Many people marketing their properties for sale are daring to suggest that coloured bathroom suites are set to make a fashion comeback. Could we really be set for a return to bathing in burgundy? Or is the claim that “avocado is the new white” simply a sales pitch used by credit-crunched home owners who cannot afford to replace their coloured bathroom suites with contemporary white?
Prior to the 1970s bathroom suites in Britain were generally limited to white painted metal or ceramic sanitary ware with a black plastic or wooden toilet seat. Developments within the plastics industry saw the rise of the acrylic bathroom suite and this meant manufacturers could offer customers a wider variety of bath and sink shapes across a whole spectrum of colours.
The initial shades of pampas, champagne and ivory were fairly subtle and considered by many to be the height of seventies sophistication. However, as our zest for home improvement grew, we flirted with more exotic design ideas and bathroom colours became stronger; with many new-build homes at the beginning of the eighties featuring suites in avocado, chocolate and burgundy.
Plain white bathroom suites became a less popular choice. They were deemed to be ‘boring’ and were readily stripped out of bathrooms up and down the country as the British public’s love affair with coloured bathroom suites began.
Home owners were inspired by vibrant shades used in newly-built showhomes and they experimented with colours featured in glossy property magazines. However, along with a whole host of matching accessories, the dark coloured bathroom suite was a fashion craze that was to be relatively short-lived.
Thousands of fashion-conscious home owners soon discovered a major flaw with these darker hues, namely they were almost impossible to keep looking clean. Soap residue, water marks and toothpaste splashes were instantly visible, so the bath and basin would need to be cleaned immediately after each use if it was to retain its hygienic appearance.
By the beginning of the nineties coloured suites gradually began to disappear. First the darker colours were discontinued by manufacturers followed by the paler tones. Even the coloured suites’ accomplices – the obligatory set of gold effect taps and wastes – fell from favour. These were also high maintenance and could be subject to discolouration and damage if strong cleaning agents were used on them.
Leading up to the new millennium the white bathroom suite with chrome taps was well on its way to become king once more.
When you buy a bathroom suite today there will be little or no choice of colour in the shops. There are some bathrooms available in soft cream or pergamon but these colours are generally limited to traditionally styled bathroom suites.
Along with the rest of the decor in your home, the bathroom is a reflection of personal taste. Basins are now widely available in alternative materials to china and resin. These include coloured glass, stone and copper and give interior designers the opportunity to reflect the home owner’s personality by introducing a subtle splash of colour to a bathroom.
Given the pitfalls of maintaining a coloured suite and the fact that a neutral white one is easier to accessorise and will complement any personal taste, it is highly doubtful that any future fashion craze could include a return to garish eighties colour statements.
If you’re thinking of selling your property, then the general advice from most interior designers today will be to have a white suite. Hanging on to your dark coloured bathroom will definitely put potential buyers off. No matter how much you dress it up by attaching a ‘retro’ tag and claiming ‘avocado is the new white’ buyers simply won’t believe you.