'A' for Art• Bathrooms

Slightly Off-putting Art for a Bathroom

I’ve been making a few changes to our bathroom. I feel like it needs some art on the walls, but I don’t think it should be too serious. There was a photo that used to hang in my uncle’s house that I loved, and he has said that we can have it if he can find it, so fingers crossed for that. If it doesn’t come up in his search though, I’m thinking it’s going to be something along these lines…

Funny

But not that funny. Let’s call them mildly amusing.
Bathroom Art: Funny

  • Look at those puppies!
    Champion Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, at Cruft’s Dog Show, Terence Spencer

  • Look out behind you!
    Fist Fight, Red, Dadu Shin

  • Nature calls.
    Collocation No. 14 (NATURE) Left Panel, Mickey Smith

  • Ooh, that smell. Can’t you smell that smell?
    Knuba, 2010 by Alex Kostinskyi

People

Because I also think the idea of a bunch of people watching you when you step out of the shower is funny.
Bathroom Art: Portraits

Slightly Off-putting

Some of these are strange in and of themselves, and others only by context. Certain imagery is just a little ‘off’ in the loo.
Bathroom Art: Slightly Offputting

  • I love the idea of a nude, but thought better of it because of the kids. I’m not worried about my kids, but more about their friends. Is that a strange concern to have? The Balch House: gateway to sin for the youth of Oak Park. Anyway, I love this one, but the eye contact is a little intense.
    Untitled (Suzie Hedge), 2006 by Brandon Herman

  • Do you really want to think about food in a bathroom?
    Chocolate Electric, Martha Rich

  • I see you.
    Mask, Jennifer Ament

  • A family of five, just like mine! Oh, wait. This family might not be “just like mine.”
    Family, T. Huybers

  • Yeah, they really want you. They really want you, and I do too. (Hey, this one can hang next to the cake! Think anyone would get it?)
    Day 260: Baby Doll Hands by Lisa Congdon

  • Again, think of the children.
    Drawings for 3 Rooms in Your Home: #1 by Steve Lambert

Funny and Slightly Off-putting People

It’s everything I love in one! (Can you tell this is my favorite category?)
Bathroom Art: Theme

  • Shhhh!
    British Children Playing Outdoor Games in London Suburbs, Terence Spencer

  • I’m not familiar with her (she’s an actor, says her Wiki), but this photo is fantastic.
    Lynn Redgrave Making a Face, Terence Spencer

  • What’s not to love about this?
    Women Holding Giant Masks, Bettmann

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  • Ursula
    April 30, 2015 at 2:09 pm

    I love the women holding the masks – my absolute favorite. And you actually do have to worry about the friends they bring home and what they end up telling their parents, unless you just don’t care (and that’s fine too).
    I hope you tell us which one(s) you finally decide on.

  • The Office Stylist
    April 30, 2015 at 2:15 pm

    These are hilarious! So many awesome options. I would definitely go for the funny ones. Love the one with “Nature Calls.”

    The Office Stylist
    http://www.theofficestylist.com

  • meg
    April 30, 2015 at 2:26 pm

    bathrooms are my very favorite places to hang silly framed things! i adore all your options. there’s also great potential in embracing your own funny and slightly offputting family portraits, as aunt peaches gloriously did in her bathroom: http://www.auntpeaches.com/2015/01/throwback-thursday-no-parking-on-the-dance-floor.html

  • KarenAnita
    April 30, 2015 at 2:27 pm

    Ahh I love them all! I’m thinking of doing something similar in our master bedroom soon. And perhaps the “Christopher Walken is watching you pee” poster for the bathroom. Google it, I think you’ll appreciate it ;)
    Karen x

  • Kathryn
    April 30, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    Now that I have an almost teenager, I’m tempted to put the sex one in every room ;)

    • Lindsey S
      May 1, 2015 at 2:43 pm

      That is hilarious! great idea!

    • Making it Lovely
      May 1, 2015 at 2:45 pm

      Ha! They come as a set of three. My favorite, if you have the other two up, is the third. “Yup this one too.”

      • Kathryn
        May 1, 2015 at 6:45 pm

        Perfect!

  • Emily
    April 30, 2015 at 3:30 pm

    I like the “Shhhh” one for a bathroom where nobody wants to be heard making *noises* so they can pretend they aren’t really using the toilet. :)

  • Laurie
    April 30, 2015 at 3:50 pm

    Love it! I love slightly strange images, or even better, ones I might have to explain a little. I just added two new pieces to my collection. One of them is a “blue stocking” reading in a library. I’d like to see more art for blue stockings but haven’t found a lot.

    The other is a poster for saving the tree octopus. http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/ If you don’t know the story about tree octopuses, it is a joke, and teachers use this site to teach kids about reliable information online. Then someone created a fabulous poster and I just could not resist the style. http://www.cafepress.com/zapatopi/7689324

    I probably will have to pick up the Shhhh picture for the bathroom though! That’s great.

    • Making it Lovely
      May 1, 2015 at 2:46 pm

      The tree octopus is awesome. I was clicking around the site, and it’s so well done! Some of the ‘actual photos’ are pretty funny.

  • Ryan
    April 30, 2015 at 3:52 pm

    You might be more familiar with Lynn Redgrave’s sister Vanessa.
    I love hanging art in the bathroom, i just haven’t gotten around to it since I moved and took down the sketched nudes (i never had anyone’s children using my bathroom then).

  • Julie
    April 30, 2015 at 4:05 pm

    Love the idea of funny art! In my loo I’ve started to collect lots of fun, joke books! My guests love it and often come back to the dinner table with a joke of funny fact!

  • Christina
    April 30, 2015 at 4:34 pm

    Yes, the women in masks are just so perfectly odd and ridiculous… they might make it into my bathroom!!

  • Danielle
    April 30, 2015 at 4:38 pm

    These are great! I love the group of girls Shhhh-ing and the “we’ve had sex..”. We don’t have kids so I wonder if we could get away with it. The first step will be trying to convince my husband that it’s ok. ;)

  • Chelsea T
    April 30, 2015 at 5:01 pm

    I love the women on the beach with the masks! My grandma always had a bunch of masks hanging in the bathroom…long line of funny bathrooms! I have this poster in my guest bath – I love that it’s a discovery, every time you go you find something new.

    https://www.etsy.com/listing/106150492/things-that-are-awesome-18×24-ink

  • Laura
    April 30, 2015 at 5:36 pm

    These are all great, now I can’t stop singing Hole though ;)

  • Liz
    April 30, 2015 at 8:01 pm

    I vote for the big heads on the beach

  • Suzanne
    April 30, 2015 at 8:51 pm

    I lurk here constantly, but I’m commenting for the first time to say, you should get familiar with Lynn Redgrave! Just watch Georgy Girl; it’s such a treat! (Also, I love the photograph of the girls in the alley all shushing the camera.)

    • Marcee ... ILLINOIS
      May 1, 2015 at 11:49 am

      One of my favorite films. Recently shown on TCM. You sorta learn something new each time viewed. From the above art selection, best choice = photo of gals ….. shhhhhhing …. love it!

  • erin
    May 1, 2015 at 6:34 am

    The last one with the huge head masks is my favorite.

  • Katie Craig
    May 1, 2015 at 9:40 am

    I’m LOVING the women on the beach with masks! weird, slightly creepy and fun!

  • Katie Craig
    May 1, 2015 at 9:41 am

    Now that I’m thinking about it, those masks remind me of the puppets from Mr. Rogers! What better way to adorn a restroom!

  • Lindsey S
    May 1, 2015 at 2:41 pm

    Ugh…choosing bathroom art has been so difficult for me. I have thought about the GoldenGate bridge in a panorama on the wall next to my tub, I’ve thought about surf waves (the really cool ones that are partially underwater and partially above), or even undersea life like manatees or whales. Its a tough spot between non-bathroom art and clichéd bathroom art. I never thought it would be so difficult! LOL

  • Jen
    May 1, 2015 at 3:55 pm

    My downstairs powder room is filled with black and white photos of women, one of whom is nude. The others (with the exception of one of my mom) are just creepy antique photos. And I LOVE them. I also have baby arm soaps, so you can see we have a bit of a kinship!

  • justme
    May 1, 2015 at 4:51 pm

    lynn redgrave- georgie girl

  • Carmen Pana
    May 2, 2015 at 6:52 pm

    I like the “we have had sex..” photo. It would also be useful for turning off any sex mood for adolescent kids :)

  • Nicole
    May 4, 2015 at 11:42 am

    This is the current piece I am considering…

    https://www.etsy.com/listing/226751364/nick-offerman-quote-print-85×11-hand?ref=shop_home_active_20

    • Making it Lovely
      May 4, 2015 at 11:49 am

      Nicely chosen writing for the quote. ;)

  • Karen @ year of serendipity
    May 7, 2015 at 9:27 am

    Ahhhhhh so awesome! I definitely would love to see the British kids Shhhing in a bathroom. It feels so scandalous.

  • Danielle
    May 19, 2015 at 2:30 pm

    Ladies with Masks on the Beach is my vote! Two thumbs up for fun art in the bathroom!