These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (2024)

Spanning over several decades, mid-century modern is a behemoth of a style. It has its hands in every pot in terms of the shapes, colors, and textures that it encompasses. The same goes for bathrooms that emulate its style — some look so vastly different that it's hard to believe they're inspired by the same time frame.

While some of these characteristics can be found throughout (like wood vanities and vibrant paint colors or tile), you'll find that some powder rooms will hold more tightly to the vintage pastel colors of the '50s while others resemble the funky bohemian textures that entered in the late '60s and early '70s.

But that's what makes this style so wonderful. While your bedroom, living room, and kitchen may already be decked out in lucite chairs, terrazzo tile, wooden buffets, and hairpin legged tables, it's time for your bathroom to get the mid-century modern treatment.

If you're part of the large (and ever-growing) mid-century modern fan club, take a stroll through the following 29 bathroom ideas so you can reflect your affinity for this look in every room of your home.

01of 29

Embrace Wood Paneling

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (1)

It's a polarizing feature, wood paneling. Some think it's far too reminiscent of what could be considered a design faux pas of years past, but when constructed to perfection it can be a stunning addition to any bathroom. Try using it to frame your shower or line the walls and it'll serve as an instant time portal to mid-century modern style.

02of 29

Focus on Lighting

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (2)

You can infuse a good dose of mid-century modern flair through lighting alone. The oblong wall-mounted lights here are sleek and play beautifully off of the sharp black hardware, mirror frame, and faucets. If you're going to spend money on one thing for refreshing a bathroom, lighting can do so much.

03of 29

Don't Be Shy to Experiment With Color

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (3)

Pink, teal, olive green, and orange are just a few of the fun shades that were seen during the decades that mid-century modern covered. If you have a particular shade, like this fun bubblegum pink, that you're too timid to try in another room, coat the walls of your bathroom in it. You'll be staying true to your style and incorporating some extra fun tones.

04of 29

Experiment With Shapes and Sizes

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (4)

The different circumferences of circular shapes reflected in everything from the mirror to the cabinet pulls are a chic complement to the angles of the vanity and tiles used on the floor. This is a nice little added bit of detail that's reminiscent of mid-century modern design. The selection of neutral colors also means that this bathroom will stay timeless for decades.

05of 29

Work Color Into Your Flooring

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (5)

For those who love the shades of mid-century modern but aren't interested in painting a whole bathroom in them, turn to your flooring. This powder room makes a convincing case for pink tile. If renovating your floors is completely out of the question, you can get a similar effect with stick-on backsplashes or an accent wall of tiles.

06of 29

Try Pairing Coastal Touches

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (6)

The Kelly green tile and mustard yellow vanity are fun twists on muted mid-century modern styles, but this bathroom takes blending design types a bit further by implementing a few nautical accents. The wood paneling, wall-mounted faucets, and gold spherical lights feel very beachy, but still work perfectly with the rest of the space.

07of 29

Cover Your Walls With Pops of Color

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (7)

This room feels a little Art Deco and a little mid-century modern. The tile and bold green on the walls matched with the cylindrical mirror and rounded lights make this powder room an absolute show stopper (we're about ready to grab our own paint brushes). The jewel-toned hue, which can be found during any number of style eras, make for a bathroom that feels fun and far from boring.

08of 29

Amp Up the Drama

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (8)

Mid-century modern can be as dramatic and sleek as it can be natural and subtle. Another fabulous way to incorporate the aesthetically-pleasing shapes linked to this style is through a repetitive tile in the shower, like in this gorgeous black and white bathroom. Cover a stall in something as lustrous as this or replicate a look similar on the floor or the walls around the sink—you won't regret the end result.

09of 29

Get Groovy With Patterns

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (9)

While this bathroom may not look like many of the others, its dark wood vanity and wild patterns make it a fit for being in a lineup of mid-century modern inspired bathrooms. Think of the groovy patterns and prints that received love in the '60s and '70s and soon enough you'll be considering popping in some cool wallpaper of your own.

10of 29

Make a Minimalist Mark

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (10)

Sure, many mid-century modern palettes include bright and bold tones, but muted color schemes are equally as popular. If you prefer quiet shades in your bathroom, stick with beiges, browns, grays, blacks, and metallics. A clean, simple bathroom like this is also reminiscent of Scandi-inspired spaces.

11of 29

Glue Together Art Deco and Mid-Century

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (11)

The blues in this bathroom are an unbelievably elevated way to blend two iconic periods of style. The bold shade and metallic finishes could be found in both the golden era and during mid-century modern's reign of architecture and interiors. If you're not opposed to monochrome (or the closest thing to it), it's worth considering copying this look.

12of 29

Lace in Just a Hint

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (12)

It's completely possible to incorporate just a few touches of mid-century modern style to your bathroom if you appreciate several aspects but are satisfied with the set up you already have. Here, a wooden bar across the vanity, a rounded and angular mirror, and thick black accents all contribute to a slight air of mid-century modern without completely transforming the space.

13of 29

Mid-Century Modern Farmhouse

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (13)

That's right—yet another style you can pair with mid-century modern. It goes without saying, but the wooden floors and wall-mounted sconces could all hail from 50 years back, but the way it's all arranged ensures it can fit into a home with rustic flair or farmhouse appeal.

14of 29

Experiment With Fresh Colors

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (14)

The funky tile coating the walls of this bathroom is one for the books. While it's elegant, it has fun at the same time and encompasses some mid-century modern traits, including contrasting the boxy vanity and rectangular tiles against the rounded mirror and sink. If you needed any help in constructing a space that pulled from eras past and mixed it with details (and color schemes) that pass as trendy today, this is it.

15of 29

Create a Warm and Cool-Toned Space

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (15)

Normally, warm and cool tones are separated from one another to prevent clashing, but like every so-called style rule, it's meant to be broken. The colder gray on the walls works a treat with the warm toned wood. With the addition of the black cast iron fixtures, the space feel finished and pulled together.

16of 29

Meld Bohemian and Mid-Century Modern

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (16)

Boho and modern seem to be two contradictory styles—you have one that's loose and free-flowing and another that's sharp and sleek. But the funky colors and patterns of the '60s and '70s were often found in boho rooms and mid-century modern spaces. Choose a bright color, add a wall hanging and some plants, and you're on your way into a gorgeous combo of both.

17of 29

Consider Pink

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (17)

Terrazzo tile may have popped up in 1920s, but it stuck around and retained its following for quite some time, since a lot of composite and terrazzo flooring can be found in traditional mid-century modern homes. Pairing this with a bright pink paint color in your bathroom is a feminine and punchy way to embrace the softer side of this style.

18of 29

Zhuzh Up Your Powder Room

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (18)

The rounded corners of this rectangular mirror and the minimal pattern are the perfect balance of Scandinavian and mid-century modern design—twos styles which you'll find often cross paths. If you want to err on the side of MCM, add a few saturated hues or swap the pattern for something more geometric.

19of 29

Introduce Mid-Century Modern to Cottage

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (19)

This may be another style duo that you wouldn't expect to work out, but they certainly do. The soft elements of an English cottage (like the print wallpaper and beadboard) are a stunning contrast against the black metal mirror and matching sconces. The wood touches are a nice mixture of both, and together, this bathroom is one you'll want to spend plenty of time in.

20of 29

Implement a Major Tile Statement

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (20)

Another lovely example of Scandi-meets-mid-century can be found in this bathroom. The natural wood and tile are hallmarks of both, but the shapes and how its laid out are indicative of which style it resembles most. With a bathroom like this, you can easily change up how it looks depending on your mood or what's inspired your eye for interiors lately.

21of 29

Allow Tile to Steal the Show

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (21)

Mid-century modern does a fabulous job of contrast—whether that be round and sharp edges, pastel and jewel tones, or human-made materials and natural ones. This bathroom does a slight variation on this, pairing angular corners with the rounded bulbs of the lighting. Plus, the tile is a major nod to the cool patterns that graced homes back then.

22of 29

Shake It Up With Bright and Bold

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (22)

When talking about mid-century modern style, you can't forget the blazing hot hues that made up most of the '60s. Along with this vivid swatches came geometric patterns, and both of these things look wonderful when worked into a bathroom. Incorporate it by painting your walls, playing up these traits in a shower curtain, or simply adding a modular vase.

23of 29

Blend Classic With Trendy

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (23)

The wood vanity and tessellating tile make this bathroom an utlra chic nod to mid-century modern. This particular room spins towards Cali cool, and shows how malleable this design look can be and how it can be updated over time.

24of 29

Give an Ode to Sputnik

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (24)

Sputnik lighting is a major mid-century modern must. Named after the satellite, the prongs seen on these pendants, chandeliers, and wall-mounted lights add instant pizzazz to a space—especially in a bathroom. While lighting can be an afterthought, this is a fantastic and unexpected way to work the style into this room.

25of 29

Source Wooden Focal Points

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (25)

Dark wood is a common feature, but if you prefer lighter shades of the material, switch it up. This flat-faced unit of drawers matches the shelving system behind it and maintains the simple shapes and details that mid-century modern design is known for.

26of 29

Keep It Fresh and Updated

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (26)

A wooden vanity and sleek black accents create a pretty nod to mid-century modern. Although this bathroom features some characteristics from that time, it feels updated and fresh thanks to things like the subway tile and more traditional sink hardware.

27of 29

Mix Several Features Together

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (27)

The mirrored wall, rounded tube, and plentiful wooden flooring emit major '70s vibes, touching on the last part of the mid-century modern era. This little escape is ideal for self-care nights and hits the right criteria for designing a room inspired by the style.

28of 29

Make a Major Mid-Century Modern Statement

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (28)

A bathtub surrounded with wood? Yes, please. Not only that, but the matching wooden vanity and stool with tapered legs scream mid-century modern. If you have the space, it's totally worth creating an entire little vignette to really encapsulate the style. Even if you already have a fabulous set up, you can replace the legs on your furniture or your cabinet doors to really infuse this look.

29of 29

Think Back to Drive-Ins and Poodle Skirts

These Midcentury Modern-Inspired Bathrooms Are Sure to Catch Your Eye (29)

Some people forget that the '50s were a major part of mid-century modern design and architecture. If your heart flutters at the colors and finishes that made up this part of the MCM timeline, you'll want to take notes on this particular bathroom. The bubblegum pink walls, multicolored tiles, and trio of bulbous lights are all total must-dos.