The allure of mid-century interior design has made a comeback. A lot of individuals are drawing inspiration from this beautiful style and incorporating it into their homes to achieve an inviting and comfortable, yet highly functional living area.
One key area to embrace the mid-century modern look is in your bathroom. By following our tips and tricks below and changing up your space with just a few touches, you can elevate your bathroom to a sleek and trendy space that we are sure you’ll love so much, you will never want to leave!
The Key Design Elements Of A Mid-Century Modern Style Bathroom
The mid-century modern style is quite frankly, limitless. This is because you can find this style incorporated in anything thanks to the wide range of shapes, colors, and textures that it encompasses.
You may choose to go entirely mid-century modern with your bathroom or add a few key pieces to bring a nod to the style. The key design elements to focus on are clean lines, minimal ornamentation, wood and nature, and iconic lighting
Some mid-century modern bathrooms can look so vastly different from one another that it’s hard to believe they’re inspired by the same time frame. And that is what makes the mid-century modern aesthetic so popular – you can take aspects of it to mix and match with other design features to create a perfectly personalized space for you to call home.
Sleek sink bath
One of the main elements in the mid-century modern look is clean lines. This means you should rely on straight lines, sharp corners, and general minimalism to get a feel of the mid-century modern vibe in your bathroom.
One way to do this is by installing a sleek sink bath. The clean lines bring that mid-century modern look whilst still providing enough beauty and efficiency for the space of the bathroom to really flow.
Teak wood cabinets
Well known for their practicality and durability, teak wood cabinets are an excellent addition for those who prioritize longevity and are looking to spice up their bathroom with a mid-century feel. Teak wood has excellent resistance to rot (perfect for wet and steamy bathrooms) and is very adaptable with all other fixtures, colors, and lightings.
Classic mid-century lighting fixtures
The great thing about mid-century modern design is that you can really adapt the lighting to make it your own and even choose it to be the main focus of your bathroom interior. You can use lamps with fun colors, classic curves, and vintage shapes to create a cozy ambiance.
Go retro with a dome-shaped pendant lighting, or create a more modern vibe with triangle or square-shaped lightning fixtures that feature sharp, straight lines.
Mid-century vanity lights
The clean, straight lines of mid-century modern bathroom vanity lights are still as attractive and bold now as they were back in the day. You can choose classic mid-century vanity lighting designs such as bubble light sconces, pendant lights, and retro glass pendants to add above a sink.
The best part is that mid-century lights will work well with nearly all vanities. A wooden vanity is the most popular look for a mid-century modern bathroom, but you can also go bold and choose a tiled or painted vanity for a fun look that still fits within the mid-century vibe.
Patterned tile flooring
If you love the fun patterns of mid-century-inspired wallpaper but don’t want to cover your whole bathroom in them, turn to your floor. Installing a geometric patterned tile flooring is a great example of a simple way to spice up your bathroom.
There’s a choice of so many great patterns to go for – such as hexagon, square, rectangle, or even white subway tiles.
Bold colorful accents
Pink, teal, olive green, and orange are just a few of the cool, fun, and earthy shades that were seen during the mid-century era. If you have a particular shade that you want to be bold with, try giving your powder room a new accent wall.
You could go vintage with green floral wallpaper, or add some dark wood paneling for a warmer aesthetic.
Round mirrors
A minimalist round mirror can add originality and a homey feel to a bathroom. A mid-century modern bathroom is all about straight lines and sharp corners, so by adding in a round mirror you can soften the room up to create a more cozy vibe.
Vintage faucets
Vintage faucets are a great way of bringing together the antique decor of mid-century with a more modern style.
Brass faucets and fixtures work best here as their beautiful champagne bronze color and muted finishes create a timeless look that blends perfectly with dark wood and all mid-century modern bathroom styles.
Towel Bars
Inspired by retro designs of the ’50s and ’60s you can incorporate a vintage style, brass towel bar to your wall that matches your faucets and fixtures.
Or, if you prefer a more modern look, add a black metal towel rack against white walls and a shower curtain with jewel tones or greenery to add to the mid-century modern style.
Accessories
Every mid-century modern bathroom should have accessories added in for a final, glamorous touch. There are so many different types of accessories that you can add from chic framed prints on your walls to potted plants on window sills, to woven baskets that store your fluffy towels.
Mid-Century Modern Bathroom Ideas
Keep it bright
Mid-century modern bathroom styles are infamous for their bright and bold tones. Try painting the walls in bright pastel colors (think pink or green) to create a fun space. Or, add in some quirky light fixtures above the vanity to the accent wall for a pop of radiance.
Scandinavian mid-century design
This mid-century modern bathroom idea incorporates simplicity and neutral colors alongside the vintage feel. To achieve it, you can use subway tile on your walls as the simple side, and add in a snazzy or whimsical shower curtain to take the chill off the white walls.
House plant haven
What is a mid-century modern bathroom without a few house plants? Greenery can break up the clean lines of the mid-century style, and add a more homey feel.
Try hanging some eucalyptus from your showerhead, or adding a potted, standing faux plant on the floor to bring in some lively color.
Modern/Mid-century combo
Mid-century modern is all the rage right now, with many people choosing to update their bathrooms to achieve this aesthetic. It includes adding a statement piece of furniture to the bathroom such as a solid wood vanity or a big, sleek bathtub, and then breaking it up with some mid-century style accessories.
This could include a geometric shower curtain, brass faucets, or even a toothbrush holder that features some gorgeous jewel tones.
Final Thoughts
A bathroom is an intimate place where we prepare ourselves for the day ahead and unwind after a stressful one. That is why it needs to be a space that we are proud of and feel comfortable spending time in, so we can look and feel our best every day.
If a mid-century modern bathroom is exactly your style, then the good news is that designing and styling one is very easy and simple.
Today, you don’t have to look far and wide to find mid-century bathroom pieces, and you can incorporate them with existing features in your home to create the perfect space for you.
Can you mix mid-century modern with rustic?
Yes! Although these two styles make an unexpected pairing, they actually work very well together to create a vintage-inspired and distinct look.
What makes mid-century modern unique?
The clean lines, earthy tones, and simplicity of this style make it so unique. And the best part is that you can adapt these features to bring out your personal style within the accessories in a mid-century modern bathroom.
What are some mid-century modern patterns?
There are many inspirations to take from the mid-century period that can be updated to create a mid-century modern bathroom style, including patterns.
Patterns such as geometric, floral, arches, hexagons, and stripes are all considered mid-century modern.
What can I add to an existing bathroom to give it some mid-century modern design?
If you wish to create a mid-century bathroom feel without having to re-do your entire bathroom, or when working on a tight budget, it’s all about accessories.
Try adding in a vintage light fixture, some green plants, patterned wallpaper, or geometric floor files for a mid-century modern bathroom design.
