Is Red a Good Color for Your Bathroom? Here’s Why It’s the Hottest Hue for Washrooms Right Now

With the influence of the fashion world, celebration of romance, and the produce section (Strawberry Girl Summer, tomatocore) it's no surprise that bathrooms are turning red hot this summer. Literally.

Using red to decorate the bathroom can be seen as quite surprising, as it's the one room in a home typically reserved for the most neutral and calming of colors: whites, blues, and greens. Red, in comparison, is often associated with passion, energy, and warmth.

While it may not be the conventional choice, adding touches of red to your bathroom can make it feel vibrant and invigorating—setting the mood for when you're trying to wake up and take on the day in the morning. Red can also stimulate and enhance social interactions, which can create a lively and engaging atmosphere. But this doesn't mean others need to be there with you: It makes it the perfect place for doing a bit of self care.

It certainly might not be everyone's ideal pick, but it's likely you'll see more people leaning into the fiery shade. Design experts told House Beautiful in May that the trend is taking off now, partly because people are rejecting traditional design rules and instead going with dopamine-boosting colors—whether they’re seen as a bit quirky or not. We've already seen this with the unexpected red theory, which grabbed the internet's attention at the beginning of this year.

And this bold shade makes sense here—it always makes a statement. Red has signified luxury, power, happiness, and prosperity throughout history, particularly in Chinese culture. In the Victorian era, people used it to signify status and sophistication, and Victorian aesthetics are certainly on the rise now.

You can add red to your space by painting the walls and ceilings with your favorite shade or just to create a statement wall—perhaps the wall your bathroom mirror is hanging on. If you’re looking for something a bit less permanent, incorporate a few accessories, from the shower curtain to the soap dispenser, or add in a bright red light fixture. 

This is already the summer of tomatoes, from the garden to cocktails. It only makes sense for it to be the summer of red, too.