Is It Safe To Hang Wall Art In Your Bathroom?

The art is expressive and can bring life to any room, but most people will put works of art in the living room, bedroom, hallway, or kitchen. However, they would avoid displaying art in a damp bathroom, areas directly lit by sunlight, or the space over the fireplace.

Don’t worry, you can find ways to mount wall art in your bathroom, safely and without damaging it. Just keep in mind that not all kinds of art are suitable for the bathroom’s humid environment. You need to find waterproof pieces and those that are difficult to get water damage.

Here are some wall art ideas that can make your bathroom space look beautiful and original. Be sure to read through the article to get inspiration!

When choosing any kind of art to put in the bathroom, you must take into account its ability to withstand the humid environment. Some types of art can withstand the humidity very well and thus, will make a better choice for decorating the bathroom. You can go for hangings such as canvas, framed pictures, art prints, acrylic, or ceramic art.

▸Canvas

Canvas is not waterproof, which means it is not completely impermeable to water. But the canvas is water resistant, which means that it’s able to repel water to a certain degree, though not completely.

Since the bathroom is being used multiple times a day (depending on the number of people), the room will be quite humid for a short time, and the canvas will handle the humidity.

However, you should choose high-quality canvas made with sealants and laminate as they withstand high humidity and last in a damp environment for a long time. You may avoid chemical inks and solvent-based paints as they might fade, yellow, crack, and streak in a humid room.

▸Framed Pictures And Prints

Photos or archival materials printed with acid-free paints may withstand the bathroom humidity, but adding a frame to such items may increase their longevity. You can buy already printed, framed photos as they are inexpensive compared to customizing. Also, in the event of any damage, they can be easily replaced.

When buying such art, you should check with the seller if the photos are water-resistant and opt for the ones with a warranty as they last longer.

Moreover, if you prefer to print photos yourself, you can use water-repellant and smudge-resistant photo paper, and acid-free ink with your printer to achieve a waterproof state.

▸Art Prints

Art prints depend on the material, and it would be better to choose metal prints, aluminum prints are well suited for the bathroom. Aluminum and stainless steel are resistant to rusting, and they would make the best type of art for high humidity rooms.

The metal prints look contemporary and they are highly customizable, thus, you’ll be able to find the best designs that meet your needs.

▸Acrylic Art

You can hang acrylic art on your bathroom’s wall because it is somewhat resistant to water. However, as acrylic paint is not fully waterproof, to make sure that your art is not going to get ruined, you should protect it with glass as well. The acrylic paint might begin to warp, but the glass will make it fully airtight and safe to withstand humidity.

Just make sure that the art is properly sealed so that not to allow moisture to get trapped under the glass as this could result in staining and matting of the artwork.

▸Oil Paintings

Oil paintings are a definite no-no for the bathroom. They can easily deteriorate when stored for an extended period of time in a room that’s humid, poorly ventilated, and with fluctuating temperatures.

Water damage can cause a lot of issues to the oil painting, such as mold, staining, or flaking off, and blanching that causes the oil painting to take on a frosty, cloudy look.

Alternatively, you could seal the oil painting with a picture varnish that’s made with resins, in order to protect the paint coat.

However, the best practice is to simply avoid oil paintings in the bathroom altogether as they are not meant to get wet.

▸Ceramic Wall Art

Ceramic art is ideal for a humid place like a bathroom or shower room, so you should consider decorating the walls with ceramic items.

Although not completely waterproof (depending on the type of ceramics), ceramic art is water-resistant and does not leak the paint or streak under humid conditions. Consider displaying unglazed stoneware art as it is fully waterproof.

▸Watercolor Art

The watercolor paint is soluble in water and may not do well in the bathroom, but with caution, you might be able to display this type of art in the bathroom. You must use a protective glass frame over the watercolor art to prevent it from coming into contact with the moisture in the room.

Bathroom tiles are practical as they are easy to wipe off, add color to the space, and are very resistant to moisture.

It might be straightforward to drill into a tile surface, but replacing the tiles when you want to remodel the bathroom might be a challenge.

Hanging an object on the bathroom tiles is similar to drilling into the drywall. To keep it safe and durable, it’s crucial to use studs and anchors for securing the art pieces. Obviously, you need to be very careful not to split or crack the tile!

Mount on the grout line

The grout lines might be recessed on the bathroom tiles and they will be suitable for hanging your artwork. Recessed grout lines will expose the underlying bricks, and you can use brick clamps to hang the art pieces. You will simply snap the clamp straight into the brick and hook it to your artwork.

However, heavy wall art might fall so you need to check the weight first before attempting to hang the object. Also, drilling holes into the grout between tiles is not recommended for heavy objects because the grout is not as strong and stable as tiles.

It is generally safe to hang artwork on the bathroom tile wall, however, you must remember not to hang it too high in case it does fall.

Use sticky hooks, tape, and hanging strips

The tiles are slippery, and a sticky hook would work better for hanging art in the bathroom. You can peel the hooks and stick the hangers onto the tile. Before placing the sticky hooks, you should thoroughly clean the tiles to remove paint and dirt.

The sticky hooks, which you will find in any local hardware store, work well for hanging almost any kind of art. They are easy to detach as you can pull them easily when you’re ready to go.

Also, as a quick solution, you may use simple double-sided adhesive tape or picture hanging strips to prop up a smaller or lighter picture on your tile wall.

› Professional framing

You can have the art pieces professionally framed, no matter where you hang them in your home. Framing prevents moisture from seeping into your art, and you can use a frame on canvas art, paintings, photos, and more. The glass will act as a barrier between the art and the humid bathroom environment.

If the artwork requires glazing, it is best to use acrylic as it allows air to flow through but it will not break. For example, watercolor paintings must be protected by a sheet of acrylic or filtered glass. They should also be attached with acid-free masking tape, which will prevent the painting from becoming yellow over time.

› Use extra-strong aluminum foil

If you buy a cheaply framed photo, moisture might seep into the artwork, and this may happen if the back is sealed with regular cardboard.

Thus, you can bolster moisture resistance by opening the back and using extra-strong aluminum foil between the picture and the backboard. The aluminum foil will act as a sealant to the artwork and will not rust.

Moreover, you should remove any backing materials whose properties you don’t know and replace them with water-resistant products that are formaldehyde-free and acid-free just to avoid discoloring the art.

› Create an air gap between the art and the wall

Self-adhesive plastic bumper pads can provide some airflow between the artwork and the wall, and it is better to improve airflow to avoid mold building up on the wall. The bumper pads will also help protect the wall from scratches.

Additionally, you can slice thick bottle corks into a few inches and use them to mount the art on the wall. Attach the corks to the PVA adhesives at the corners to allow airflow on the sides.

› Keep the windows open

You should be using the exhaust fan and keeping the bathroom windows open whenever possible to make sure the room is well ventilated to prevent dampness.

Reducing the humidity and steam build-up to a minimum in the room will ensure the art can breathe and remains safe from moisture. You can also hang the art in the drier bathroom areas, if possible.

› Use water-resistant art

If you don’t want to deal with moisture damage, you can opt for artwork that is resistant to water, for example, made from aluminum which does not rust and is prone to corrosion. The ceramics might be a good option for rust-free bathroom art, as well.

▸Build a gallery wall

Gallery walls offer a quick fix when decorating and will make your bathroom stand out. You can attach framed pictures to the wall but you’ll need to use screws through the center of the tile to avoid cracking the tiles.

Don’t put too many pictures to avoid cluttering the room. The bathroom should be serene, so only three or five smaller pictures would do well in that space. Also, an odd number of art pieces would look pretty and stylish on the wall.

You may use glass-sealed art to build a gallery wall above the bathtub, choosing one statement centerpiece that speaks to your soul.

Besides, you can attach shelves to the bathroom walls as the shelves can hold more art pieces.

▸Create art with a mural

The French tile murals are made of patterned, colorful tiles, and they can act as great wall art for your bathroom. The design infuses the space with ancient style and elegance.

However, if you don’t like older designs, you can incorporate new and fresh designs into the mural to bring color to the room.

You can also paint your tiles with metallic paint to create a shiny mural. You may use one color or go for the multi-color design, which will bring your personality to the bathroom.

▸Use wallpaper

The wallpaper makes the perfect art for all the bathroom walls, and it is suitable for a small space, as well. The wallpaper will make the room look elegant, and you can choose the wallpapers which are resistant to water.

Final Thoughts,

The biggest problem you will have to deal with when displaying wall art in the bathroom is humidity. Even though many works of art are generally safe and OK to be hung in the bathroom, finding pieces that will be completely waterproof and safe from water damage, might be challenging.

Thus, it would be wise to learn about all the options to save your art from humidity. You can find waterproof art such as ceramics, metal prints, canvas, wallpapers, to name a few, that match your personality.

Preferably, you should display only inexpensive pieces, which you can throw away and don’t mind replacing when affected by the moisture. Avoid very valuable or sentimental artwork if you’re worried about damage.

Finally, it would be good to find ways to hang the art in the bathroom without damaging the tiles. Good luck finding the best wall art for your bathroom!

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