The days when your bathroom was merely a functional, utilitarian space are long gone.
Today’s modern bathroom forms an oasis in your home, a tranquil sanctuary offering calming relaxation, comfort and sensory replenishment.
Trends and Fashions
The trend is definitely towards bathrooms that provide an antidote to our stressful lifestyles.
Carole Tretheway, of Carole Tretheway Design, says, “People no longer see their bathrooms as spaces for simply washing and showering. They are looking to them to provide pleasurable experiences, for de-stressing and detoxing, and in which they want to spend more time.”
Hand in hand with this desire for more beautiful and alluring bathroom spaces is the trend for personalisation – custom design and made-to-measure fittings that reflect the individual personality of the owner.
“People are no longer satisfied with cookie-cutter homes – they want a space that is unique to them, and the bathroom is no different,” says Jasmin Kraneveldt from Bathroom Bizarre.
The Blend of Balance
The perfect bathroom provides a pleasing balance of form and function, a harmonious blend of practical usability and attention-to-detail décor. The innovative use of different materials, colours and textures is key to creating designs that are at once simplistic and sensual, cleansing and comforting.
The most beautiful bathrooms today magnify the minimal and celebrate simplicity. Fittings are sleek, modern and finely crafted. Materials are elegant, colours are classic. All the elements combine to create harmonious, flowing lines that are easy on the eye and soothing to the senses.
Invite Mother Nature
Dominant trends for 2017 and beyond see designers drawing inspiration from the biggest creator of all – Nature.
Clever combinations of modern and organic mean bathrooms are both stylish and sympathetic. Wood and stone nestle harmoniously with modern synthetics, creating warmth without sacrificing style and practical convenience.
Seeing The Light
Use of light – natural from windows, artificial from electric lighting or reflected from mirrors – is a key design element in any modern bathroom. Lighting creates mood, interest and drama, and using it creatively is the secret to transforming any bathroom space.
Carmel Wylie, interior designer at GIA Bathroom and Kitchen Renovations says, “I believe the trend of having a space that can be bright and cheery in the daytime, and then adapted to create a calming retreat at the start and end of the day, will see lots of versatile lighting solutions.” Solutions such as coloured mood lighting, LED strips hidden under cabinetry, niche lights, dimmable lights and feature lighting.
Generously proportioned, showers-designed-for-two offer so much more than just cleansing, and can create an almost spa-like atmosphere to which you cannot wait to return.
Off The Wall
Emerging trends are seeing people becoming more adventurous when it comes to bathroom wall coverings. While tiles are still the norm, wallpaper has never been more on trend, and it’s a great way to bring colour and character into your bathroom. Advances in design mean it’s no longer a problem to have wallpaper in damp environments, and there is a huge range of washable, vinyl-coated or full-vinyl types to choose from.
The Beauty Of Basins
But it is perhaps the basin that forms the focal point of the modern bathroom. Frequently positioned opposite the door, it is the first fixture you see as you enter, drawing your eye with its sensual symmetry.
Vessel basins in particular are dominating trends for 2017, forming stylish conversation pieces that add interest and high-end style to your bathroom. Set strikingly above the vanity surface, vessel basins combine practical usability with eye-catching design. Their elevated positioning also allows for more creative tap or mixer choices.
Wylie says, “We’re going back to more organic shapes, with curves overtaking squares. Fine, thin edges on ceramic ware is another trend in baths and vanity basins.”
It’s a truly special time to be in décor or design, or even renovating your own personal sanctuary. Bathroom design has never been so much fun.
Guest blog on behalf of Kohler Africa.