Hampton Style Bathroom Ideas

10 elements of a Hamptons style bathroom

Create an elegant Hamptons style bathroom that won't date.
Hamptons style bathroom colour palette
(Credit: Photography: Simon Whitbread | Styling: Corina Koch)

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.

Hamptons bathroom with marble
(Credit: Photography: John Downs)

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.

White and marble Hamptons style bathroom
(Credit: Photography: Louise Roche | Styling: Kylie Jackes)

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).

Hamptons bathroom with shaker cabinetry
(Credit: Photography: Sue Stubbs | Styling: Bree Oliver)

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.”

Hamptons bathroom wallpaper
(Credit: Photography: Abbie Melle | Styling: Lisa Burden)

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:

Hamptons bathroom tapware
A Hamptons style bathroom in a coastal cottage on Sydney’s Northern Beaches featuring a Brodware ‘Neu England’ wall-mounted mixer and hand shower. (Credit: Photography: Simon Whitbread | Styling: Corina Koch)

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.

Hamptons style bathroom lighting
(Credit: Photography: Louise Roche | Styling: Kylie Jackes)

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.

Hamptons style bathroom flowers
(Credit: Photography: Nic Gossage | Styling: Lisa Burden)

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. 

Hamptons bathroom with decorative mirror
(Credit: Photography: Mindi Cooke | Styling: Tahn Scoon)

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.

Hamptons bathroom freestanding pedestal tub
(Credit: Photography: Ess Creative | Styling: Samantha Torrisi)

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