The Bathroom Design Choice That'll Date Your Space (If You Do It Wrong)

The bathrooms in our home should be more than just functional. In order to truly enjoy the space, we want them to be well-styled and trendy. If you're thinking about selling your home in the near future, bathroom design mistakes can hurt your home's resale value and make it less appealing to potential buyers. Unfortunately, there are several design choices you could make — even with the best of intentions — that end up dating the space.

Opting for icy and cool-toned blues is one of these design decisions that you might want to rethink. During an exclusive interview with House Digest, Erika Dale, founder of Erika Dale Interior Design, explained how icy blue has the potential to make a bathroom feel outdated. "Light-toned cool colors in general run the risk of feeling unwelcoming, sterile, or washed out when there isn't enough contrast and warm accents to give it a more interesting, inviting vibe," she said. Ahead, we'll share some of Erika's other words of caution about using icy blue in a bathroom and her suggestions to make sure the space feels trendy and modern.

Bathroom design trends change regularly, so what was popular a few years ago can look outdated today. If you incorporated lots of cool-toned and icy blue shades in your latest bathroom remodel, it might not be so trendy anymore. When speaking exclusively with House Digest, Dale shared, "I would agree that many cool tones are falling out of style in favor of colors with warmer undertones." Specifically, she cautions against using those cooler-toned blues without striking the right balance. Otherwise, your space can end up feeling more than outdated — it may feel downright cold and unwelcoming.

However, despite Dale's words of caution regarding icy blue tones, she doesn't recommend ruling it out completely when designing a bathroom. "The good news is that icy blue has color on its side to give the space some personality, unlike a silvery gray, for example," she said. When done right, Dale explains that it's possible to make cool blues look warm and inviting. She says, "Pair icy blue walls with some texture, warmth, and contrast to make it pop and feel cozy. Woven accents, a fun patterned peel and stick wallpaper, brass plumbing fixtures or hardware, and natural wood cabinetry are all wonderful ways to make a light blue bathroom sing."

While you don't have to rule out icy blue when designing your bathroom, as long as you follow Dale's advice of incorporating enough warmth and contrast, you might still decide to go another route. Fortunately, there are several options that can help you create a warm, inviting, and trendy that you're certain to love. With all the different shades of blue paint for a bathroom, you can even stick within the same color family you were originally picturing. During her exclusive interview with House Digest, Dale said, "While icy blue bathrooms can lean a bit towards a coastal, preppy, or historical cottage aesthetic, a medium to deep muted slate or navy blue can feel more sophisticated and modern when paired with complimentary warm finishes."

Dale offers one more key piece of advice to help you with designing and styling your space. Instead of directing all of your focus onto one particular color or design element, she highlights the importance of balance. "Balance is the key to making a bathroom (or any room for that matter) feel both on trend but also timeless. A space that feels harmonious with a layered mix of warm and cool tones, light and dark shade contrast, and a variety of textures will always feel more elevated than a room that suffers from a one-note palette." So, regardless of whether you opt for icy blue, navy blue, or anything in between, look for ways to create more balance and depth with your flooring choices, faucets, fixtures, shower curtain, and other decor pieces.