A Black & Rust Bathroom Makeover That Transforms Flat to Fabulous

This bathroom had great potential, filled with ample and charming built-ins, but the all-white color scheme left the space feeling sterile and unfinished. Our goal? To inject personality, warmth, and modern edge using a bold palette and intentional design moves. From geometric tile to warm rust paint, this bold bathroom makeover tells a story of elevated style through contrast, color, and texture.

This is how the bathroom looked BEFORE.

This is the DESIGN BOARD I created for this bathroom project. I love the mix of colors and textures!

And here is out it turned out AFTER!

Adding Depth with Black Accents

We also wanted to incorporate other dark features around the room to carry elegance and drama throughout the space. The combination of the black tile in the shower niche alongside the painted storage nooks and feature wall provide a gorgeous statement that grounds the space and accomplishes and elevated design for our client.

Black accents, whether a feature wall, accompanying tile, or select piece of furniture, bring elegance to any space. It provides a timeless and elevated look that always looks polished and ready to make a statement.

Pro tip from the funcycled design team

Here is the black color we chose to use for this design.

Black Beauty by Benjamin Moore

A Warm Vanity Anchors the Bathroom Design

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Our design suggested a light to medium warm wood tone vanity to add warmth to the room. We love the lighter vanity ultimately selected for this project. The curved drawers mimic the arc shapes found in the wallpaper.

This curved vanity is nice for a compact space, just 24″ wide. Plus, I love that it has clearance below the base so it helps maintain a open feel in a smaller bathroom.

If you prefer a more traditional look with square lines, this option is also great. It is the one we originally sourced for our design board.

Built-In Shelves with Bold Wallpaper

When a bathroom (old, new, compact, or large) includes storage solutions, we are quick to check off the practical box, knowing we have “in room” storage. Super convenient! And, while I absolutely agree that ticking this box is a huge win, I like to imagine these areas as opportunities for design moments!

In this bathroom, situated on both sides of the shower are two such spaces. Recessed nooks that provide both open and closed storage solutions. As you can see in the before photo, these nooks are certainly providing function for our clients, but they are what I would say is lackluster. They serve only functional outcomes and entirely miss out on providing a great design outcome as well. What a missed opportunity for something amazing!

To address this missed moment, the design incorporated painting these storage zones in a deep black color and then adding a bold patterned wallpaper to the back provide a backdrop for adding style and beauty to the room.

Here is how it turned out!

This is a close up of the wallpaper we used. The bold geometric pattern combines rich tones with strong shapes that still carry a soft flow with curved lines. It is linked up so you can get this look for your home, too.

What I love about this selection is that it adds so much whether it is an entire wall or just a small section inside a cubby!

Rust-Toned Storage Nook Makes a Statement

This part is a little hard to see in our photos, but this built in storage closet was totally transformed simply by changing the boring and dated white color with basic wooden knobs to a deep and rich rust tone outfitted with statement hardware.

Here is the BEFORE photo.

And here is the AFTER photo. Can you believe what a difference?!

We selected Audobon Russet for the rust paint color.

Audobon Russet by Benjamin Moore

Next to these gorgeous finishes, the whole design really pops!

These black and chrome handles add a luxurious and high end look to the rich rust paint color of the built-ins.

This tiered pendant is a great option to keep things elevated without overwhelming a bathroom. Shop below.

And, of course, the shower curtain supports the rich black paint and accent tile and echos the classic pattern of the floor tiling. Shop it below.

Final Thoughts

Creating a style that is unique to you is part of the interior design process. If you would like some additional inspiration and want to see examples and tips for other areas of your home, check out these other blog posts, linked below.

Mid Century Modern Basement Design

Design Trends to try in 2025

Mid Century Living Room Update

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Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ; )