If you think the bathroom is a boring space, then clearly, you haven’t been paying attention. Lately I’ve been seeing lots of exciting trends for the bathroom — here are some of my favorites for 2018. Hint: expect more color, fun shapes, and lots and lots of tile.
Statement Mirrors
Bathrooms, by their nature, tend to have a lot of straight lines, and a different shaped mirror can be a lovely counterbalance to that. Plus, it’s a great way to give your bathroom a fresh look without spending a ton of money. We saw a lot of round mirrors this year, and we expect to see even more twists and fun shapes in 2018.
Lots of marble
Marble has played a big role in home decor for quite some time now, and I don’t see that slowing down any time soon. It feels particularly luxurious in the bathroom, showing up on countertops, tub surrounds, and even whole walls. In the lead image above, it covers the entire bathroom floor in this remodel from Rehabitat Interiors .
The wildest and most wonderful tile
If you’ve read a lot of my posts on Apartment Therapy, you might have have noticed that I’m a little obsessed with tile. (Ok, maybe more than a little obsessed.) So I could not be more excited that colorful and boldly patterned tile is making a splash in the bathroom. Cover just the floor, or take the tile up the walls too for a bold, immersive look.
The return of color
We’ve been avoiding color in the bathroom for a long time, probably because for a lot of people the idea conjures up images of bad ’70s bathrooms. (Avocado tubs, anyone?). But for a few years now, color has been creeping back into bathroom designs, and I think we’re finally ready to go full bore. The new colorful bathrooms are a lot like the old ones, but with fresher, more modern shapes.
Retro tile
One way that color is creeping back into the bathroom is with tiles — often those same 4×4 square tiles that graced the ’60s and ’70s bathrooms that we now find icky and dated. Paired with lighter, more modern fixtures, they suddenly seem interesting and fresh. It’s all about the context.
Black
One color in particular that’s making a big comeback in the bathroom is black. If a green or pink bathroom is just too retro for your taste, try adding a little bit (or a lot) of black accents, for a look that’s bold but also classic.
Texture
It’s not just color that’s making a comeback in the bathroom — I’ve also been seeing a lot of interesting textures, thanks to things like terra cotta tile and wood accents. Your bathroom is a place to relax as well as a place to take care of business — so this move towards the warm and textured and away from the cold and clinical is more than welcome.
Technology
Not only are people using their phone and tablets more and more in bathrooms (ahem), but fixtures themselves are increasingly outfitted with special features that make cleaning and use easier with the touch of a button, or even a voice-triggered command. Expect to see more touchless flush and self-cleaning toilets, Bluetooth activated features, and personalized presets with apps in 2018. “Alexa, draw my bath” is right around the corner.
