Strong colour, subtle shading: tone-on-tone schemes

Tone-on-tone concepts bring a sense of serenity to the bathroom even when bold colours are used.But even though one colour dominates the colour scheme,a monochromatic interior design is rarely confined to the homogenous use of a single colour; instead, the surfaces are gradated in different shades and nuances of one hue. Even without contrasts, this gives rise to a subtly differentiated impression of depth that is extremely expressive thanks to the monochromatic palette.A change of materials can also be used for gradation – be it a certain shade of stone or wood that harmonises particularly well with the basic colour or a different surface texture that results in deeper shading.Tone-on-tone concepts are a tried-and-trusted design concept in fashion too, where simply using several different materials is enough to create elegant ensembles, for instance by combining wool, patent leather and leather in one and the same shade.

By contrast, the focus in interior design is on achieving the necessary differentiation between surfaces.And because smooth, uninterrupted surfaces are playing a prominent role in interior design right now, with detailed products being contrasted with large expanses of colour, tone-on-tone concepts are currently very much on trend, especially in kitchen design.This colour trend can therefore be recommended for the bathroom too, especially when a modern look is required, because colour gradations can create differentiation and an impression of depth even in smaller rooms.A blue bathroom, for instance, can play with different shades of blue without being a strain on the eyes; even so, it will create the impression of a completely blue room as long as there are no stark deviations or brightness contrasts as compared with the main colour.The result is like “a blue grotto”, “a green jungle”, “a pink powder compact” or “white infinity”, but nevertheless rich in spatial differentiation – and in view of the sensory overload we’re confronted with in our everyday lives, the effect is a veritable tonic for the soul.