With the festivities and excesses of Christmas and New Year firmly behind us, it's time to start looking forward to the year ahead.
In the world of interior design things move swiftly, so it's time for us to show you what we think will be the 5 biggest and best ideas for bathroom designs this year.
1. Go glam with gold
With the Winter Olympics taking place this year, it’s quite apt that gold is fast becoming the colour of the moment for bathroom designs. Glittering and glamorous, there are numerous ways to inject a touch of gold into your overall décor.
Ceramic tiles and mosaics are a great place to start, and you’ll find many different metallic ranges that you can complement these with. When coupled with white ceramics and furniture, this will add liveliness to your bathroom. You can also add gold accents with accessories such as towel rails and robe hooks.
For a look that's precious to you, why not mix these metallic gold and silver tiles?
Gold has been a popular colour choice for the bathroom ever since Dulux named “Cherished Gold” as it’s colour of the year back in 2016, and it’s a trend that is sticking around. Another great way to create bathroom designs that come first in the style stakes is to look out for gold-coloured taps and showers. These special finishes offer a break from the norm and provide an easy way to refresh a tired old bathroom, without having to splash the cash.
Going for gold in 2018? Choose these gold coloured taps, showers and accessories from the Spencer collection, for a bathroom that takes first prize in the style stakes.
2. Feature floor tiles
If you still have vinyl on your bathroom floor or, woe betide, carpet, then 2018 is the year to finally rip it up and get some funky feature floor tiles. There are so many different designs to choose from, our own personal favourite being the vintage-inspired look (see image below). In smaller bathrooms, a feature floor tile adds style without overwhelming the space, and when used in a larger bathroom, the effect is elegant.
These gorgeous heritage tiles will turn your bathroom floor into a real feature.
And whilst you're at it, underfloor heating is now more accessible. As well as making your bathroom look visually more alluring, why not make it feel nicer too? Successful bathroom designs favour the bold and the adventurous, so why not make that floor of yours a beautiful feature?
3. Smart showering
When talking about showers, the term “smart” can now take on two meanings.
First off, with showers that look smart, homeowners are demanding ever more stylish designs, like valves that sit flush to the wall for a genuine minimalist appearance, or special finishes such as rose gold, brushed nickel and black, which provide a brilliant alternative to the more common chrome.
However, it’s not all about great looks. The shower has become an all-the-more sophisticated experience in recent years and users are now demanding more from their morning wake-me-up.
Many homeowners are now turning to digital or smart showering systems to provide an experience that can be easily controlled and personalised. Choice is key here, and the trend now is increasingly towards a more flexible experience, ranging from single or dual outlet digital showers from brands such as Mira Showers and Aqualisa, to whole smart showering systems, which can be controlled via a smartphone or even integrated with Amazon Alexa for voice activation.
We predict that we'll be seeing more and more “smart” showers integrated into bathroom designs up and down the UK this year.
Let your shower do all the hard work in 2018, with a smart showering system
4. Breath (plant)life into your bathroom
Green bathrooms were the big trend in 2017, and the love affair with plant life doesn’t look like coming to an end anytime soon.
With many of us squeezing into smaller homes in urban spaces, we have come to cherish our green spaces wherever we can find them. This has led to many of us turning the traditional idea of the home on its head and bringing the outdoors indoors.
Indoor plants are increasing in popularity. According to the Garden Centre Association, houseplant sales were up by 19% in November 2017, compared to the previous year. Not only are plants a great way to cleanse the air in your home and add colour, but they can also be used to create a sense of harmony, so you can truly be at one with nature.
If you’re short on floor space, hanging planters are a great choice, or, if you want to take it one step further, you could even create a living wall. Discover more about tropical bathroom designs on our blog.
Create a lush space in which to relax with house plants
5. Be bold with colour
This year it's out with the dull, neutral or monochrome palettes and in with bold and bright colours that really make a statement!
Whilst I’m not for one minute suggesting you go out and get an avocado or pink suite like those from bathroom designs of the 1980s, bold, primary colours are making a bit of a comeback in contemporary bathrooms.
One quick and easy way to inject a touch of vibrancy is to use coloured wall panels instead of tiles in your shower area or around your bath. With just a portion of your wall covered, it doesn’t need to dominate and you can complement with matching accessories.
Not only do Zenolite acrylic wall panels look great, they're actually more cost-effective than installing tiles
The great thing about choosing colours for bathroom designs is that the shades you pick don’t have to be permanent, unlike your fixtures and fittings. By simply painting your walls or incorporating accessories, you can add the colour of the moment to your décor, for a stylish on-trend bathroom.
Along with gold, other colours that are set to be big in bathroom designs this year include indigo, ultra-violet and turquoise.
Add a splash of colour to your walls with one of our beautiful Craig & Rose bathroom paints, for a whole new look and feel in 2018
Get the look
Here at VictoriaPlum.com, you’ll discover our regular style guides, where we explore the latest emerging trends in bathroom designs, and show you how to “get the look”.
For the very latest in contemporary styling, head over to our style guides now.
