The best bathroom trends
The best things always come back around, and bathroom décor is no exception. As you think about renovations for your home bathroom or if you’re just looking for elements of trend inspiration, remember that what’s old is new again, and natural materials will always have a place in a home.
Bathrooms, especially within a home, require the delicate coupling of two forms: functionality and tranquility. It’s a unique need to fill, and also one of the most expensive, so you want to make sure your money is going to the most beneficial spots.
As we move into 2017, natural materials will continue to stake a claim in bathrooms, offering an utterly tranquil feel that looks totally at home no matter the other elements or accessories you choose to blend with it–that’s the beauty of natural materials! Using woods and stones as primary materials, whether for flooring or countertops in your bathroom, enhances the room’s style longevity.
Because wood is a natural material, it’s going to interact with the environment around it, just as it would in a forest. Solid wood will expand and contract with changes in humidity, so keep that in mind as you’re looking at your material options. If you’re searching for more durability and stability, consider ceramic or porcelain tiles that have the appearance of hardwood flooring. They offer a tough, moisture-resistant solution that has all the beauty you love about wood.
Continuing the trend of natural materials, we’re looking forward to more greenery in bathrooms. Looking just at home as any other natural material, larger installations of plants, herbs and succulents truly make a bathroom feel like a personal, private oasis. Get creative and use large amounts of greenery to create privacy, lushness and to enhance the overall natural feel of the space, not to mention the fact that they put fresh oxygen back into the air help get rid of everyday pollutants.
Warm metals–think brass, copper, gold or rose gold and brushed stainless steel–will continue popping up in bathrooms. These warm-looking metals not only contrast beautifully with natural materials, but they also encourage you to keep the rest of your bathroom in a calm, tranquil color palette. While whites, grays and blues have continually been popular choices for bathroom colors, hues such as black, hunter green and dark gray accents create a unique and trendy look. We love the recent trend of bathtubs painted in these accent colors, fashioning a totally eye-popping bathroom style. Black matte, especially, is making its way into bathrooms as the tile color or bathtub color, popping beautifully against the warm metals. Choosing metals for faucets, mirror frames, shower heads or other bathroom hardware offers a classic look for years to come. One of our favorite trends that capitalizes on vintage style is a black matte claw foot tub that features brass feet.
If you’re looking to try a unique tile pattern but don’t want to commit it to your entire kitchen backsplash, for example, a guest bathroom is a great place to try it out. You’ll start to see more neutral colors in tiling, but the patterns will make them special. Basket weave or windmill patterns will start to take over the traditional subway tile style you’ve seen in recent years. A classic white tile, however, transcends trend and will always be worth the financial splurge.
Testing out wallpaper in a half-bath is also a great way to explore the resurgent surface design trend. Modern-style wallpaper is incorporating all the trends you see elsewhere–metallics, bold colors, botanical and geometric designs–and putting them into an easy home solution. And by reaching for a pattern in a half-bath, you won’t have to worry about how the humidity will affect the wallpaper.
Rather than closing off a shower or trying to hide it from the rest of the bathroom space, you’ll start to see showers that are without doors or separated simply by a pane of glass. These styles make the bathroom appear larger and also make room for tons of design trend possibilities. It’s easier to carry out tile, whether on the walls or floors, into the shower for a high-design look. This open-style concept echoes classic, sophisticated design that will never go out of style because of its sheer organic appeal. To help against spraying water, you can position the shower in a corner to achieve the look and also gain more privacy. Proper drainage is also imperative, as you’ll want to avoid standing water or slipping across wet bathroom floors. The floor should be angled slightly so the water flows directly toward the drain. New, attractive linear drain technology provides a seamless integration of function and style.
The good news is that bathroom renovations are one of the top five investments in the resale value of your home. Investing in a long-lasting look is a smart move. ■
Sources: apartmenttherapy.com, houzz.com and interiorzine.com.
