bathroom") as discriminatory. "Primary Bedroom" is the name now widely used among the real estate community and better reflects the purpose of the room.


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  • 01 of 26

    Install a Feature Wall

    gray bathroom

    Design by Jean Liu Design / Photo by Stephen Karlisch

    This bathroom from Jean Liu Design features a striking, extra tall gray tile backsplash that adds interest and texture to the wall behind the bathtub.

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  • 02 of 26

    Use Chalk Paint

    gray bathroom

    Design by Annie Sloan

    This bathroom from Annie Sloan has soothing medium toned gray walls, a painted gray clawfoot tub, and a chalk paint checkerboard pattern on the hardwood floor that complement the timeless room filled with retro-style fittings and soft pink accents.

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  • 03 of 26

    Gray Wash the Brick

    gray bathroom

    Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Reid Rolls

    This one-of-a-kind bathroom from Leanne Ford Interiors includes a a vintage Willy Guhl planter repurposed as a sink, salvaged doors from France, and a gray lime and clay wash that covers the brick walls and the ceiling.

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  • 04 of 26

    Contrast With Warm Metals

    gray bathroom

    Design by Brophy Interiors / Photo by Tim Hirschmann

    This Huntington Beach, California bathroom from Laura Brophy Interiors has deep gray lightly textured walls that are contrasted with smooth warm gold-toned plumbing fixtures that catch the light from the window and add a shiny contrast.

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  • 05 of 26

    Create a Luxe Spa Feel

    gray bathroom ideas

    Design by Lisa Kahn Designs

    This beachfront home from Lisa Kahn Designs has a spa-like feel with its massive gray marble shower that creates a luxurious sense of zen. The stone continues onto the flooring for a seamless look.

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  • 06 of 26

    Add a Coastal Twist

    gray bathroom

    Design by Tyler Karu Design / Photo by James R. Salomon

    Interior designer Tyler Karu of Tyler Karu Design chose a soft blue-gray wallpaper with an illustrated rope pattern to complement a weathered gray wood vanity, marble sink, silver-toned accents, and an oval beveled round mirror in this Maine beach house bathroom.

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  • 07 of 26

    Saturate the Walls

    gray bathroom

    Design by Becca Interiors

    This Connecticut powder room from Becca Interiors is enveloped in a dark shade of gray, from the shiplap walls to the moldings and window shutters, giving the small space a sense of dimension and making the freestanding vintage-style sink pop. A classic gray-and-white checkerboard floor is a nod to the home's classic bones that lightens things up a bit.

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  • 08 of 26

    Backlight It

    gray bathroom ideas

    Design by Tidal Interiors / Photo by Jenny Siegwart

    Interior designer Rhianna Jones of Tidal Interiors used LED backlighting to add ambient light to a built-in wall-to-wall shower niche in this pale gray-toned bathroom.

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  • 09 of 26

    Combine Tones and Patterns

    gray bathroom

    Design by Jean Liu Design / Photo by Stephen Karlisch

    While you can use a single shade of gray to create a cohesive monotone look, Jean Liu Design played with tones and patterns, adding texture to this lively bathroom.

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  • 10 of 26

    Go Halfway

    gray bathroom

    Fantastic Frank

    This bathroom from Fantastic Frank uses large format gray tiles on the bottom half of the wall and flooring to ground the space, leaving the upper half of the wall white to add balance and luminosity.

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  • 11 of 26

    Paint the Shiplap

    gray bathroom

    Design by Kate Marker Interiors / Photo by Stoffer Photography

    This modern farmhouse bathroom from Kate Marker Interiors has painted gray shiplap walls that soften the space and complement the light hardwood floors.

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  • 12 of 26

    Waterproof the Plaster

    gray bathroom ideas

    Design by Kate Marker Interiors / Photo by Margaret Rajic

    This tiny powder room from Kate Marker Interiors has a gray washable and waterproof Tadelakt plaster treatment rendered in Benjamin Moore’s Ashwood Moss. Moody walls are contrasted with a brass-toned mirror and lighting, matte black wall-mounted faucet, and a limestone-effect sink.

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  • 13 of 26

    Hang Patterned Wallpaper

    gray bathroom

    Fantastic Frank

    This petite Swedish powder and laundry room from Fantastic Frank has gray wallpaper in a damask pattern that adds a touch of classic elegance to the room where you least expect it.

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  • 14 of 26

    Multiply the Variations

    gray bathroom

    Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Photo by Margaret Austin Photo

    This understated bathroom from Cathie Hong Interiors uses four different shades, styles, and sizes of gray tile from the floor to the shower pan to the shower walls and nook to create an overall soothing look. A putty gray painted ceiling ties all the grays together.

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  • 15 of 26

    Paint the Ceiling

    gray bathroom

    Design by Desiree Burns Interiors

    This petite powder room from Desiree Burns Interiors has gray-and-white patterned wallpaper, a light gray door, and a dark gray ceiling that emphasizes its cozy feel.

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  • 16 of 26

    Go Retro

    gray bathroom

    Design by Erin Williamson Design

    A whispery shade of pale gray paint, light gray penny tiles on the floor, and chrome accents on the retro-style fixtures give this bathroom from Erin Williamson Design a timeless look.

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  • 17 of 26

    Veer Toward Taupe

    gray bathroom

    Design by Desiree Burns Interiors

    This light and luminous little bathroom from Desiree Burns Interiors uses shades of taupey gray on the walls and sink vanity that marries well with a gray-and-white patterned tile floor and is lifted by shiny bronze- and brass-toned accents.

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  • 18 of 26

    Pair Complementary Tiles

    gray bathroom

    Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Photo by Margaret Austin Photo

    Cathie Hong Interiors used different tiles in shades of gray on the walls and floor that are complemented with a honey-toned wood sink vanity, and accented with a metal wall sconce in two shades of pink.

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  • 19 of 26

    Toughen It Up

    gray bathroom

    Fantastic Frank

    This simple and somber bathroom from Fantastic Frank has an almost Brutalist feel with concrete-effect tiles from floor to ceiling, and simple black accents.

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  • 20 of 26

    Japandize It

    gray bathroom

    Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Photo by Margaret Austin Photo

    Cathie Hong Interiors remodeled a midcentury model Eichler home in Willow Glen, California, infusing it with Japandi elements. Stealing some space from the primary bedroom allowed for the creation of an ensuite with a curb-free wet room complete with a soaking tub and Japanese tiles.

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  • 21 of 26

    Mix Wallpaper and Tile

    gray bathroom

    Design by Kate Marker Interiors / Photo by Margaret Rajic

    This gray-toned bathroom from Kate Marker Interiors mixes gray patterned wallpaper, marble wall tiles, small-scale floor tiles, and a gray shower curtain to create a harmonious but multi-layered look.

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  • 22 of 26

    Layer It Up

    gray bathroom

    Design by Tyler Karu Design and Interiors / Photo by James R. Salomon

    This bathroom from Tyler Karu Design and Interiors has a mix of gray finishes from the shower surround to the floor to the walls to the Turkish towels hanging at the ready.

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  • 23 of 26

    Add Natural Accents

    gray bathroom

    Design by Mindy Gayer Design Co. / Photo by Vanessa Lentine

    This bathroom from Mindy Gayer Design Co. mixes marble wall tiles with gray-and-white patterned floor tile, adding warmth with natural accents on the pendant lamp and window shade.

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  • 24 of 26

    Wrap the Walls With Tile

    gray bathroom

    Designed by Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Tramp

    This bathroom from Emily Henderson Design has wrap-around subway tiles on the walls, lighter gray herringbone pattern floor tiles, and shiny gold-tone plumbing fixtures.

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  • 25 of 26

    Use Glass Accents

    gray bathrooms

    Fantastic Frank

    This small bathroom from Fantastic Frank is bathed in a soothing shade of medium-toned gray paint that is lifted with brass toned accents. A glass shelf displaying amber bottles catch the light and add a sense of lightness.

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  • 26 of 26

    Use Silver Accents

    gray bathroom

    Design by JLA Designs

    This bright and shiny bathroom from JLA Designs mixes pale gray penny tile flooring with gray subway tiles with a thick paler gray grout, but it's the light-reflecting silver leaf gray patterned wallpaper that brings the bling.

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