33 Mediterranean Bathroom Upgrade Ideas You’ll Love
Creating a Mediterranean bathroom can transform your everyday space into a luxurious retreat that captures the essence of coastal European living.
I understand the challenge of designing a bathroom that feels both functional and transporting. Despite your best efforts, it’s easy to end up with a space that misses that Mediterranean charm.
I promise that with the right elements, you can create a Mediterranean sanctuary right in your home without breaking the bank or sacrificing practicality.
In this guide, I’ll share stunning Mediterranean bathroom ideas that blend vibrant colors, natural textures, and timeless design principles. From Moroccan-inspired tilework to rustic wooden elements, these ideas will help you capture the sun-drenched beauty of Mediterranean style in your bathroom.
33 Inspiring Mediterranean Bathroom Ideas to Remake Your Space
1. Rustic Polish with Natural Stone Tiles
Natural stone tiles bring the feeling of old Mediterranean homes right into your bathroom. I love how they add texture and character without trying too hard. You can go with limestone, travertine, or slate in sandy beiges or soft grays.
These materials stay cool in summer and hold warmth in winter. For the best look, choose tiles with slightly irregular edges and some color variation to make your bathroom feel like it’s been there for generations.
2. Bright, Whitewashed Walls
Whitewashed walls make your bathroom feel bigger and brighter, just like those sunny coastal homes in Greece. This finish isn’t perfectly smooth; it has a slightly uneven texture that catches light in a really pretty way.
The best part? It hides small imperfections in your walls and gives that laid-back, beachy feel that makes Mediterranean bathrooms so relaxing.
3. Bold Blue Accents
Adding touches of blue to your bathroom is like bringing in bits of the Mediterranean Sea. You don’t need much – maybe blue towels, a painted cabinet, or some blue-patterned tiles around your mirror.
Navy, cobalt, and turquoise work best because they stand out against white walls. I find that keeping the blue touches at eye level draws attention without overwhelming the space.
4. Intricate Mosaic Tile Patterns
Mosaic tiles tell a story in Mediterranean bathrooms. You can use them for a shower wall, backsplash, or even a small accent strip. Look for patterns with blues, greens, yellows, and reds in geometric or floral designs.
Don’t worry about matching everything perfectly; part of their charm is their handmade look. Even adding just a small area of mosaic tiles around your sink or tub creates a stunning focal point that guests will notice right away.
5. Exposed Wooden Beams
Wooden beams overhead bring warmth and coziness to a bathroom. They don’t have to be structural – you can add decorative ones pretty easily.
The natural grain and slightly weathered look pair beautifully with white walls and create interesting shadows.
Even in a smaller bathroom, one or two beams can make the ceiling feel special and give that rustic Mediterranean farmhouse vibe.
6. Terracotta Floors
There’s something so warm and welcoming about terracotta floors. These reddish-orange clay tiles feel good underfoot and add earthiness to balance out the white walls.
They’re also extremely durable and hide dirt well. For a true Mediterranean feel, choose tiles with slightly uneven edges and varied tones.
7. Open Shelving for Displaying Natural Materials
Open shelves let you show off pretty things while keeping them handy. For that Mediterranean farmhouse look, I like using simple wooden or wrought iron brackets with thick wooden planks.
Fill your shelves with woven baskets, white ceramic jars, and maybe some blue glass bottles. Rolled towels in natural colors look great, too.
The trick is not to overcrowd the shelves and leave some breathing room between items.
8. Large Freestanding Bathtub
A big, standalone tub makes your bathroom feel like a fancy Mediterranean hotel. White porcelain tubs work best against colorful tiles or painted walls.
Position it where you can see it when you first walk in it should be the star of the show. Add a small wooden stool nearby for your book or a glass of wine.
Even in smaller bathrooms, a deep soaking tub against one wall creates that luxury feeling without taking up too much room.
9. Traditional Wooden Vanity with Ceramic Sink
Wooden vanities bring warmth to a bathroom’s cold surfaces. Look for cabinets with some character, maybe slightly distressed or with visible wood grain.
Top it with a white ceramic sink that sits on top rather than drops in. Olive wood or reclaimed pine works really well for this look. Add simple iron pulls to the drawers.
10. Hanging Pendant Lights
Hanging lights adds style and frees up counter space. For a Mediterranean bathroom, try pendants made of woven seagrass, hammered copper, or wrought iron.
Clear or frosted glass shades work well, too, especially with simple bulbs inside.
The soft, warm light they create is much nicer than harsh overhead lighting.
11. Arched Doorways and Windows
Arched shapes instantly say “Mediterranean” in any room. If you can’t change your actual doorway, try adding an arched mirror or shower niche.
For windows, even a simple arch-shaped treatment above existing square windows creates this feeling. Paint the inside edges of the arches white to make them pop against colored walls.
12. Vibrant Mediterranean-Style Wall Art
Artwork brings color and personality to your bathroom without taking up space. Look for pictures of blue seas, olive groves, or sunny coastal towns.
Watercolors work well in bathrooms since they’re not damaged by steam. Keep frames simple in wood or white to let the colors stand out.
13. Indoor Plants and Greenery
Plants make a bathroom feel alive and fresh. Choose plants that like humid places, like ferns, aloe, or even small olive trees in pots. Put them on windowsills, shelves, or hang them from the ceiling in simple clay pots.
The green leaves look beautiful against the white walls and natural stone. You don’t need many even just two or three plants add a lot of life.
To save water, water them with leftover drinking water.
14. Handmade Woven Rugs
Soft rugs feel good on bare feet and add color to plain floors. Choose rugs made of natural fibers like cotton or jute in blues, reds, or earthy tones.
Small rugs work best in bathrooms; put one by the sink and another by the tub. Look for simple patterns like stripes or diamonds. Make sure they have non-slip backing so they don’t slide around.
15. Sculptural Stone
A special sink can be the most interesting thing in your bathroom. Stone or concrete sinks feel solid and look handmade.
They come in round, square, or unusual shapes that stand out from normal bathroom fixtures. Gray, beige, or white colors work with anything.
These sinks often sit on top of counters rather than being built in. They’re very strong and get better-looking with age. Even in a simple bathroom, a beautiful sink makes everything look more special.
16. Textured Wall Finishes
Walls with texture feel more interesting than flat paint. Try plaster or stucco finishes that look slightly uneven and catch the light in different ways.
You can do this yourself by adding texture to regular paint or hiring someone to apply special finishes. Soft whites, creams, or pale blues work best.
Leave some areas rougher than others for a handmade feel. These walls hide small marks and scratches better than smooth ones, so they stay looking good longer.
17. Coastal-Inspired Accessories
Small ocean touches make a bathroom feel like a beach vacation. Gather some pretty shells, smooth stones, or pieces of driftwood to display on shelves or windowsills.
Use glass jars filled with sea salt or sand as decorations. Blue glass bottles catch light beautifully. You don’t need many things, just a few special pieces placed where you can see and enjoy them.
These little reminders of the coast create a peaceful, vacation-like feeling in your everyday bathroom.
18. Grand Ironworks Details
Wrought iron adds old-world charm to a bathroom. Look for towel bars, toilet paper holders, or small shelves made of dark iron with simple curves or twists.
Even changing just your cabinet handles to iron ones makes a difference. A small iron plant stand or mirror frame works, too. The dark metal stands out nicely against light walls and adds a handmade quality.
These pieces are very strong and last for decades, slowly gaining character with age.
19. Neutral Color Palette
Starting with cream, white, or beige walls creates a calm backdrop that never goes out of style. Then, you can add small pops of bright colors that remind you of the Mediterranean, maybe sunshine yellow towels, a cobalt blue soap dish, or a few green plants.
The best part is that you can easily change these colorful items when you want a fresh look without repainting or doing major work.
This balance of neutral and bright creates a bathroom that feels both peaceful and cheerful.
20. Mediterranean Style Shower Niche
A shower niche is that handy little shelf built into your shower wall for soap and shampoo. Making it special with colorful tiles turns a practical feature into something beautiful.
Line the inside with blue, green, or patterned tiles that stand out from your main shower walls. Make it a bit deeper than you think you need for bigger bottles.
You can even add a small strip of these special tiles around the niche to frame it. It keeps your shower stuff organized while adding a pretty Mediterranean touch.
21. Outdoor-Style Shower Area
An outdoor-style shower brings that vacation feeling home. You don’t need actually to put it outside; create an open, airy shower space with lots of natural light.
Use river rocks on the floor for drainage and that barefoot-on-the-beach feeling.
Add a rainfall showerhead mounted from the ceiling. Plants nearby add to the outdoor feeling. If possible, put in a big window next to the shower. The goal is to feel like you’re showering under the Mediterranean sky.
22. Hand-Painted Ceramic Tiles
Handmade tiles have little imperfections that make them special. Each one is slightly different in color and shape, creating a warmer look than perfect factory tiles.
You don’t need to cover every wall; even just a border of hand-painted tiles or a small backsplash behind the sink makes a big impact. Look for tiles with simple blue and white patterns or colorful floral designs.
23. Bamboo and Rattan Accents
Bamboo and rattan bring a light, natural feeling to bathrooms. Try a simple bamboo ladder for hanging towels, a rattan basket for toilet paper, or a small bamboo stool near the tub.
These materials are perfect for bathrooms because they handle humidity well. They add texture without being heavy or dark.
The golden-brown color warms up the white tiles and walls. These natural materials connect your bathroom to the outdoors and add that relaxed, beach-house feeling.
24. Exposed Brick Walls
Brick walls make your bathroom feel like it’s in an old Mediterranean villa. If you’re lucky enough to have real brick under your drywall, consider exposing one wall.
You can also add brick veneer that looks like the real thing but is thinner and easier to install. Painting the brick white gives it a softer look while still showing the texture.
25. Neutral Linen Towels and Curtains
Linen feels good against your skin and gets softer each time you wash it. Choose towels and shower curtains in natural colors like beige, white, or soft gray.
Linen has a slightly wrinkled look that’s actually supposed to be that way, so no need to iron it. It dries quickly, which helps prevent mildew in bathrooms.
The loose, natural weave lets air flow through shower curtains better than plastic ones.
26. Moroccan Lanterns
Moroccan lanterns create magical light patterns on your walls and ceiling. These metal lamps have tiny holes or colored glass that scatter light in pretty ways.
Hang one from the ceiling, or put a small one on your counter. Lanterns in copper, brass, or silver tones work great as night lights.
The warm, patterned light they create turns an ordinary bathroom into something special, especially in the evening.
27. Exquisite Floor-to-Ceiling Tilework
Covering an entire wall with tiles makes your bathroom feel super special. You can use one color for a clean look or mix patterns for more excitement.
Carrying the same tiles from the floor all the way up the walls makes small bathrooms feel bigger. Rather than doing every wall, focus on one wall, like behind the tub or shower.
Even simple white tiles look amazing when they cover a whole wall, especially when light hits them.
28. Soft, Flowing Curtains
Light curtains that move with the air make your bathroom feel breezy and relaxed. Choose sheer white or cream fabric that lets light through while still giving privacy.
Hang them higher and wider than your window to make them look bigger. Let them touch the floor for that flowing feeling. Skip heavy liners or valances; the simpler, the better.
29. Plaster and Stucco Finish on Walls
Plaster walls have a depth that flat paint doesn’t. They reflect light in a soft, glowing way that changes throughout the day.
Depending on the look you want, you can get smooth plaster or rougher stucco. White, cream, or pale pink plaster looks most Mediterranean.
30. Floating Vanities for a Modern Touch
Wall-mounted sinks and cabinets make your bathroom look bigger because you can see the floor underneath. This clean, simple style works surprisingly well with Mediterranean colors and textures.
Choose wood tones like honey or walnut for warmth. The space below is perfect for a pretty basket or stool. Floating vanities also make cleaning the floor much easier.
31. Copper and Bronze Accents
Copper and bronze add a warm glow to your bathroom. They start shiny but develop a beautiful patina over time that actually looks better with age.
Even just changing your faucet to copper makes a big difference. The warm tones pair perfectly with Mediterranean colors like blue, white, and terracotta.
32. Terracotta Sink Basins
Terracotta sinks bring earthy warmth to your bathroom. These reddish-brown clay basins, which sit on top of your counter, come in round, oval, or rectangular shapes.
Each one is slightly different because it’s handmade. The natural color works beautifully with white walls and wooden elements.
33. Mediterranean-Inspired Bathtub Surround
The area around your tub can become the most beautiful part of your bathroom. Build a surround using blue and white tiles in a pretty pattern or natural stone for a more earthy look.
Make it wide enough on one side to hold candles, plants, or bath supplies. Adding a small shelf or niche in the wall for soap and shampoo is both practical and pretty.
Conclusion
After examining these Mediterranean bathroom ideas, it’s clear that creating this style is about blending warmth, natural textures, and touches of coastal color.
Whether you start small with blue accents and woven baskets or go all-in with terracotta floors and mosaic tiles, each element adds to that sun-soaked Mediterranean feeling.
The beauty of Mediterranean design lies in its timeless appeal; it never feels trendy or dated. By mixing rustic elements with clean lines and incorporating materials that age gracefully, you’ll create a bathroom that feels more personal and lived-in with each passing year.
Ready to change your bathroom? Start with just one or two ideas that speak to you most.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a European-Style Bathroom?
A European-style bathroom combines elegance with functionality, featuring elements like wall-mounted toilets, bidets, rainfall showers, and sleek fixtures.
2. What is a Victorian Bathroom?
A Victorian bathroom features ornate details, claw-foot tubs, pedestal sinks, and rich colors. It often has patterned tiles, brass fixtures, and vintage accessories that reflect the elaborate style.
3. What is a Zero Shower?
A zero shower is a barrier-free shower design with no curb or step at the entrance. The floor slopes gently toward the drain, making it accessible for wheelchairs and reducing trip hazards for everyone.
