40 Eye-Catching Bathroom Accent Wall Ideas

Bathrooms have become the stage for some of today’s most incredible interior designs, and accent walls are often the stars of the show. Learn where to put accent walls in your bathroom and what to put on them as we walk you through 40 of our favorite accent wall ideas.

Can You Put an Accent Wall in a Bathroom?

Yes!

Visual design choice is personal. Even if you read 100 blogs telling you you shouldn’t do something, even if I tell you you shouldn’t, the aesthetic decisions you make in your home are yours to make (keyword: aesthetic, listen to your contractor when it comes to anything structural or functional). Doing things differently is how design progresses and new trends are born.

When it comes to bathroom accent walls though, no one would dissuade you. Accent walls add intrigue and focal points to these small spaces. And with fewer square feet to work with compared to the living room, for example, a single accent wall distills a big statement into a tightly contained canvas.

Which Wall Should Be the Accent Wall in a Bathroom?

Again, these choices are wide open and whichever wall is speaking to you, go for it. But there are a couple of common walls you’re likely to consider first.

Behind the Vanity

The vanity is in many ways the de facto focal point of a bathroom. We’re constantly facing our vanities, and backing one with an accent wall makes perfect sense.

In the Shower

Showers are like a room within your bathroom and the place where many designers pull out all the stops. An accent wall allows you to add a visual element you wouldn’t commit the whole shower or room to or adds icing to the cake of a showstopping shower.

What Should I Put on my Bathroom Walls?

At Fireclay, we’re partial to handmade tile, but once again, the choice is yours. Just be considerate of where you’re placing the accent wall and the likelihood of it getting wet. Wallpaper in the shower for instance is an obvious nonstarter.

Ceramic Tile

Monochromatic Materials

An accent wall doesn’t have to be radically different from the rest of the room. Switching up the material is enough to make a pronounced accent.

A Pop of Color

A brightly colored accent wall in a room with a neutral color palette is instantly eye-catching and influences the vibe of the bathroom without committing the color to the entire space.

Specialty Shapes

Often times accents are less about the color and more about the pattern or texture. Specialty shapes up the ante of bathroom design whether you choose a multicolored pattern or a single color accentuated with contrasting grout lines.

Ombre Ensembles

Whether soft and tonal or bold and splashy, ombre is a style that's sure to capture the attention of anyone who steps into a bathroom featuring it. Ombre creates intrigue to keep the eye moving across the accent wall and can help you combine separate colors of your bathroom into one cohesive design.

Handpainted Tile

Every handpainted tile is a unique work of art, making this decorative choice perfect for accent walls. Not only are these among the most eye-catching tile options, but they are also often the most costly, and reserving them for a single accent wall gives your bathroom the dramatic effect of featuring handpainted tile while cutting down on the total cost compared to a full room of this precious one-of-a-kind tile.

Brick Tile

An exposed brick wall is one of the most classic accent walls, and thanks to brick tile, you don't have to luck into living in a historic building to achieve this look. Even better, Glazed Thin Brick is substantially lighter than traditional glazed brick, resulting in potentially an 85% cost and emissions reduction. There are a few ways you can go with brick.

Dark Colors

A black accent wall in a powder room adds a dimension of depth to the small bathroom.

Light Colors

Light colors accentuate the traditional features of brick and match paints and finishes you're more likely to use throughout the rest of the bathroom.

Colored Brick

It's easy to get creative with brick by combining the variety of colors of ceramic tile with the texture and character of brick.

Mosaic Tile

Whether choosing a uniform color or creating a pixilated masterpiece, mosaic tile takes small tiles and creates a big accent in any bathroom. They also come sheeted for easier installation.

Glass Tile

Glass tile makes for a refined and modern look wherever it's installed and using it for an accent wall in a bathroom makes more than just aesthetic sense. Glass tile is impervious to water, making it the most waterproof tile, perfect for wet environments like the bathroom.

Wallpaper

A simple way to create an accent wall in your bathroom is to use wallpaper. This is a great option if the rest of your bathroom features tile walls. Floral wallpaper or other patterns complements the color of your tile with artistic detail.

Conversely, if your primary wall finish is wallpaper, a tile accent wall breaks up the design with a durable backsplash behind your vanity.

Windows

Sometimes the most impressive accent is the natural environment around us. If you find yourself in a breathtaking setting, set the tone of the bathroom with an accent wall of big windows to savor the views. A wall of windows is the perfect spot for a soaking tub to relax and take in the scenery from.