Design trends constantly come and go, and when it comes to your bathrooms, an upgraded design not only screams luxury but is also something that can add value to your home. Therefore, you always want to make sure you are choosing the most up-to-date finishes and styles to maximise your space, while retaining a timeless feel.
From tiles to bathtubs and basins, here are the five bathroom design trends that are going away in 2024:
Bathrooms That Don’t Match The Rest Of The Home
Authenticity is increasingly important in every element of the home so the bathroom design should match the overall vibe of the home rather than being incongruous with the rest of the home. For example, a traditional style home should not have a modern bathroom and vice versa.
Au Revoir to All-White
Long gone are the days where all-white bathroom were plastered all over our social media feeds. As with all trends, the all-white bathroom was cyclical, resulting in a recent resurgence in the embrace of colour and texture in the past few years.
Banishing Built-In Bathtubs
It’s no secret that built-in bathtubs have been dramatically waning in popularity for over a decade, and instantly make a space look dated. Instead, there is a significant shift towards the freestanding bathtub, which if often chosen as the bathroom’s focal point. The freestanding tub not only provides an important wellness function but also makes an artistic statement.
Shifting Away From Frameless Glass
While frameless glass shower enclosures remain popular, there is a growing shift toward more private, cosy showers with partition walls that are tiled. We suggest onyx-effect and marble-effect porcelain for a luxury look.
No To Neutrals
As with all-white bathrooms, a totally neutral colour palette lacking different tones is increasingly becoming viewed as bland and boring. We are seeing more colour overall exemplified in bold wallpaper choices and patterned tile work. There is a move away from needing to match metals and hardware with more elevated looks involving a mixing of materials.
We suggest going particularly bold in design with your powder rooms, as they are the perfect size for experimentation in a way that isn’t overwhelming!
As far as bathroom trends go, converting your bathroom into a spa-like oasis is one of the most popular! This is owing to a combination of the desire for a space to unwind from the stresses of everyday life as well as the increase of travel resulting in people wanting to recreate that luxurious hotel look for their own bathrooms. Creating the ultimate spa bathroom is all about the luxury design details and materials such as wood, stone, bamboo and marble. Essentials also include rainfall showers, freestanding bathtubs, and plenty of plants! Below we’ve outlined in detail all of our top tips and tricks:
Embrace Mono-Materialism
Ever increasing in popularity is the trend of using only one material throughout the entire bathroom with stone and marble often being the top choices. Natural stone can offer a feeling of relaxation ideal for a spa with some of the most luxurious spas around the world incorporating luxury natural stones.
Accessories, Accessories, Accessories!
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of a spa bathroom are perfectly chosen accessories that add to the overall ambience. We suggest incorporating some artwork such as integrating a large print or gallery wall which will add dimension and intrigue. We also recommend choosing a curated rug to elevate your space and sheer embroidered draperies to filter sunlight and keep the space feeling airy and spa-like. Plants are also an excellent addition to add to the Edenic vibe and we suggest placing plenty of lush greenery around your tub as well as potted plants across the rest of the space.
Make It Rain
A showstopping shower with a large rain showerhead is the fundamental key to a bathroom oasis to enhance the natural feel of your earthy space. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls allows for a seamless finish aligned with the rest of the room.
Alternatively, if you opt for baths far more than you pop in the shower, a freestanding bathtub is the ultimate luxury. To create a statement look, set your bathtub in the centre of the room in close proximity to natural light or build your own bespoke raised platform for the feature piece.
Wood Inspo
A stylish Scandi-style spa bathroom is not complete without the use of wood which is both warm and charming. Wood can also help to dampen the sound fostering a sense of serenity and calm. We suggest investing in higher quality wood that can withstand moisture and humidity such as teak and cedar.
Gold Accents
For the ultimate luxury, we recommend incorporating gold accents throughout the bathroom from your cabinet handles to your soap dispensers to add that extra touch of sophistication.
Living in the UK often many of us are lacking the space to create our ideal bathroom. Research from the Royal Institute of British Architects discovered that new houses in the UK are the smallest in Western Europe, with some countries such as Denmark having homes that are 80 percent larger than those in the UK. The combination of a lack of square footage and oftentimes a lack of natural light makes a small bathroom one of the most challenging spaces to work with, however, our design team at Living Space have got you sorted with the following tips and tricks
Optimise storage!
In a small powder room, a floating shelf will be a life-saver for essentials like washcloths, hand soap and tissues particularly if your bathroom doesn’t have a built-in vanity. If you do opt for a vanity, we suggest mounting it to the wall and leaving floor space beneath to make your space feel larger. Customise built-in storage with a solid enclosure that’s hidden in the wall to take up less visual real estate.
Mirror mirror on the wall!
A wall-to-wall mirror is a guaranteed way to create the illusion of spaciousness. Hang a large mirror, (or more) over your bathroom basin, to bounce the natural light around the room and make the whole bathroom feel larger. Go big, go bold and make a statement no matter how small your bathroom is.
Build shower niches
If you need a big tub or yours just happens to take up all the space between the two walls, then make sure you’re saving space elsewhere. Incorporate built-in shelves and niches into the wall behind the bathtub for towels and products.
Dark and moody to make it feel bigger
In a small powder room without much access to natural light, embrace the moodier, edgier atmosphere with darker tones, black tiles and mood lighting. An element of cocooning and ambience originates from using darker paint colours in smaller bathrooms.
Alternatively, keep things bright in a small bathroom
Some might think it’s boring, but an all-white bathroom makes any tucked-away space feel bigger and brighter. To ensure your space remains stylish and luxurious, we suggest materials such as natural stone and bookmatched marble.
Add a skylight
Natural light is the key to making a small space feel bigger and skylights are a great option for when windows aren’t enough.
Panelling
Simple panelled-effect walls are the perfect small bathroom idea for adding character that won’t take up too much valuable space. Stick to a uniform colour palette to make the space feel cosier.
Define zones
Use the method of defined zoning to make a small bathroom feel more generous and ensuring clear separation.
Back to basics
Architecturally and visually, it is best to keep a small bathroom feeling open by not crowding too many things into it and keeping your patterns to a minimum.
Nothing says luxury quite like a wooden tub. Unlike standard bathtubs which are predominantly made up of acrylic or fiberglass, wooden bathtubs are often considered a work of art and definitely a hefty investment with high-end tubs costing upwards of £30,000. However, we believe the comfort and relaxation provided by a wooden tub is priceless! Below we’ve outlined the following pros and cons if you are contemplating installing a wooden tub in your bathroom:
PROS
Long-lasting and durable
Most wooden bathtubs will last for approximately 20 years making them a much better choice than tubs made from other materials.
Customisable
A custom-built bathtub means being able to bring your exact vision to life and tailoring the tub to your specifications to fit the space in your bathroom. Most wooden bathtubs are handmade and bespoke meaning no two are ever exactly alike. Customise your tub even further by adding additional extras such as a headrest, built-in seating, and whirpool jets.
Ideal for outdoors
Wooden bathtubs are perfectly suited in an outdoor space, and are increasingly used outside in spa environments owing to the rustic feel to them, meaning they’ll further emphasise the natural aspects of your backyard.
Heat retention
Wooden bathtubs retain heat for much longer than other bathtub materials as unlike porcelain or steel, wood is inherently warm to the touch allowing you to relax and soak in the tub for longer periods of time.
CONS
Expensive
Wooden bathtubs can be costly to purchase and install and often require extra floor supports to hold its weight. We advise against choosing a cheaper wood bathtub as that could mean that the wood has not received the correct coating and may crack or leak. Investing in a more expensive but higher quality tub could ensure that it lasts a lifetime with the correct care.
High maintenance
As wood and water are incompatible, a wooden bathtub requires more maintenance than the standard bathtub to keep it in the best condition. In order to ensure that the wooden surface is not ruined by moisture, you’ll need to preserve it with an appropriate finish and take care not to use any abrasive cleaners. We also suggest filling your tub once a week and locating it out of direct sunlight.
Winter is coming, and with it, a whole new set of bathroom design trends for the new year. We’ve got you covered below for all of our top tips so that you’re ahead of the game!
Wellness
With an increasing move towards remote work, more and more of us are spending time at home at unprecedented rates. Bathrooms are now considered a place of comfort and a sanctuary from the outside world. An ‘at-home’ spa can be achieved by anyone and everyone, and we recommend starting with the basics: ambient lighting, a deep, free-standing bathtub, and a good performance shower. These are all synonymous with luxurious spaces and create a serene environment. Additional extras such as fitting in a sauna or steam room, for example the ‘Touch and Steam’ by Effegibi, also help to emphasise a serene and luxurious atmosphere.
Smart and Sustainable Bathrooms
Advances in smart home integration, and eco-friendly materials have helped to transform sustainable bathroom design and help turn the bathroom into a modern, efficient space. Technology continues to revolutionise our bathrooms. Smart mirrors with integrated LED lighting, temperature control and voice-activated automation and entertainment systems simplifying tasks whilst providing a touch of luxury. We also recommend water-saving showerheads, energy efficient lighting and ventilation as well as dual flush toilets for a smart and sustainable bathroom!
Nature-inspired
Connecting with nature has been a dominant theme in bathroom design for 2023, and will remain as we head into 2024. Homeowners are seeking a tranquil escape in their bathrooms, by incorporating natural elements. Earthy tones are perfect for walls and tiles, whilst flooring and vanities in natural materials like stone and wood adds further depth and warmth to the space. Optional extras such as indoor plants and botanical-themed wallpaper add a sense of peace and harmony.
In conclusion, the bathrooms of 2024 will lean towards being high-tech wellness retreats with the focus on sustainability, a spa-like environment and smart technology to create a hub of health, serenity and relaxation.
