A guide to creating a timeless Hamptons bathroom
The average Australian bathroom renovation costs $21,484, so it makes sense to design a space that won’t date quickly. A Hamptons style bathroom – with its fresh white colour palette, classic fixtures, natural stone accents and enduring popularity – meets the brief perfectly.
Not only is the style timeless, it’s versatile enough that it can be made to suit a heritage home, a coastal home or a newly-built, contemporary home. It can be glammed up, with patterned wallpaper and chandeliers, or pared right back to allow marble surfaces and statement lighting to bring all the wow-factor.
So how do you go about creating a Hamptons style bathroom? Here, we break down 10 of the most common design elements that make up the timeless style.
1. Marble
Marble is one material you’ll almost always spot in a Hamptons bathroom. White marble, especially Carrara, Bianca and Calacatta varieties, are the types used most often in a Hamptons home.
The cost of natural stone, however, can quickly add up if you’re planning on creating an opulent floor-to-ceiling design. The owners of this renovated Gold Coast home were savvy with their budget, topping a custom-built vanity with natural Statuario marble and cladding every other surface with marble-look tiles.
If your budget can’t accommodate large doses of pure marble, you’ll be glad to know, even the smallest touch will do. A marble benchtop, a mosaic marble floor, a wall niche tiled in marble penny rounds, or even a marble tray, may be all you need to evoke the Hamptons look in your bathroom.
2. Simple colour palette
White on white on white. White forms the basis of every classic Hamptons bathroom. A single accent colour (often a shade of blue) is an optional add-on.
While designers such as Anna Spargo of Maine House Interiors and Anna Spiro are leading the colourful Hamptons trend, this look has yet to take off in the bathroom space where fixtures and finishes in bold colours are difficult and expensive to replace.
Take style notes from this all-white Hamptons bathroom, painted in Dulux Lexicon Quarter, which gets its pop of colour from a custom Roman shade with a navy blue border.
3. Shaker style cabinetry
Along with a simple colour scheme, pared-back cabinetry is what allows the ornate elements of a Hamptons style bathroom to take centre stage.
Shaker cabinet fronts are a fantastic option, as they offer both interest and timeless style without competing with the room’s ‘jewellery’ (i.e. marble, tapware and lighting).
4. Wallpaper
The home of interior designer Melinda Cartwright is a lesson in chic, Hamptons style. Even the kids’ bathroom is decorated in the classic style with VJ panelling, patterned wallpaper (‘Aqua Trellis’ by Kravet) and an acrylic tub from Schots Home Emporium.
If your aim is to create a Hamptons style powder room, Melinda offers the following advice: “Powder rooms are a great place for frivolity and fun when it comes to decorating, so I always go to town with wallpaper. You’re only in them briefly, so make them joyful and fabulous.”
5. Plush accessories
Threadbare towels and supermarket brand hand soap have no place in a luxurious Hamptons bathroom.
The idea is to recreate the 5-star hotel spa experience at home, so splurge on plush towels, bathrobes and sweet-smelling soaps.
Hamptons style bathroom accessories
6. Traditional tapware
No Hamptons bathroom is complete without bling, in the form of ornate, traditional tapware. And be warned: this is not an element of the room you’ll want to scrimp on! Think about it: how many times a day do you touch the taps in your bathroom?
Good quality taps feel beautiful, are built to last and will complete your classic Hamptons bathroom.
Where to find Hamptons style tapware:
- Phoenix Nostalgia range at The Blue Space
- Rochelle Collection at Early Settler
- Kingsley Provincial Collection at ABI Interiors
- Kado Era range at Reece
- The English Tapware Company
- Neu England Collection by Brodware
7. Wall lamps
Symmetry is an important element of a Hamptons style bathroom. One way to create drama and symmetry is by placing matching wall lamps on either side of the vanity mirror.
Wall lamps with fabric shades are a wonderful choice, as you can go for an understated look with plain shades, or go bold with custom shades in colourful, patterned fabric. Wall lights with hanging glass shades are also well-suited to the Hamptons look.
8. Fresh flowers
An indoor plant can instantly elevate any bathroom, and if you’d like to bring a touch of greenery into a Hamptons style space, humidity-loving orchids are a foolproof choice.
If you’re not confident about maintaining an indoor plant, consider arranging old fashioned flowers (such as hydrangeas, roses or tulips) in a simple white, or glass, vase instead! When in doubt, select white flowers and plenty of fresh green foliage for an elegant, yet relaxed, look.
9. Framed wall mirrors
Frameless mirrors are a popular option for many bathrooms, especially those with a modern or minimal look, but for a Hamptons style bathroom, a mirror with a decorative frame works best. You can either go with a classic white timber frame, or a mirror with a champagne silver frame.
The owner of this country-style Queensland home stumbled upon the perfect petal-shaped mirror for her kids’ Hamptons style bathroom at Pottery Barn. “I like how it mimics some of the patterns of the wallpaper,” she says.
10. Freestanding bath tub
Every room needs a focal point, and in a Hamptons style bathroom, it’s usually a free-standing bath tub. When the owners of this Wahroonga home renovated their ensuite, they re-shuffled the layout to hide the toilet and make way for the ‘Lady Elliot’ freestanding bath from Industrie Tapware.
A bath with a pedestal base offers a classic, yet contemporary silhouette that is well-suited to a Hamptons bathroom. Claw-foot tubs, slipper tubs or inset bath in a marble surround also work well in a Hamptons-style bathroom.
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