The 4 Golden Rules for Placing Art in the Bathroom

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There are a few things that, traditionally, just don’t mix well with water. Electricity is the big one, naturally, but another is paint – more specifically, water-based paint. Because of this, many of us believe that art doesn’t really have a place in wet and humid environments like the bathroom. But just because certain artistic mediums don’t play well with water is no reason to cast out all artwork; so, in today’s blog post, we’ll explain how to integrate art the right way.

Let’s look at the 4 golden rules for placing art in your bathroom.

Rule #1: Understand the impact of glass in framed artwork

The vast majority of framed artwork is created with paint, pastel, pencil, or other mediums which are at risk of smudging or other damage if touched. For this reason, glass is usually included in the frame to protect the artwork. This is all well and good – until you introduce humidity and moisture. In the bathroom, any piece of artwork covered with glass is likely to build up condensation below the layer of glass which can lead to damage to the artwork’s medium. If the medium is water-based, the risk is amplified even more, because paint can run and destroy the work beneath.

Rule #2: Keep your bathroom well-ventilated

If you’re certain that you’d like framed artwork in your bathroom, one way to mitigate any potentially harmful effects is to optimise airflow. By ensuring that your bathroom is well-ventilated through smart use of extractor fans and opening of windows, you can prevent the build-up of too much humidity and condensation which can damage artwork. If you are hanging framed artwork with glass, another great tip is to make sure there’s a small gap between the surface of the artwork and the glass – this will allow some breathing space for warm, moist air to pass through without getting trapped and damaging the art.

Rule #3: Consider “non-perishable” artwork

So far, we’ve talked chiefly about paint-based artwork, but what if you’d prefer to err on the side of caution and avoid these altogether? Luckily, there’s another great option which doesn’t involve watercolours, pastels, acrylics, or any paint at all – and that’s sculpture. Most sculptures are made from materials which won’t be negatively impacted by water or humidity: stone, hardwood, and even metal are all very safe choices. Even better, sculpture is a rich and varied area of the arts, giving you an incredible array of options when it comes to exactly which art you’d like to display in your bathroom.

Rule #4: Use the bathroom itself as your canvas

Still not sold on the idea of bringing individual pieces of artwork into the bathroom? If not, there’s another idea you could consider: creating your own artwork using the bathroom itself. If you’re brave (and creative) enough to give this concept a go, the sky really is the limit. You could paint a mural or feature wall using a water-safe paint such as acrylics, or you could do it Roman-style and create your very own mosaic using tiles. Whatever you choose, creating your own artwork is a fantastic way to bring art into the bathroom while also giving the room a one-of-a-kind personal touch. Better grab that sketchbook!

As you can see, there truly are plenty of ways that you can safely enjoy art in your bathroom. But if you have any specific questions about bathroom design, or broader queries about whirlpool and spa baths, call team anytime.