In our resolute quest for sanctuary, the bathroom is a space that feels increasingly vital. Perhaps now is the time to ask more of your bathroom. Championing bolder, braver design, innovative materials, and colour that calms or invigorates. Read more, ‘The 4 Big Bathroom Trends To Keep on Your Radar.’
Here, we’ve highlighted the current bathroom trends that have transformative powers, and handpicked the looks to help you master every metre.
1. ROSE-TINTED TEXTURE
We’ve noticed gentle blush hues popping up in the best bathrooms; a clever way to temper bold displays of texture in the smallest room in the house. They are a surprisingly, effective foil to bold, brilliant texture in the bathroom. The swirling grain of CDK Stone’s ‘Cream Violet Onyx (cdkstone.com.au) is anchored by a matt concrete floor in a similar shade in a space conceived by Decus Interiors (decus.com.au) while Greg Natale (gregnatale.com) has lined this bathroom with his Moire glass tiles for Bisazza (bizza.it) which nod to the undulating grain found in wood. Tones that err towards terracotta have a warm, organic feel – such as the carved chevrons of Mexican architect Tatian Bilbao’s rough-hewn wall in the hidden forest home, below. Read more, ‘These Are The Colours Everyone is Talking About in 2019.’
Championing bolder, braver design: Greg Natale (gregnatale.com) has lined this bathroom with his Moire glass tiles for Bisazza (bizza.it) which nod to the undulating grain found in wood. Image via UK Elle Decoration.
2. PENCIL TILES
This skinny, more versatile style, sometimes called a finger or kit-kat tile is proving a worthy challenger to the ubiquitous subway shape that dominated the last decade. A vertically stacked configuration is the contemporary choice – it feels graphic and helps highlight the height of the space. Read more, ‘Bathroom Revived: The Budget Edition.’
Its slim form lends a unique practicality.
Pencil tiles are big news for bathrooms: the skinny, more versatile style, sometimes called a finger or kit-kat tile is proving a worthy challenger to the ubiquitous subway shape that dominated the last decade.Image via UK Elle Decoration.
3. ONYX SURFACES
A chalky, delicate stone similar in makeup to marble, onyx has a translucency and luminousity that lends itself to restful spaces. There are pale almost pearlescent onyx which can be used to offset the heaviness of bathroom fixtures while a panel in blush pink onyx might add freshness. A bathroom clad in green onyx veined with gold threads will be a decadent take on the trend. It comes in tiles which capture its ethereal quality in more practical porcelain as its fragility and future maintenance are a concern to some. Read more, ‘These Will Be The Top Home Design Trends for 2020, Part 2.’
Onyx, a chalky, delicate stone similar in makeup to marble, is making its mark in the best bathrooms around the globe. Image via UK Elle Decoration.
4. BLACK AND BRASS
A clear departure from the Scandi whitewash look that has so far epitomized the wellness-led bathroom, this grown-up combination is decidedly sleek and spa-like. It’s about timeless black, lifted by warm metallic accents that’s sleek and sophisticated. Look to the sauna-esque bench enclosed by striking marble, pictured below, for inspiration. Read more, ‘This Is The First Thing An Interior Designer Notices When Entering a Room.’
Say hello to black and brass, a grown-up combination that is decidedly sleek and spa-like. Image via UK Elle Decoration.
The cocooning feel is continued with slices of speckled charcoal stone, alongside weighty slabs – which benefits from warming brushed brass hardware.
The black and brass craze is about timeless black, lifted by warm metallic accents that’s sleek and sophisticated. Image via UK Elle Decoration UK
5. SUPERSIZED MIRRORS
The ever-popular mirror is being scaled up to statement proportions. The usual benefits maximized – the reflection of light around a room, the illusion of extra space – but this bolder silhouette double as an impactful focal point, too. A clean, curved line is key, with minimalist cylindrical basin where ornamentation would overwhelm. Perhaps an extended ledge. A statement, scaled-up design maximizes all the usual benefits of the mirror. Read more, ’11 Mirrors You Didn’t Know You Needed Until Now.’
The ever-popular mirror is being scaled up to statement proportions. Image via UK Elle Decoration.
6. TERRAZZO REVISITED
Terrazzo’s signature flecks can be made from myriad materials, lending it serious flexibility in scale, shade, and application. Expect to see it frame striking vertical panels in some of the best bathrooms this year. Its lush tones are one of the most compelling ways to incorporate the modish composite mix into the bathroom, also seen in the punch, high contrast colourway which is bolstered by black and white chippings. Read more, ‘The Top 8 Design Trends For 2020.’
To create a serene atmosphere – install materials that evoke primal elements—water, earth, wind or fire. Image via @studiosheen.
7. Show Off Your Art Collection
While art collections have long graced living rooms and hallways, we are now displaying cherished pieces in bathrooms. Art lovers say they like the jewel-box effect when vibrant art is featured in small spaces.
These spaces are less cluttered than other parts of the house, so the art can really just sing. As master baths have grown in size and importance, dramatic artwork can anchor the space. The space allows visitors to view smaller pieces that would be overlooked in the living room. Equally, it’s a way to make your powder room feel like a jewel and helps the room stand out. Remember, with limited space, artwork in the bathroom needs to be protected – so place artwork out of the way of sinks, bathtubs and steam showers. Smaller sculptures can be displayed on high shelves or on custom pedestals placed against the wall. Read more, ‘How To Display Your Collections.’
In general, consider artwork made from ceramic, wood or anything sculptural.
Pale almost pearlescent onyx is being used to offset the heaviness of bathroom fixtures as well as add freshness.Image via UK Elle Decoration.
8. GET READY FOR A TOILET EQUIPPED WITH ALEXA
The bathroom is poised to become one of your home’s smarter rooms in 2020 thanks to a raft of new fixtures, furnishings and, yes, loos. Kohler Co., and other companies that outfit bathrooms are adding sensors, artificial intelligence and smart speakers into their products, many of which were on display recently at the CES consumer technology showcase in Las Vegas. These premium products, including a lavatory embedded with an Alexa smart speaker and a bathmat with 7000 sensors that capture data on a person’s weight and posture by their footprints. The mat sends information wirelessly to a smartphone app and the data can be uploaded to the cloud for analysis, if a user wishes. AI can establish patterns and alert someone if, for instance, their weight increases or decreases unexpectedly. Read more, ‘Bathrooms of the Future: Why Wellness and Eco Credentials Count.’
Is it a case of too much information? Market research has found that security and privacy concerns are among the leading reasons holding back adopting smart-home technology.
Supersized mirrors are doubling as an impactful focal point, too. Image via UK Elle Decoration.
“At a high level, the thought process of bringing Alexa into the bathroom is every consumer starts their day in the bathroom and they end their day in the bathroom, typically. So it is a really great place for access to information—so think weather, news, traffic, all those things Alexa does,” said Jonathan Bradley, a product manager for Kohler’s smart home team according to WSJ.
DOUBLE SINKS OR NOT?
We’re not sure what it is about bathrooms that make people see double. Maybe the mirrors.
Brushing your teeth next to your partner, you give up something—privacy. What’s next, competitive flossing?
The epitome of luxury and sensuousness is bathing in private: a sanctuary where we can retreat from our fast-paced world and take a moment to be authentically ourselves. But, double fixtures don’t necessarily have to ruin the mood, though, because nothing requires you to use them in tandem. Having two sinks can also mean you don’t share—you always have your own. And it’s very symmetrical. Read more, ‘How to Decorate For Happiness and Wellbeing.’
Double sinks, or not? Image via Elle Decoration UK
10. Rebooting the Bathroom
Installing new tiles might not be the easiest way to refresh your bathroom, but it can be the most effective. To create a serene atmosphere – install tile materials that evoke primal elements—water, earth, wind or fire. Or you can install a high window so you can take a shower and look out at nature and light. Read more, ’10 Vital Questions for Renovators.’
