Ages ago, a blog-reader-slash-client posed this question on Facebook: “Can you tell us what kind of art you should put in a bathroom?” Nothing like answering a question months (or years) later, right?
I do apologize, Jen M., for taking so long to address the issue, but you’re right, it’s not necessarily as simple as picking something out that coordinates with your bathroom decor. Other factors come into play. I follow the rules below when selecting art for clients’ bathrooms, as well as my own.
Criteria for Bathroom Art
1. First and foremost, the art needs to be durable in moist environments. You know kids and visiting relatives don’t really care if you end up with mold in your bathroom–they could care less about proper ventilation. So the chances of them steaming up the bathroom after a shower are pretty high. The art you hang in your bathroom needs to be able to weather the humidity well. For that reason, I don’t ever hang watercolor paintings in a bathroom. I try to stick with hardier items like acrylics on canvas, gallery-wrapped giclée prints, metal, or acrylic on wood–that sort of thing can literally take the heat. Mixed media may not be the way to go, depending on the staying power of the glue or adhesive the artist used in the creation of the piece.
These hot pink metal flowers peeking over the top of Phoebe’s bathtub are indestructible pieces of bathroom art.
2. Inexpensive art is always appropriate. If you don’t pay much for a piece of art, you can afford to replace it if something goes awry. Limited edition prints, sentimental or irreplaceable pieces of art and things of that nature should be hung elsewhere in your house. Save yourself the worry!
I found this framed print by Texas artist Martha Wahlert on clearance at Macy’s for $35. It’s perfect for Phoebe’s bathroom.
3. Scale and proportion is important. The art that you hang anywhere should follow the scale and proportion of your walls, and the bathroom is no exception to that rule. If you have a chunk of wall that is somewhat narrow, then this is a good spot for a vertical piece of art. Likewise, if your stretch of wall is fairly wide, this is the ideal place to hang a horizontally-oriented painting or print. Generally speaking, oversized pieces of art do not belong in the bathroom–you don’t want to overpower the space.
4. Powder rooms are a whole other story–since they don’t get as humid as four-piece bathrooms, you can pretty much hang anything in your powder room, so knock yourself out!
Resources for Bathroom Art
1. Many artists, like Austinite Judy Paul, sell giclée prints of their original art. This is a great option for incorporating meaningful pieces into your bathroom’s decor, without the threat of damage and doom. Buying local art directly from the artist is a great way to personalize your bathroom.
2. Discount stores, like Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Garden Ridge, and Marshall’s, routinely feature art at affordable prices. Aaron Brothers is another store I stop in when I’m looking for art–when they mark stuff down, you can really make out like a bandit.
3. Etsy is always a great resource for buying art directly from artists.
I purchased this humorous art by Etsy artist Emma Klingbiel for our bathroom. The horizontal piece is perfectly proportioned for hanging over the towel bar.
4. Overstock sells a ton of artists’ work–including Judy Paul’s–and their filtering links allow you to really narrow your focus by price, style, size, and/or artist.
5. Art-on-demand websites, like Austin’s own New Era Portfolio and Art.com, allow you to select from a vast array of art and order anything you like in various sizes.
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