How to Mix White With Almond or Bone Bathroom Fixtures

Want to update your almond-inspired bathroom without replacing everything? Wondering how to integrate a white toilet, sink, or bathtub without making your space look even older and more out of style? I gotchu.

I’ve come across many almond tub surrounds in my day-to-day work, and the first question I get asked is, “I can’t afford to replace it, but how can I possibly make it look good…?”

And for those of you with an almond bathroom, let me just say this…I feel your pain. In our last home, we had bone-colored (tan) bathroom fixtures, and when we redecorated, the budget didn’t allow us to update them. However, our budget DID allow for two bottles of wine, which helped me accept that we couldn’t afford to replace them.

So, I’ve put together a list of the most common questions about almond, bone, biscuit, and off-white bathroom fixtures, with straightforward answers to help you update and modernize your space!

(and if you haven’t checked out The Best Paint Colors for an Almond Bathroom, then do so when you’re done with this one!)

DOES A WHITE SINK GO WITH AN ALMOND OR BONE TOILET OR TUB?

If you have an almond, or biscuit-inspired tub, surround, and/or toilet, I might suggest a white sink as a good update. But consider a countertop with a blend of white/cream/beige/almond (basically a tone-on-tone blend). The goal is to have your countertop act as a ‘go-between’ between your white sink and almond fixtures.

If you’re looking for a countertop to update your almond bathroom fixtures, check out this blog post: The Best Warmer Quartz Countertops.

You shouldn’t do a white sink and almond toilet if…

Your bathroom has only a toilet and sink in it. Chances are this is an itty bitty bathroom/powder room, and too small to have the toilet/sink different colors from each other.

My client’s next wee loo looks fabulous as the wallpaper’s soft off-white mimics the off-white pedestal sink (as should the toilet)…

The above bathroom’s wall color just needs a tweak, as the current one is a bit too green for the wallpaper. This is why I get hired (oh, and for a lot more, too).

HOW DO YOU MAKE AN ALMOND TUB LOOK MORE MODERN?

If you have a bone or beige tub (even off-white can be tricky), the key is to help it belong. And one of the best ways is to surround it with tile that contains the tub color. There are a few ways to do this…

1. I often suggest that my clients find a subway tile that’s a tone darker than their bathtub. This helps the tub seem lighter while still connecting. It creates a tone-on-tone palette. Then, you might match the grout to the tub.
2. Or, you can find a subway tile that’s a perfect match to the bathtub.
3. Find a tile that contains your bathtub color, along with other modern neutrals.

DOES A WHITE TOILET GO WITH AN ALMOND TUB OR SHOWER SURROUND?

If you’re replacing your toilet YES you can could consider white, so long as it’s not DIRECTLY next to your tub (as in between 12-24″). It can be approx 3 feet (or more) away, separated by the vanity or on the opposite side of the room – you just can’t have a white toilet right next to an almond tub/shower (says me…).

Why? When your eye roams around the room there needs to be enough distance between the two so that they are not in the same visual sightline. If they’re directly next to each other it will be clear as day that they’re different, which will only ACCENT your almond tub and make it look dirty compared to the toilet (which seems very hypocritical of the toilet.)

NOBODY knows what’s going on behind this curtain! 

That said, your bathroom won’t ever look 100% updated or ‘ideal’. However, when working on a tight budget, sometimes a small step forward is better than keeping things as they are.

The exception: Hang a shower curtain that is closed all of the time and hanging on the outside of the tub, rather than the inside. As shown in this next image, the shower surround/tub is off-white acrylic and softer than the white toilet, sink, and countertop. While it would be even better if the countertop had some warm off-white tones in it, the shower curtain helps block the mismatch…

I also looooove the sage green vanity color we chose! Find the wall color HERE.

This rich biscuit tub and toilet aren’t in love (‘rich biscuit’ sounds yummy…it’s not when it’s in the shart shack)…

However, a well-placed shower curtain (heck, I’d probably install 2 shower curtains for full-coverage) will go a long way toward blending worlds.

DOES A WHITE TUB OR SHOWER SURROUND GO WITH AN ALMOND OR BONE TOILET/SINK?

If you have an almond or bone-colored tub with a tile surround and want to retile, you’ll need to pay homage to that almond tub with a tile that follows a similar premise to the tiles suggested above. However, if you’re going to the effort of re-tiling (which always involves re-drywalling) then you should spend the extra moula and get a white tub. This also means that eventually, you’ll want to get a white toilet and sink, but those can come later. However, with having a white tub, you have a cleaner slate to work off of should you want a more updated tile around the shower.

However, things add up FAST when you’re updating/renovating, so if you’d rather keep your budget at a dull roar, check out these tile-choosing tips…

The horizontal racing stripe is way outdated, but the rest of the tile is great. 

These almond/bone-coloured subway-style tiles are a great way to modernize an almond tub as they’re a few tones darker than almond and add some visual depth to the space.

A MODERN LOOK

• 4×12 or larger tiles. Staggered layout or stacked

TRADITIONAL SUBWAY TILE

• 3×6 or 4×12 tiles. Staggered/brick pattern

LOW MAINTENANCE

• 24×24 or larger (less grout to maintain/clean)

A FEW MORE ALMOND BATHROOM TIPS & IDEAS

• Don’t do a white shower curtain. Follow the same guidelines for tile – layered neutrals are the way to go! A large expanse of white will accent the almond/bone colour of your tub and make it look murky/dirty in comparison. Choose one that is cream or has a pattern on it that suits the rest of your space – it’s that easy!
• Do a tile baseboard instead of traditional moulding; this way you can eliminate another white product that could enhance your almond fixtures
• Any metal finish suits almond fixtures – EXCEPT BRASS. However, you will find that polished nickel/chrome are the lowest contrast, whereas black or oil-rubbed bronze will contrast/pop

The Best Hardware to Update Wood Cabinets

6 Budget-Friendly Home Update Ideas

WHAT FLOORING UPDATES ALMOND OR BONE BATHROOM FIXTURES?

Avoid the use of a dominant white in your flooring. Try to find a tile or linoleum that is either a mix of creams (which can include a bit of white) or a tile with other colours and a dominant cream coming through (as shown in the collage below). A tile with cream in it will blend in with your tub/toilet when they meet which will help tie the almond colour into the palette of your bathroom.

This tile from Bedrosians offers a brick look with some soft, organic colors (so long as your fixtures lean more beige, not yellow)…

Brick look tile

A 24 x 24 tile like this next one can be another great update…

Grenada Pergamo tile

While you can get away with a touch of white (mixed with cream) in your flooring, TOO much white will contrast directly with your tub when they meet at the base and will only serve to accent the ‘almond-allure’ of it.

IMPORTANT NOTE: How products look online vs how they look when they show up at your door can be TWO different things. Ensure that the undertones/colours in the tile are the SAME undertones as the specific almond/bone fixtures you have.

CONSIDER A TILE THAT CONTAINS ALMOND, ALONG WITH OTHER NEUTRALS

Adding an accent wall behind the vanity is a great way to add personality and style to any bathroom. Consider tiles with a range of neutrals (including bone/off-white) to make help your almond fixtures look like part of teh plan. While this next bathroom’s mosaic tile is outdated now (this was done about 10 years ago), the IDEA is awesome, as it blends the almond sink, along with a range of other neutrals…

However, I’d remove the white towel and outlet covers, as they only showcase the non-white sink.

For a bit more fun, this tile would be wicked pretty…

8×8 Satin Porcelain Tile

With this next gorgeous penny tile, you’d make the grout match your fixtures…

Calico round tile

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For those random quandaries, questions, and queries.

HOW DO YOU MAKE WHITE & ALMOND BATHROOM FIXTURES GO TOGETHER?

If you’ve got a mix-and-match going on, no worries, as I’ve got several ways to bring them together in a palette.

• Choose a shower curtain that has a simple pattern, but it contains white and your almond/biscuit color.
• I’d also choose towels in a light pattern that contains white and almond/bone.
• If you’re replacing your flooring or your countertop, I suggest finding one that contains a blend of white and your almond-color – a nice mess of warm, soft neutrals!

CAN YOU USE WHITE TILE WITH AN ALMOND TUB?

I sure as heck wouldn’t. White tile will make your almond or bone tub look even dirtier. Refer to the above tile info in this blog post for some different ideas.

SHOULD YOU MATCH YOUR TOILET TO YOUR BATHTUB OR SINK?

• If you’ve got a white sink and an almond bathtub (most likely combo), it can depend on where the toilet sits. If it’s in the same eyeball as the sink – I’d match it, especially if you have shower curtains (yes, 2) to cover your tub surround.
• If your toilet is closer to your tub and you have glass, not a shower curtain, then you might match that instead.

WHAT PAINT COLORS GO WITH ALMOND OR BONE FIXTURES?

You’ve asked the right question. There are any number of paint colors that can help update an outdated almond bathroom. To check them out, click here…The Best Paint Colors for an Almond Bathroom. 

Well, I hope that info helps you on your journey to update your almond bathroom and helps you choose products that will take it to the next level!

READ MORE

The 6 Most Budget-Friendly Home Update Ideas

How to Update Your Kitchen On a BUDGET!

The Best Paint Colors for an Almond Bathroom

Do you still need help? 

Check out my Online Decorating and Color Consulting Services!

 Originally written in 2017, updated with new images and content in LATE 2026