Home decor is a constantly evolving space, as tastes and trends dictate what’s in fashion at any given time. Some stylistic and functional elements of bathrooms are timeless, but they still offer a lot of room for innovation and creative expression. Seeing some of the latest trends might help you decide how to stylise your bathroom, even if it’s a modestly sized space. Below, we take a look at some of the most recent and impressive bathroom design trends of 2022, along with a few of our favourites.
Minimalist style
The minimalist style speaks sophistication through its simplicity. This design is perfect for those who want to invoke a clear mind through a beautifully organised space. It takes more extravagant designs and reduces them to their bare elements, conveying only their essence. It’s a modern approach to bathroom design, making use of clean lines, smooth edges and calming colours.
To capture this look, everyday essentials can be stored out-of-sight in cleverly installed furniture, leaving no clutter. Minimalist bathroom designs work great with patterned marble basins, as they add a final touch of elegance and feel as good as they look.
Japandi
Japandi bathroom designs take inspiration from both Japanese and Scandinavian decor, producing a natural, floral and simple effect. Scandinavian design is often centred around the concept of ‘hygge’ which prioritises comfort, cosiness and wellness. Japanese design, on the other hand, focuses on the idea of ‘Wabi-Sabi’ which aims to find beauty in imperfections. Japandi style harmoniously marries these two concepts. Due to the style’s emphasis on efficiency and simplicity, furniture and fittings take up minimal space and leave you with plenty of room.
To master the Japandi style, stick to a neutral colour palette to create a sense of peace and comfort and look for cabinets and vanity units made of natural wood that have imperfections, such as unusual wood grains. Beech and elm cabinets will not only inspire ideas of Scandinavian and Japanese forests, but they’ll also provide ample storage space for toiletries and other items to ensure your bathroom has a minimalist look. For the perfect finishing touch, introduce sleek black brassware fixtures (such as taps and handles) to create a contrast to the natural materials.
Incorporating nature
Architecture and interior decoration are increasingly trending towards the synthesis of nature and design. Modern bathroom designs are incorporating nature to create truly spa-like atmospheres, perfect for those who find peace amongst flowers and plants. This style is known as biophilic design, which roughly translates to bringing the outside, inside. Evidence shows that being around nature can inspire calmness and make us feel good, so there’s no better place to use it than in the bathroom, the place for relaxation and rejuvenation. As the world moves towards sustainability and eco-friendliness, this trend will likely continue far into the future. Ferns and spider plants work perfectly in steamy bathroom climates.
There are multiple other ways to interpret biophilic design rather than just introducing plants in your bathroom, for example, you could find towels with botanical patterns or hang pictures of flowers or natural landscapes. You can also achieve a nature-inspired look by introducing natural textures into your bathroom, such as installing natural wooden panelling or giving a concrete finish to a feature wall. To create a truly immersive natural environment, use diffusers and candles formulated with essential oils to give your bathroom an earth-inspired scent.
Textured designs
Textured bathrooms are stylish and impactful. They can make modestly sized bathrooms appear large through their seamless appearance and the way they divert attention from corners and edges. Textured walls and floors contrast strikingly with deeply coloured furniture and basins. Combined with a brushed stainless steel tap, this design makes quite a statement.
Add interest to your bathroom by bringing walls and surfaces to life with a beautiful texture, with effects that resemble cracking ice or raw minerals. This design is the perfect way to add grandiosity to a small bathroom space.
Transitional
This popular modern design seeks to blend the traditional with the modern, bringing the best of both worlds. It takes the best elements from classic designs and applies them in a highly modern fashion, producing a stylish and nostalgic effect. This design could work well in newly renovated old-world structures, as it perfectly reinvigorates the traditional by incorporating the most modern equipment.
Source a unit in a vintage style with shaker style doors, or purchase a second-hand vanity unit for a more authentic look. In addition to this, look for traditional fixtures such as cross head taps, telephone-style shower handsets and brass handles for your cabinets. This brassware can be perfectly complimented with elegant freestanding bathtubs, geometric mirrors and open glass showers to create an aesthetic transitional bathroom style.
Soho design
This is another design that combines the old and the new to create something luxurious and highly unique. It’s inspired by the houses in old Soho, which are characterised by their use of 1920s/1930s era furniture and accessories. This creates a memorable aesthetic because these are design elements we’ve all seen in classic movies and TV shows. Soho cloakrooms take these classic features and apply them in modern ways, contrasting traditional textures with modern technologies. The results are truly stylish.
To bring the Soho aesthetic to life, don’t look for plain Sano tiles and opt for tiles with a unique pattern or print, such as a geometric design, floral pattern or stripes. The design of your bathroom should be based around your tiles, so ensure to pick these first before making any other design choices. If you can’t find a style of tile you like, you may wish to paint a white or neutral tile with a stencil to create your own design. If possible, keep the plumbing work and lighting fixtures in your bathroom exposed as this is one of the main features of Soho bathrooms.
Earth tones
This design follows a warm, earthy theme and conjures Mediterranean vibes in the onlooker. The colour palette ranges from shades of apricot and earth to terracotta, resembling the architecture of Moroccan or Spanish villas. These colours are inspired by nature, particularly the natural environments of warmer climates, which can make them particularly relaxing. The exotic atmosphere within terracotta spaces can make you feel as though you’re on holiday while at home.
You can introduce terracotta into your bathroom easily by purchasing terracotta towels and accessories. Another option is to paint a feature wall in your bathroom terracotta and paint other areas in your bathroom, such as the tiles surrounding your mirror or the exterior of your basin or bath to match. Alternatively, you could opt for a vanity unit in a terracotta shade.
Bright and vibrant
For expressive folks looking to make a colourful statement, a bright and vibrant bathroom design might be what you’re looking for. This does away with the subtlety of some other modern design trends and goes all out with striking colours and exciting wallpapers and tilings. Colourful, textured wallpaper with a pattern popping against a brass tap can create real individuality and character. If you have a small bathroom, there’s no better way to instil character and transform it into something to be proud of than with bright and colourful decoration. It’s a postmodern approach that cares less for neat and tidy aesthetics and more for free expression and electricity.
If you want to experiment with this style before committing to changing the colour of your walls and permanent bathroom fixtures, purchase bathroom accessories such as a soap dispenser, toothbrush cup and toilet brush in bright colours. Experiment with different coloured accessories until you find a colour scheme you love. Colourful sanitaryware is seeping back into bathrooms with deep mustards, heritage greens, and teal blues among some of the popular. If you’re still sitting on the fence, go for white sanitaryware with paintable exteriors e.g. freestanding baths and retro basins.