Looking to renovate your bathroom? Or just breathe new life into your current setup? Then brace yourself for these top tips on ensuring your bathing experience reflects the predefined standards of style and grace. Remember, a home isn’t complete without a fresh and trendy bathroom.
-It’s hip to be square
Angular and square fixtures have taken us by storm, gone are the days where your porcelain throne has curves. In recent years modern design has taken lead over more traditional designs, contemporary designers dictate that geometric shower heads, taps, and even baths conform to a chic and modern look for your home. Not only in bathrooms but blocky, angular, and calculated design has been the face of the future for decades. The day of tomorrow is today!
-Timber paneled flooring
Some designers anticipate the revival of timber flooring in bathrooms, this is perfect if you’re looking for a more warm and cosy bathroom. The advantage of the wood is the soft, natural feel on bare feet and the luxurious rich look. If you don’t want to go all the way, part wood part tile is in, the softness of the timber can counteract the hard tiles to create a nice balance both in texture and visually.
-Let there be light
Lighting and colour always play a crucial role in shaping the look of a bathroom, the top scientists of trend have discovered that decorating your bathroom with darker colour shades and hues (with good lighting) can actually make it seem much more expansive. Dark purples and greens are currently on the rise in conjunction with this up and coming trend.
You can’t always be on the ball with lighting, your lights will last for years and conforming to fleeting trends can prove detrimental in the long haul. Classic LED lights are a long lasting movement which we don’t expect to be waving off any time soon.
-Technology
Unsurprisingly technology has even wormed its way into our bathrooms, from self-cleaning toilets to singing, blue tooth activated shower heads. One particular piece of technology is heated flooring, for some this is a godsend, this is especially useful for tiled floors which tend to become very cool in the winter. Another benefit is the distribution of heat, as the heat radiates evenly from all points on the floor less heat is wasted, as opposed to other methods where heat travels from one area of the room and rises before heating the whole room. Also perfect for keeping your bathroom dry, this is as a result of the heat coming directly from the floor.
-It’s all smoke and mirrors
Mirrors are great for expanding your bathroom beyond the irritating tangible limits of walls and physical limitations, with good lighting and a decent sized mirror you can create the illusion of a much larger room. As luck would have it, big mirrors are in for 2016.
For a fresh original look, circular wall mirrors are rapidly gaining popularity over the standard rectangular variety we’re used to seeing.
-Bathrooms, now in colour!
If you’re fond of colour then do not fear, there’s no reason you should conform to the standard neutral palettes of a traditional bathroom. Over the past few years patterned and coloured tiles have risen in popularity and can make a snazzy addition to brighten any bathroom. For a contemporary feel, a colourful combination with a herringbone tile pattern screams style. Conversely, one may want to play with the contrast in colour with solid white coloured fixtures. This could mean a solid white tap against a vibrant tiled backdrop, creating a fun, modern splash of flair. You can also add colour by using vibrantly coloured bath linen. Tangerine orange, and lime green towels will contrast nicely with a white suite.
-Accessorise
The importance of matching accessories is vastly understated when designing your bathroom, this could mean bath towels, hand towels, baths mats, and shower curtains all from the same designer i.e. a full Grampian stag bath linen selection by Catherine Lansfield. Add luxury for yourself with some heavy weight bath sheets. Egyptian cotton bath towels and sheets are beautifully soft and absorbent. 
Designers are noticing home furniture creeping its way towards the bathroom, from rug style bath mats to simple stools, tables, or even armchairs. This innovative movement comes from the increase in demand for ambience and comfort over functionality, and could revolutionise the purpose of bathrooms.
-Focal point
Creating a focal point is essential for a truly unique and impressive bathroom. An up and coming trend is the walk in shower; the lack of moving parts and visual consistency with the bathroom aesthetic makes this feature a technical and visual marvel. Alternatively impressive sink and mirror displays or free standing bathtubs can have a similar effect. The idea of a focal point is to draw the eye away from the functional necessities and emphasise design.
-Back to basics
A salient theme with most modern design is simplicity, the illusion of maximum efficiency by way of simple yet calculated aesthetic. This could mean a striking freestanding tub in the middle of your bathroom, creating satisfying symmetry.
Another staple of contemporary simplicity is the use of muted colour in overall design and accessories, this gives off the aura of a seemingly unobtainable sharp cleanliness.
Clutter free, this could mean built in cupboards which blend seamlessly with tiles and hide any unwanted mess. The idea behind modern bathroom design enforces the philosophy of creating ambiance and tranquility.
-A shrubbery!
Adding a splash of greenery to your bathroom can immediately detract from a harsh, clinical feel which can be attributed to some modern design. The organic contrast works perfectly with most bathroom décor and serves to breathe some life into the room. When deciding what plant to get, it is important to consider how much light and moisture your plant will need. Some plants need more than one of the other and cannot survive with too much of either.
Be experimental with your plant placement, create a spa like retreat by adorning the outer edges of your bath with some fresh peace lilies, or even for particularly water hungry plants you can place inside of your shower. Consider the advantages of a bathroom, the unique humid and moist environment can allow you to decorate the room with exotic Zen style plants which require a lot of moisture like bamboo.
