Bathroom trends – inspiring new looks for your bathroom
Inspiring new looks for your bathroom
Bathroom trends come and go, but these timeless designs are very much here to stay for this year and beyond. From fluted finishes to forest green, these are the latest bathroom trends to take note of for your bathroom remodel – or simple room update.
While following – and applying – the latest trends isn't a guarantee of achieving a timeless look, these bathroom ideas are, we think, elegant enough to stand the test of time.
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TAKE A SEAT
Shower room and wet room ideas should be more than just functional, they should also be beautiful, too. Forget fast, furious showering against the clock, the rising demand for seats and stools inside the showering area is shifting the emphasis from speed to chilled-out me-time. ‘Seating in the shower adds a new level of comfort,’ says Louisa Morgan, creative director, Mandarin Stone.
MIX CONCEALED AND OPEN STORAGE ELEMENTS
The latest way to bump up storage in the bathroom involves a two-pronged approach: concealed versus eye candy. ‘Adding hidden bathroom storage solutions at the planning stage will keep the overall design sleek, while allowing the space to be functional,’ says designer Lisa Persse of Porter Bathroom. ‘In this bathroom bespoke cupboards look like wall paneling, concentrating the focus on the vanity unit.’
INTRODUCE PRIVACY WITH SMOKED GLASS
The 70s called – they want their smoked glass back. Insiders are heralding the revival of this 70s staple, and the focus is on shower screens.
‘As well as being beautiful, smoked glass has a very cool retro edge that we love,’ says Jordan Cluroe of 2LG Studio, at the launch of new enclosure brand Sealskin Duka. ‘It works well in so many different design styles and offers a strong impact when paired with color,’ he enthuses. There’s also a bathroom privacy advantage in play – go smoked to feel less exposed in shared ensuite bathrooms.
DRESS TO IMPRESS
Dressing room tables are moving from bedroom to bathroom, bringing a touch of decadence in their wake. The most successful designs, like this one by Kate Marker Interiors, share stone and metallics with the bathroom for a cohesive scheme. Don’t forget a shallow drawer for effortless bathroom organization.
GO FOR COUTURE WITHOUT COMPROMISE
A free-standing bath exudes style and creates a spa-like feel but is it enough? Now we’ve spent so much time at home, comfort is king. ‘The comfort of an inset bath has never been championed in a free-standing version, until Bette created the Oval Couture bath and based it upon the Oval built-in bath,’ says Louise Ashdown of West One Bathrooms. ‘Ergonomically shaped for relaxing, we love the waterproof woven fabric exterior bathroom paneling.’
PICK AND MIX STYLES
Pattern mash-ups are big news in our living spaces and now the maximalist look is sneaking into our bathrooms, says designer Lisa Gilmore. ‘I’m finding clients much more willing to have fun with bold patterns in their bathrooms, especially with mixing up bathroom wallpaper and tile,’ she says. ‘I like to treat them as little jewel boxes and encourage clients to step outside their comfort zones.’
INVEST IN A STATEMENT SCREEN
Forget frameless, barely-there glass, a new breed of showcase screen is stealing the spotlight in the bathroom. Designed to be seen and adored, these focal-point fittings boast bold frames that incorporate sculptural curves.
DOUBLE UP
The main en suite has been gaining gravitas for several years now with many of us sacrificing a guest bedroom to achieve grander proportions for shared or Jack and Jill bathrooms. We’re no longer stopping at ‘his and hers’ basins – now it’s de rigueur to double up on everything. ‘Separate basins are being joined by separate showers and even a towel rail each,’ says Lucy Barlow, founder and creative director, Barlow & Barlow, who designed this space.
CREATE A COCOONING EFFECT
From scented candles to luxury fittings, there are a host of new spa bathroom ideas) to create your very own retreat.
‘Bathrooms can now be so much more than purely functional spaces,’ explains Yousef Mansuri, head of design at C.P. Hart. ‘More of our customers want to create an oasis of wellbeing at the heart of their home – somewhere that they can enjoy as a private retreat to de-stress and unwind.
'We call this trend “cocooning” because it’s a way for people to wrap themselves in comfort and a quiet sense of luxury.’
Cocooning is a mood that can be created with simple moments that make us pause, such as the ritual of lighting a scented candle or wrapping ourselves in a warm robe. Or it can be fully enjoyed with fittings that offer spa-like experiences, such as massaging showers, hydrotherapy baths and state-of-the-art steam rooms or saunas.
BLEND STYLES IN YOUR SPACE
Bathrooms are now less confined to clinical white, polished ceramic and a clean contemporary feel. Instead people are becoming more confident about going busy and bold in bathroom and powder rooms.
Inspired by bathroom pictures like the one above, people will create spa-like sanctuaries with intricate murals and fuse vintage and modernity with stunning installations.
Victorian roll top baths will remain a crucial component in a chic bathroom but this will be harmoniously blended with modern, sleek alcoves, bright tiles and the latest tech.
EVOKE LUXURY
Transforming an interior space into a seamless experience to create a more satisfying usage is key over the next twelve months. As homeowners, we tend to use our bathrooms at least twice a day, and studies have shown that the average female spends at least 29 minutes in this space each day, so it’s become a necessity to ensure that bathroom design delivers an at-home spa-like atmosphere so we can linger for longer.
In addition to luxury tiles and spa-like nooks for storage, biophillia – the integration and inclusion of nature as a focal point – isn’t going anywhere. The goal of creating a rich, sensory connotation with nature is still growing in popularity.
A biophilic bathroom design will boast certain patterns that reduce stress and improve creativity while featuring forms and materials that emulate those found in the great outdoors.
There are extensive ranges of luxurious showers and heads allowing the creation of an indulgent showering experience in your own home. Connection between water and wellbeing has never been easier with waterfall shower heads and walk-in showers to replace bulkier units.
CHOOSE FLUTED FINISHES
A visual and tactile delight, ribbed surfaces have been given a contemporary twist in the bathroom. Reeded finishes are in the interiors limelight. The look is reminiscent of Art Deco glamour – think pillar lights – and now fluting is being reinvented. Delicately ribbed surfaces on vanity units and cabinets provide subtle interest, and shower doors in decorative, vertically grooved glass offer instant privacy while allowing light to shine through.
GO GREEN
In cabinetry or plants, this perennial hue can create a life-enhancing link with nature. The huge variety of eye-catching tiles, furniture and bathroom ceramics in verdant shades is providing opportunity for strong new looks.
In soft shades, green evokes a natural sense of calm and harmony, while bolder and darker tones provide individuality and depth. Try walls of saturated color in paint or tiles, or a contemporary vanity unit or countertop basin.
WARM UP WITH EARTH TONES
Embrace natural pigments to turn up the heat in your bathroom scheme.
Alongside the mood for comfort comes the move towards warmer tones, including terracotta, rust, caramel and biscuit. Look out for tiles in earthy colours and tactile finishes that make the perfect antidote to cold and clinical. Try contrasting them with black taps or a black basin to add definition. Untreated timber also works well, this time by echoing the natural, warm mood.
TAKE A MINIMALIST APPROACH
Far removed from the starkness of the past, today's pared-back bathrooms equal relaxed, not sterile. Long gone are the days of clutter. Bathrooms are no longer a maximalist mess.
'Architecturally and visually, it is best to keep a bathroom feeling open by not crowding too many things into it. Edit your amenities often, hang your towels on bars or hooks, keep pattern to a minimum, and generally, make it simple. The room will feel bigger if you use a pedestal or wall-mounted sink rather than a bulky vanity, a clear glass door rather than shower curtain and reflective surfaces such as glossy ceramic tiles in a large scale,' says Barbara Sallick, Co-founder, Waterworks.
INVEST IN LUXE LIGHTING
Statement lighting is having a moment. Outsized or crystal, all-out glamour is the way to go.The latest innovations mean that you don’t have to completely overhaul a scheme in order to make a difference. Don’t be afraid to go big. It takes a little bravery, but you can afford to use larger lights than you might at first think sensible. Big chandeliers, drum pendants and giant floor lamps are all very much in vogue for those who like their lighting to make a statement.
PAPER IN BOTANICALS
Embrace blooms and foliage in your smallest room for the biggest, boldest and brightest impact. We may not live in a balmy equatorial climate over here in the UK, but that doesn’t have to stop you introducing a fun and tropical feel into your home. Embrace lively colour, add lush foliage and finish the look with quirky details.
SPLASH OUT ON BATHROOM TECH
Home automation is no longer a sci-fi thing of the future – it’s here, right now, and the good news is it’s useful, easy to use, and just a bit smarter than you might expect. Smart technology promises to put the control at your fingertips and to make your homework better for you, and now it has come to your bathroom. From de-misting mirrors, integrated charging and USB ports, LED temperature displays and automatic hand-wipe sensors, the bathroom is a haven for smart technology. The future is now.
CONSIDER BOOK-MATCHED MARBLE
'Marble is definitely enjoying its moment in the limelight. All bathrooms that we see being planned has some form of marble in it,' says Darren. 'It is a beautiful natural material which comes in a wide variety of colorings, markings and veinings. One can never find two pieces the same which of course greatly adds to its appeal. Although "book-matching" and "vein-matching" is still popular in high-end properties, particularly for those who want something unique,' he continues.
'In general, people are being far more adventurous with marble presently than in the past incorporating greens, blues, yellows, basically anything a bit out of the ordinary to make their own mark,' says Gary Walters, Managing Director of Stone Age.
DRAMATIZE WITH AN ALL-BLACK COLOR PALETTE
The moody palettes that are de rigueur with on-trend paint brands are prompting a similarly gothic direction in bathroom colors. Keep the look modern and fresh by opting for textured porcelain tiles.
HARK BACK WITH SWAGS AND SWAGGER
Whether it’s a glamorous pooling of fabric or a classic louvered shutter, a window dressing plays a crucial role in the success of an interior scheme, and now bathrooms are taking note.
Swags might have been a thing on the 1970s, but as with most trends, they tend to come back around. Curtains may be an unusual choice for the bathroom. Steam and damp can of course be a problem for bathroom fabrics, but as long as your room is well-ventilated room, you should be safe. A well-chosen curtain can add drama and elegance to a bathroom, as well as warmth.
BE BOLD WITH COLOR
Raring to embrace the return of colored sanitaryware? The current vote-face from play-safe neutral interiors to embracing personality and design-difference is behind the revival of colored sanitaryware. Swoon Stone Vanity Units are available in 10 selected colors including new Seaweed Green, as shown here.
MAKE A STATEMENT WITH BOLD BASINS AND CONSOLES
Choosing a sink can arguably be one of the hardest tasks when designing a new bathroom because there needs to be a balance of thought to aesthetics, functionality, installation and also budget.
There’s a plethora of options too. 2021 will see people put a clever spin on classic white ceramic with decorative basins featuring ripples, brightly coloured matte versions, Miami vice-like pastels or the addition of gold rims.
Designs will also include more alternatives to the ceramic basin using new materials such as glass, concrete, pressurised surfaces and mineral cast basin.
If you are a lot less high fashion and prefer minimalist, scandi designs don’t panic, 2021 will also emphasise our need to be at one with nature. The year of Brave New World colour goes hand in hand with warmer toned surfaces, real-looking wood and more curved lines as opposed to cold and harsh surfaces normally found in the bathroom.
SHIMMER WITH METALLIC ELEMENTS
'This trend is heavily influenced by the 1960s and 1970s when metals, and brass in particular, were used frequently. Metals are now having a revival in all design disciplines,' says Natalia Miyar.
'Chrome and steel are a popular choice for kitchens and bathrooms, however these metals can sometimes make a room feel cold and stark. Use less obvious choices and warmer metallic tones such as copper and brass. They create visual impact and change the mood from functional to indulgent.'
EMBRACE THE TREND FOR JAPANDI
Bring in elements of both styles for a balanced effect, with soft, Scandi curves set against clean lines and structured Japanese pieces. Contrasting textures are a great way to introduce a sense of depth to a scheme. Here, a subtle raffia wallcovering throws the smooth curves of the bath into eye-catching relief.
By Jennifer Ebert
These bathroom trends will help you make your bathroom smart, luxurious and, above all, a place to retreat, relax and find time for yourself