Using Beadboard in Bathrooms
When you’re looking for an easy, cost-effective way to add character to your bathroom, beadboard should be at the top of your list. Beadboard adds a timeless, classic design element to any bathroom. The vertical lines add texture and create the illusion of height. Transform a small bathroom with beadboard and make it feel more spacious. Beadboard can complement a wide range of design styles, from traditional to modern, and is easy to install. It can be painted or stained to match your design.
When beadboard is properly installed, sealed and painted, it’s highly moisture resistant and protects the walls from humidity and water damage. This makes beadboard an ideal choice for bathrooms.
When installing beadboard, follow the “rule of thirds” principle, meaning the beadboard should be hung one-third the height of the wall. For instance, if the room is nine feet high, the beadboard would be installed three feet high. This is an ideal height; however, you can install it higher or lower if that’s your preference.
If you’ve been considering a beadboard bathroom project of your own, we have beadboard bathroom ideas to help you get started.
Beach Cottage Vibes
You don’t have to live at the beach to get that beach cottage feeling. White beadboard and the right shade of blue paint and accessories and you’ve captured the very essence of a day after the beach perfectly. This cozy beadboard bathroom beach cottage hits all the right notes without skipping a beat. The only thing that’s missing is the sand between your toes.
Beadboard Beyond Walls
Beadboard isn’t just for walls. It’s versatile enough to be used on vanity doors as shown here (right). It works on bathroom doors, too. The placement of the vanity, lined up with the corner of the wall, emphasizes the visual height the beadboard adds to the vanity while artfully accessorizing it and adding charm to the bathroom without the need for beadboard on the walls.
Going Green
Beadboard, a type of wainscoting, is typically installed partway up the wall. You see this style of décor often and it’s demonstrated within this article as well. There are, however, times when you may want to extend the beadboard all the way up the wall. This style especially resonates when you want to create a feature or accent wall by adding floor-to-ceiling beadboard on one wall. Then there are those rare times when you add beadboard on every wall in the bathroom. It paints a striking picture, especially when done with a color as commanding as this (right). When using floor-to-ceiling beadboard, be mindful of your bathroom size and the impact your chosen paint color will have on the overall look of the room.
The One and Only
Small bathrooms appear larger with the help of beadboard that’s installed all the way up the wall. In this powder room, off-white beadboard is used on a single wall between two tiled walls as part of this monochromatic color scheme. The oval mirror helps extend the vertical visual and the overall look is one of cohesion.
Opposites Attract
Here’s another bathroom with a different green hue, this time sage green, and a different use of beadboard. The painted beadboard grounds the room and adds a pop of color at the lower level, which makes the space feel more anchored and cozier. The contrast between the green and white adds crispness and depth to the bathroom.
Opposites Still Attract
While you may typically see beadboard painted darker on the bottom of the wall to anchor a smaller room like a bathroom, sometimes you’ll see the upper wall painted darker, as shown here (right) in dark chestnut. The color combination used in this way creates a bold contrast and helps define the different areas of the room. With a darker wall, natural light plays a big part in this bathroom, and it helps to keep the room from feeling too closed off. And this bathroom effortlessly displays visual height with the beadboard, the window frame, the vanity and the framed mirror.
Long, Lean Lines
Just one look at this image and you can see the magic happening. The vertical lines of the beadboard, the tall, slim linen cabinet, the plant — everything is designed to add to the illusion of height in this bathroom, and it's working.
Caring for Beadboard
Beadboard is easy to care for. Regular care will help keep it looking great.
- Regularly wipe beadboard down with a damp cloth to remove dust, dirt and grime.
- For a deeper clean, use warm water, mild soap and a damp cloth. If necessary, use a soft bristle brush to reach stubborn dirt in the grooves.
- Don't use harsh cleaners which can damage the finish.
- If the beadboard is wood, use a wood cleaner.
- Always ensure the bathroom is well-ventilated and use an exhaust fan during and after showers to reduce humidity levels in the bathroom.
- Periodically inspect the beadboard for any signs of damage — warping, peeling paint, mold — and address as necessary.
- Apply a bead of caulk to any visible seams to prevent any water and moisture damage.