How tempting is it to hang art in the bathroom? That space above the toilet, that wall opposite the toilet, the space flanking the mirror, all taunting us with their nudeness. But should you hang art in the bathroom? I mean really? Yes, you absolutely should! Put up something happy and inspiring to boost your spirits first thing in the morning and then maintain that smile throughout the rest of your day.

Concerns

Yes humidity is a very valid concern. You don’t need to hang your Van Gogh’s or Picasso’s in there but you should definitely consider inexpensive, reproducible pieces. Paper art needs to be framed with glass or plexi in front and some sort of backing on the flip side to keep the moisture from easily touching the work. And if you’re still concerned then test the waters by starting with a powder room first.

We’ve had two photographs, in wood frames with glass and archival matting and backing, in our half bath for at least two years now and both still look as great as the day we bought them.

Idea

Create a small, casual art collection for the bathroom made of inexpensive, reproducible pieces, in Ikea frames, that can easily be updated as often as you like.

Ingredients

• Frames
  • two black square frames measuring 9 x 9 inches
  • one black frame measuring 8 x 10 inches
  • one dark brown frame measuring 8 x 10 inches
  • three black frames measuring 8 1/2 x 11 inches
  • one black frame measuring 8 1/2 x 11 inches
• Artwork
  • one 9 x 9 inch photograph
  • one 5 x 5 inch photograph
  • six 5 x 7 inch photographs – two horizontal, four vertical
  • three white 8 1/2 x 11 inch mats with windows cut for 5 x 7 inch photographs

Method

The layout above is really all you need but here’s some tips for how I’d get everything going:

1. Put your 5 x 5 photograph in one of the matted square frames.
2. Take out the mat for the other square frame and put in your 9 x 9 photograph.
3. Put a horizontal 5 x 7 in your black 8 x 10 frame.
4. Put a vertical 5 x 7 in your dark brown 8 x 10 frame.
5. Put a vertical 5 x 7 in your black Ribba 8 1/2 x 11 frame.
6. Put the remaining three 5 x 7s in your last three 8 1/2 x 11 frames.
7. Lay your framed pieces on the floor to start working on your layout, start by laying out a piece of string to mark where the two walls meet.
8. To the right of the string put one vertical 8 1/2 x 11 Nyttja frame with the vertical 8 1/2 x 11 Ribba frame about two inches above it.
9. Next start working on the main wall. To the left of your string put the 5 x 5 in the 9 x 9 frame with the dark brown 8 x 10 frame above it, lining up the right edges so they’re even, centring the height so they’re about the same distance from the top and the bottom of the two pieces on the right wall, with about four inches between the two.
10. Put a vertical 8 1/2 x 11 frame four inches to the left of the dark brown frame and centre it vertically.
11. Lay your horizontal 8 x 10 frame centred beneath it with a space of about five or six inches.
12. Four inches to the left of that put your remaining horizontal 8 1/2 x 11 frame and centre it vertically.
13. Five or six inches above that put your remaining 9 x 9 frame and line up the right side with the one beneath it.
14. So that’s the basic design, tweak the spacing and swap around the images until you get something you’re happy with but remember that it’s the diversity of the images, frames, and spacing that gives this such a casual feel so don’t try to make it too perfect.
15. Once you’ve got a design you’re happy with get out a chair and photograph your frames all laid out on your floor, you know, just in case.
16. Now you’re ready to hang! I like to keep a nice long ruler, a level, and sometimes a chalkline on hand to make sure everything is ending up where I want it. If you’re still nervous then try hanging up pieces of paper in the size and position of your images to give it a hole-less test run. Height-wise I’d centre the whole thing so it’s at about my eye level. Start with the two images on the right wall, their placement will really depend on the layout of your bathroom but if it’s similar to the one shown here I’d start with centring them above the toilet. Whatever the space was between those images and the corner is what I would also use for the space between the corner and the next two pieces, moving along to the left as you had everything laid out on the floor.

Why this Arrangement Works

How nice is it to open the bathroom door and see art instead of a toilet? It’s right there in front of you at eye level and wraps around onto the wall on the right, quietly inviting you into the room. The seemingly unplanned cluster is what makes it fun and casual, plus the mixed bag of frames make it look like an art collection in progress. The dark frames tie in with the vanity and the toilet seat and the tones in the photographs work well with each other and the rest of the room, bright oranges and neon greens definitely wouldn’t have complimented the room as well.

It’s also important where you hang each piece of art in relation to the rest. I love that in the top row the two women’s faces are looking out towards the window instead of into the corner but the horse in the bottom row brings me back in before I wander too far.

Cost

Budget-wise you’re looking at a hair under $53 for the frames and what you fill them with is up to you, here’s the breakdown:

• two 9 x 9 Ribba Frames @ $9.99 each: $19.98
• one 8 x 10 Ribba Frame: $5.99
• one 8 x 10 Virserum Frame: $7.99
• three 8 1/2 x 11 Nyttja Frames @ $2.99 each: $8.97
• one 8 1/2 x 11 Ribba Frame: $9.99
• Total Cost for Frames: $52.92

So it’s definitely affordable for the amount of pieces we’re talking about and the pizzazz it adds to the room.

Do you have art hanging in your bathroom? Is it art on paper or something more sculptural? What has been your experience? How do you keep your arrangement affordable?

Psst, while we’re on the subject, did you know that right now in our shop you can save 50% on sets of four 5x7s? You can get yours by clicking the Buy Now button next to any photograph then clicking on the packages tab.