Turn your bathroom into a chic sanctuary—we reveal the hottest design trends to know
Luxury, nostalgia, warmth, and customisability—these are just a few of the key themes in the realm of bathroom design right now. No longer a purely functional area, the bathroom has evolved to become an escape zone that tantalises the senses and elevates your daily cleansing ritual to a truly indulgent experience. Opulent details, retro elements, personalised features and inventive layouts come together beautifully to craft some of the most creative spaces we have seen.
From the key materials and styles of note to the most exquisite fittings, we present some of the ways you can take your bathroom to the next level.
STYLE: RETRO REVIVAL
In the last decade or so, most bathrooms sported neutral colour palettes. According to Eve Mercier, founder of Hong Kong-based Insight School of Interior Design, people were much more adventurous in the Fifties and Sixties when it came to colours in their bathrooms and would use shades such as almond green, raspberry pink, and yellow.
“An easy way to add a retro feel to your bathroom is with a clawfoot cast-iron bathtub. Cast iron is also known to keep water warm much longer than our contemporary acrylic bathtubs,” says Mercier.
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“Another easy way to bring a chic, retro touch to your bathroom is to place an antique mirror over your sink or to use toilets with chains and high cisterns in fun colours and finishes.”
A retro-themed bathroom should evoke a sense of nostalgia, and this can be done subtly with the organic-shaped sinks from Toto’s Le Muse collection or bathtubs such as the Toulouse 1800 by Victoria + Albert and Laufen’s The New Classic collection.
Deepu Mahboobani, vice-president of international hospitality design firm Wimberly Interiors, advises using a colourful array of furnishings and bathroom fittings for a retro look. “Play with an eclectic mix of geometric patterns and forms on the floor or walls, create a colourful vanity counter, or enhance the space with a vibrant feature wall behind the bathtub or a patterned rug on the floor,” she adds.