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Bathrooms are more than just a place to shower and shave. Good bathroom design should exude luxury and feel relaxing. It’s crucial to keep on top of trends, especially if your clients don’t know what they want. Here, we ask interior design and construction experts for their forecasts.
Chrome is back, according to Pinterest. It’s timeless, easy to clean and nods to mid-century modern design, says Victoria-based interior designer Rebecca Jansma. “Chrome doesn’t tarnish and always looks good.”
If chrome hardware is just too shiny for your client’s liking, suggest a more muted metal. “We've also been suggesting a lot of brushed nickel and brushed platinum. It’s simple and soft and won’t date,” Rebecca says.
Natural materials such as hand-cut and marble tiles in earth tones are trending in modern bathroom designs. From floor to ceiling, homeowners are moving away from sleek white bathrooms towards texture and spa-inspired luxury.
“Clients are bolder about choosing characterful stone,” builder Joey Pamment, co-founder of Pamment Projects, says. “Rustic and tumbled natural stone tiles, which look more like pavers, bricks or cobblestones, will be big in floor finishes.”
With the ban on engineered stone from July 1, 2024, natural stone will be a go-to for benchtops. “Some of our suppliers are starting to bring in beautiful granites – and not the daggy old granites that were around in the nineties,” Rebecca says, adding that concrete benchtops and basins are also becoming popular.
“While a classic light and bright bathroom will never go out of style, darker, richer colour palettes are growing in popularity,” Lucy Glade-Wright, founder and director of interiors and lifestyle website Hunting For George, says.
Powder rooms or guest bathrooms are perfect for experimenting with colours, through tile selection, vanity finishes, wallpaper or pictures. This is “the one room where you can do something completely off-the-wall and get away with it,” Rebecca says.
“Tile application is becoming more playful; it’s all about mixing and matching,” Lucy explains. “We’re seeing bolder combinations, exploring different colours, sizes and textures.”
Installing a vanity that looks like a piece of furniture gives your bathroom design instant personality and a touch of luxury. Rebecca recommends propping the vanity on steel or timber legs, even decorative turned legs. While it’s “a bit fiddly”, she’s transformed vintage chests of drawers into vanities. “With a marble top, they look really nice in the right setting.”
If your client wants a floating or wall-mounted vanity, Rebecca says lifting it just 200mm from the floor creates a sense of space – important in small bathroom designs. Undermount sinks are back, Joey adds, rather than the above-bench bowl-style basins that previously trended.
Designers are increasingly treating the bathroom as a “wet room” and forgoing shower screens. “But do consider a nib wall to protect the joinery from getting too wet,” Joey says.
Baths are falling slightly out of favour, Rebecca says. “Many people are opting for a bigger shower instead, with both a hand-held shower head and a big, drenching rain shower.” If your client does want a bath, Joey warns against installing the showerhead right next to a freestanding bath with little clearance, for easier cleaning. Strip drains can be hard to clean, too. Rebecca recommends a traditional central 100mm round drain with a slightly graded floor. And if a shower screen is a must, Joey says textured glass and metal frames are trending and can tie in with tapware.
Simple downlights don’t cut it anymore, with many homeowners wanting decorative wall lights (sconces). Patterned glass throws beautiful light, or an opal-white globe adds ambience.
Place lights at face height, Rebecca says – “Downlights have never been good for looking at your face.” If your client prefers modern over vintage wall lights, she recommends strip lights rebated [recessed] into the plaster. “They give a really good ‘wash’ of light down the front of the bathroom mirror.” Always ensure light fittings hold the correct IP rating for their position within bathroom wet zones, Joey advises.
Infrared saunas, steam showers, ice baths, bench seats and curves are being installed in more Australian bathrooms. “Steam rooms and built-in saunas are huge now,” Joey says. “They add value and are relatively easy to build. They just need good ventilation and drainage.”
The most important features of a bathroom design are the ones that suit your client and their lifestyle. After all, people spend an estimated average of 416 days in the bathroom, so solid pre-planning will go a long way.
Kitchen benchtops: 3 safe alternatives to engineered stone.
Photo Credit: Carlos Furtado
Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.
When following our advice in our videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.
