Bathroom Design Trends
Ex.t
Of all the rooms in the home the bathroom is traditionally perhaps the one least driven by trends. When we invest in a new bathroom we are often considering what we will need from the space for the next 10 years or so, perhaps even longer. A bathroom is not a cheap or easy space to refit so choosing a design that will have longevity is often at the forefront of the decision making process.
This desire to ‘future proof’, is however increasingly competing with the urge to create a statement bathroom with a more individually designed look and people are starting to think beyond white. Tiles, for instance, are becoming a key feature in adding personality, with bold patterns, textures, and colours offering an opportunity to create a unique space. At the KBB show earlier this year (pre-lockdown) coloured finishes for baths, basins and toilets were the big talking point. As I wrote in this post last year, coloured bathroom suites were common throughout most of the twentieth century and only really started to disappear in the 1990s. In the decades that followed most people opted for white, perhaps mindful of estate agents advice that having a neutral bathroom can help make a home more saleable. Over the past few years ‘improve don’t move’ has become the mantra for many homeowners though, and more and more people are starting to design their homes, and bathrooms, for themselves rather than with some hypothetical future owner in mind.
Here are 6 key bathroom design trends I predict we’ll be seeing more of in 2021.
1. colour is back
Ex.t
The past few years have seen a shift away from the all white sanctuary look and the return of coloured bathroom suites. Colour is increasingly being used to reflect style and personality, and to create a more playful, adventurous look.
Ex.t’s current collection includes pink, lilac and teal, while Kast’s concrete basins are available in 28 colours and Bette offer more than 400 different shades.
Bette
Arezzo basin – Victorian Plumbing
Arla basin by Kast
Kern basin by Kast
Terra basin by Kast
Narciso Mini – West One Bathrooms
Elle – Ceramica Cielo
Nabhi bowl by Kreeo – West One Bathrooms
2. The New Neutrals
Roca
At the KBB show in Birmingham this year Roca presented their collection in new colour formaulations including onyx, beige, pearl and coffee as a contemporary alternative to traditional white vitreous china finishes and shades of taupe, greige and black were a recurring theme throughout the show.
The Plural Collection by VitrA
Meanwhile at VitrA you’ll find neutral hues of mink, taupe and matte black.
These are all colours that sit harmoniously alongside the 2021 Dulux colour of the year ‘Brave Ground’ and we’ll be seeing a lot more of them over the next few years.
The Plural Collection by VitrA
The Plural Collection by VitrA
Duravit
BetteLux Oval Couture Bath – West One Bathrooms
2. Fluted Designs
Image: Ext.t
Fluted or ribbed patterns have been a big trend on everything from furniture, to glass and wall panelling over the past couple of years and it’s a trend that extends to the bathroom too.
Ex.t’s Frieze basin has a grooved front while this fluted glass wetroom panel from West One draws inspiration from the Art Deco era.
Image via West One
Sonar by Patricia Urquiola for Laufen
4. New brassware finishes
Insignia brassware by Roca – Image: Design Hunter
The range of different brassware finishes available for taps and other bathroom fittings has expanded considerably over the past few years. These offer a subtle way of creating a more individual design statement.
Whereas a couple of years ago it was all about copper and rose gold, these tones were much less in evidence at KBB this year. Industrial style black and brass finishes are still popular but interesting new metallic black and nickel finishes are also now available.
MPro Industrial taps by Crosswater
5. The New Classic
The New Classic – Marcel Wanders for Laufen
Marcel Wanders offers a modern reinterpretation of classical styles in ‘The New Classic’ collection for Laufen.
Soft, gentle, feminine curves are counterbalanced by angular, masculine elements in a collection that combines classical elegance with contemporary detailing.
The New Classic – Marcel Wanders for Laufen
The New Classic – Marcel Wanders for Laufen
6. Architectural Lines
The Grid – Cosmic
The popularity of strong, clean, simple architectural lines inspired by the industrial and modernist styles of interiors from the 1920s and 1930s shows no sign of waning. Combine with textures like concrete or terrazzo and crittall style shower screen for a modern, minimalist look.
The Stand Collection by Norm Architects for ex.t
