Make big statements with your bathrooms
THE bathroom continues to be a key element of our homes – multi-purpose, multi-functional and an oasis of escapism and relaxation.
As such, bathroom design has evolved and is now dictated by social, economic and cultural trends, integrating form and function, picking up influences from wider style and catwalk trends, all combined to meet the demands of modern day living.
Here Ideal Standard International designer Robin Levien discusses trend predictions for 2016. ●● Colour and lighting
Bathrooms in the UK are small and getting smaller on average – so perhaps counterintuitively there is a trend coming for using dark colours on the walls and floor, which with good lighting can actually make a small space seem bigger.
Think different shades of greys, particularly darker shades and hues, which are very on trend for creating a tranquil feel of luxury and relaxation. Dark purple, rouge and even duller matte greens are all also on the rise as part of the bathroom colour scheme. ●● De-clutter
Less also continues to be more and minimalism – the clutter free, bare bathroom – will continue to be ‘en vogue’.
This rising trend for completely clean surfaces is counterbalanced by amazing storage solutions and plays to the escapism role of the bathroom – creating a sanctuary within the home, that’s not full of hustle and bustle, instead just plain, clear and simple. ●● Storage
The invasion from the continent of the vanity basin with storage cabinet beneath continues. Sleek, stylish and providing cavernous amounts of storage, the rise of the vanity basin means the floor standing pedestal under a sink will soon be considered retro. ●● Mirrors
On reflection, the importance of the bathroom mirror should not be underestimated and it’s true that in our ‘selfie-obsessed’ modern day lives, big bathroom mirrors are now a ‘thing’.
While it may be the younger generation who take selfies in the mirror, the mirror is a reference point for us all and such a simple way to help make small spaces feel brighter. ●● Hygiene
As for the toilet brush. Could this horrific and offensively unstylish, yet unfortunately often necessary bathroom accessory be about to become ‘extinct’?
“Let’s hope so,” said Robin. “New toilets, with superior flushing technology that make them effectively ‘selfcleaning’, may well be the beginning of the end for the brush and the shudders these often cheap pieces of plastic send down the spines of bathroom designers.”