If you enjoy a long soak in the tub, you’ll spend plenty of time gazing at your bathroom ceiling. Yet bathroom and wetroom ceilings are often overlooked and probably the last thing you consider when renovating or redecorating.
Yet bathroom ceilings are anything but a dull blank canvas. With minimum effort and cost, you can turn your humble bathroom ceiling into a stunning focal point that can complement or contrast the rest of the room.
From bold colours to statement lighting, these brilliant bathroom ceiling ideas are just what you need for inspiration.
Amazing Bathroom Ceiling Ideas That Will Transform Your Space
Instead of neglecting your tired bathroom ceiling, think of it as a fifth wall that can be decorated any way you like to match your personal taste. Whether you live in a modern home with relatively low ceilings, or an older property blessed with high ceilings, there are a myriad of stylish and practical bathroom ceiling ideas you could use to give your home a fresh, new look.
Before you get started on your next bathroom or wetroom design project, it’s important to remember these warm and humid spaces create the perfect environment for mould to take hold. So always make sure any paint, products, and materials you use are moisture-resistant while following a range of techniques that prevent mould growth in your bathroom or wetroom.
Here, we’ve chosen our favourite bathroom ceiling ideas as inspiration for your own dream design that will transform your bathroom or wetroom into a haven of luxury.
1. Install Statement Bathroom Lighting
Your ceiling lights dictate the mood inside your bathroom or wetroom. Whether it’s a clean, white beam or warmer, relaxing hues, ceiling lights are an important feature that should play a key role in your decorating plans.
There’s a huge range of bathroom and wetroom lighting options to choose from, and selecting the right one can be a challenge. From accent lighting to task lighting, and from ambient lighting to decorative lighting, you’re guaranteed to find a solution that suits your design theme.
Some modern bathroom ceiling ideas include adding pendant lighting or a constellation of miniature LED lights to achieve a subtle night sky effect, or something bolder like a chandelier that suits both traditional and contemporary bathroom settings. You could even consider decorative features like an attractive ceiling rose that’s often found in older properties and can turn your lighting fixture into the central focus of your bathroom.
2. Add Splashes of Colour
No law of decoration says bathroom ceilings must be painted white. A simple and cost-effective way to transform the look of your bathroom or wetroom is to paint it in your favourite colour.
Popular modern colours for bathroom ceilings include different shades of grey, amber, blush, and pastels. Not only are they practical and appealing, but a painted bathroom ceiling goes perfectly with feng shui-style bathrooms and wetrooms and other creative designs.
If you’re giving your bathroom ceiling a colourful twist, you must use specialist bathroom paint that gives robust anti-mould protection. If you use standard paint it is likely to start peeling away or quickly turn mouldy, requiring regular maintenance. Similarly, try and avoid both dark ceilings and dark walls as it will make your bathroom or wetroom feel small and oppressive.
3. Apply Moisture-Resistant Wallpaper
Admittedly, this may sound like a crazy bathroom ceiling idea, but please bear with us. Many property owners are incorporating wallpaper into their bathroom ceiling designs to create a desired look.
Why? There are endless wallpaper options in an enormous array of colours, styles, and designs to suit any bathroom or wetroom theme. Whether you opt for strong patterns or more subtle shades and tones, there’s nothing to stop you decorating your bathroom ceiling with your favourite wallpaper.
Again, you must use specialist bathroom wallpaper which is washable and resistant to moisture and mould. Other than that, this is a prime opportunity to let your creative juices flow.
4. Go for Ceiling Tiles
Tiles aren’t limited to bathroom walls – they can add personality and colour to floors and ceilings too. Whether you have a half-tiled bathroom wall or are looking to blend your wall tiles directly into your ceiling, you’re guaranteed to create a striking design.
Blending different ceiling tiles can be difficult, but if you stick to traditional bathroom colours like blue, green, and white you’ll end up with a beautiful space. Similarly, matching water-resistant tiles for the floor and ceiling creates a clean, spa-like bathroom atmosphere.
It’s better to use small tiles for higher bathroom ceilings as larger options could be too heavy and tricky to install. However, applying ceiling tiles is an inexpensive way to create a statement ceiling, especially if you limit it to the space directly above the shower area. Admittedly, it isn’t as simple as painting your ceiling, but you’ll be delighted with the bold and striking results.
5. Create a Wooden Bathroom Ceiling
Wooden bathroom ceilings are making a comeback. They’re easier to install than a plastered or fully tiled ceiling and can be fitted straight onto the joists.
Adding faux wooden beams can be more challenging and expensive than other options, but the results are spectacular. If you’re fortunate to live in a property with exposed wooden beams, you could even base your entire bathroom theme around them to achieve a nautical vibe or a rustic farmhouse look.
Tongue and groove cladding is one of the more popular options, especially for bathrooms or wetrooms with a shower niche. However, it’s important to realise that wood can be affected by the humidity in a bathroom. You can avoid unnecessary damage by painting or varnishing the surface and sealing any knots to prevent moisture from penetrating the wood.
6. Choose a Painted Plastered Ceiling
One of the most common bathroom ceiling solutions is painted plaster. The vivid white hue exaggerates the sense of space and can make small bathrooms look and feel much bigger than they are.
Many new-build homes have this type of ceiling as a default option. The plaster is simply applied over a timber or plasterboard substrate and left to dry before it’s decorated with moisture-resistant paint.
While white remains a popular colour for a plastered bathroom ceiling, there’s a wide selection of specialist bathroom paints in a multitude of colours you can choose from to suit your taste and preference.
7. Put up Ceiling Panels
If you’re looking for a wood-effect theme, ceiling panels are a great option. They’ll give you a ceiling that looks exactly like wood but without the additional stress of regular varnishing to stop rot from setting in caused by the moisture in the air.
Ceiling panels come in a variety of designs and materials including PVC, and some options closely resemble plaster due to their flat, matte-white properties, while other appear more like traditional materials you’d expect to see in older homes.
Overall, ceiling panels are easy to install and 100% waterproof so condensation won’t form on the surface. Whether you have a classic bathroom layout or a modern doorless walk-in shower, ceiling panels are a practical and affordable choice for any refurb project.
Do You Need Help with Your Bathroom Ceiling Ideas?
At CCL Wetrooms, our comprehensive wetroom design services include every aspect of wetroom design from walk-in showers to expert advice. Contact us today to see how we can help with your next bathroom or wetroom project.
