Stacey Solomon’s bathroom has us all going retro with colour

Stacey Solomon has never been one for doing things by halves, and her latest home project is no exception. The Sort Your Life Out star unveiled a gloriously bold 70s-inspired orange bathroom, and honestly? The people have responded. Searches for colour-drenching bathrooms on Pinterest have shot up by 347% over the past three months, and retro bathroom searches are up 108%. We are, collectively, done with white tiles.

For a room that has been beige and clinical for approximately the last two decades, the bathroom is having a serious personality transplant. Vintage bathroom searches are up 97% too, which tells you everything about where the mood is right now. We want warmth, we want character, we want a bathroom that looks like it belongs in a film set in 1974 rather than a new-build show home.

So what’s actually driving it?

Neil Thompson, bathroom expert at luxury retailer Nôsa, says the appetite for colour is a direct pushback against the safe and the safe-adjacent. “White and neutral bathrooms are the go-to safe choice, but more people are wanting to be a bit braver with colour,” he explains. “Retro styles in particular are coming back to interiors, as they’re typically colourful and have a lot of personality and style. We can see this in Stacey’s 70s-inspired bathroom that totally leans into the retro look.”

And before you spiral into a renovation budget panic, Thompson is quick to point out that you don’t need to gut your entire bathroom to get the look. Colourful towels, a patterned shower curtain, a striking piece of artwork, or a brightly coloured bath mat can shift the whole vibe without spending a fortune. Baby steps, and all that.

Ready to go all in?

If you’re feeling braver, colour-drenching is where things get genuinely interesting. Thompson describes the approach as choosing a coloured basin, vanity unit, toilet, bath and tiles to create “a really fun, unexpected finish.” He’s even gone on record to say he wishes Stacey had taken her orange bathroom even further. Respect the commitment to the bit.

For those who aren’t quite ready to go full citrus, he suggests wood, stone and gold brassware as the ideal companions to any statement colour. They’re versatile enough to complement almost anything, which means you can go bold on one element without the whole room looking like an art installation gone wrong.

The takeaway

The data is pretty clear: the all-white bathroom’s reign is wobbling. Whether you go full Stacey with an orange colour-drench or just swap in some terracotta towels and a retro mirror, the message from Pinterest and from people who clearly know their sanitaryware is that a bit of personality in the bathroom is very much encouraged. Your bathroom doesn’t have to be boring. It never did.