The Surprising Reason You Might Want to Bring a Can of Paint into the Bathroom
July is all about decorating with bold color here at Apartment Therapy, so you’ve probably noticed a lot of colorful inspiration coming your way. In a recent house tour, Rich O’Gorman put his wildly whimsical home in the UK on display, and I have to say, his style is incredible. After he lost his job during the pandemic, O’Gorman began documenting his creative color journey on his instagram and gained a pretty large following there, and you can probably see why. Just look at those walls! When discussing his love of color and murals specifically, he says, “There’s nothing more joyful than walking into a bright, colorful room, and people are denying themselves that!”
One room in particular where people tend to shy away from color is the bathroom… but not O’Gorman. In fact, I’d say the most controversial color choice he made in his entire home might be in the bath: the yellow toilet seat and lid, to be exact. Remember when colorful, fuzzy toilet lid covers were all the rage? That trend seems to have petered out (though they’re still available for sale), but this new decorating move — putting a bright, bold toilet seat and lid on an otherwise white toilet — might just be making its way in.
In addition to painting the tub, walls, and ceiling in his bathroom, O’Gorman gave his toilet a makeover, too. He painted the seat and lid on his toilet a bold, bright yellow. While most people may not think to paint any part of their toilets, this actually doesn’t look out of place in his space at all. “I think people are worried about getting it wrong or it looking silly, ” O’Gorman says. “Homes should be fun and reflect your personality!”
If you’re considering giving your bathroom an upgrade and aren’t afraid to give your loo a little color love, I say go for it. You may not have the interest or time for a DIY, and that’s totally fine. You might even be better off buying as opposed to DIYing here, as I’m wondering how a painted toilet seat holds up and what formula is best to use for starters. So instead of painting your toilet, maybe just get the look by buying a colored toilet seat and lid from Amazon?
Whether you’re looking to experiment with paint or buy colorful accents for unexpected places, you should do you! O’Gorman’s home is a prime example of how color can be a versatile way to add personality to any room imaginable — even the bathroom.