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Bathroom Trends: Tropical Spa
Inspiration

Bathroom Trends: Tropical Spa

Posted by Nicky Kingston in Inspiration | 2 years ago 8 min read

The focus on mindfulness and relaxation has led to the rise of the tropical spa, with luscious greenery and luxurious cleansing. As part of our series of “Bathroom Trends” articles, we show you how to achieve this in your own home.

Despite featuring heavily in my bathroom trend predictions at the start of the year, tropical bathrooms have been incredibly popular in recent times. With homes getting smaller and access to gardens or outdoor spaces increasingly scarce, many homeowners are turning to indoor plants to enhance both the look and feel of their interiors and improve air quality. Indeed, over the past couple of years, I created my own style guide for tropical bathrooms, with tips on choosing the perfect bathroom plants and more—the style really is that popular!

So, creating a tropical spa bathroom is just a simple case of placing a plant pot here and there…right? Wrong. Achieving a luxurious, tropically-inspired space in which you can unwind and relax requires a bit more effort than this. You’ll need to carefully consider the materials and finishes you use, including not just your walls and flooring, but also those big ticket items like bathtubs, shower enclosures and furniture. There are also some great interior design tips and tricks you can use to add tropical touches here and there. Read on to see how both we and our customers have used these to great effect, as we get all hot and steamy with our Tropical Spa theme!


Going all out

If you live by the motto “go big or go home” then you really can go to town with the Tropical Spa look. For those living in the urban jungle, it’s entirely possible to create your own personal jungle with a bathroom full of beautiful, tropical plants—the perfect antidote to the modern world. Of course, pot plants can take up valuable floor space, so it is certainly worth thinking creatively about where you place your greenery. For example, have you considered using your ceiling space, as we’ve done below?

Tropical Spa bathroom by Victoria Plum

Not enough floorspace for all your plants? Create a ceiling suspended hanger for your very own tropical canopy. And what better way to enjoy all this luscious greenery than lying back in a luxurious tub, like the Artist Collection Totally Turquoise traditional freestanding bath.

If you really are going all out to create a totally tropical spa, you may want to install a wet room layout complete with walk in shower. With no shower tray and an open plan feel, you could almost imagine yourself in the midst of a real rainforest, with water cascading and spraying gently on the surrounding foliage.

Tropical wet room by @onewomanonehouse on Instagram

The shower enclosure was probably the last thing you noticed in this stylish Tropical Spa wet room by Victoria Plum customer onewomanonehouse on Instagram.

Whether you’re looking to fill your space with greenery or pick out a few favourites, it’s always a good idea to choose plants which thrive in humid conditions like bathrooms. Why not check out our video below?



Make your walls come alive

If you aren’t the most green-fingered of indoor gardeners, don’t worry. In fact, if you’re looking to create your own Tropical Spa, you might not even need too many plants at all. There are plenty of easy ways to “fake it”, including tropical print wallpaper.

Tropical print wall ideas

Left: Green boards and satin grey furniture from the Dulwich range hit another recent bathroom trend: block bold colours. They combine perfectly with tropical print wallpaper. By Victoria Plum customer @notanotherhomeproject on Instagram. Right: Black accents are another big bathroom trend and complement this tropical wallpaper perfectly. Shared by Victoria Plum customer @jones_home_22.

But what about cloakrooms or teeny-tiny bathrooms? Why should they miss out on all the tropical fun? How about a a couple of smaller plants complemented by a tropical wall print (see below)? Small spaces can be easily transformed into tropical paradises too.

Tropical Spa cloakroom by @lovescakeygoodness on Instagram

We love these subtle yet stylish tropical touches from Victoria Plum customer @lovescakeygoodness on Instagram.

If you wish to go one step further, why not create your very own living wall with real plants you can touch and tend to. Watch our video below to see how simple it is!



DO hang around

If using your bathroom floor space comes at premium, there are some even more creative ways to bring a tropical touch to your interiors. One growing trend is to create your own Macramé plant hanger. And what is Macramé, I hear you ask? Well, it’s an age-old craft, using string to create intricate patterns and designs—it can also be used to suspend plants from your walls.

Hanging bathroom plants

Left: We love the use of both black and white string to complement this monochrome bathroom by Victoria Plum customer @the.compa.house. Right: The support frame from the 8mm black framed wet room glass panel with walk in shower tray from Mode Bathrooms makes the perfect hanging space for plants in this tropical spa bathroom by Victoria Plum customer @walkintheparquet.

Hanging or trailing plants can be used to supplement floorstanding pot plants, creating a flowing green scene in your bathroom. Plants which thrive in particularly wet conditions are perfectly suited to showering spaces.

Trailing bathroom plant ideas

Left: Organic accessories and trailing plants have been combined to perfection by Victoria Plum customer @laurenlewis___ on Instagram. The Dalston floorstanding vanity unit from The Bath Co. looks well at home surrounded by floorstanding, ceiling hanging and surface mounted plants.

If you’d like to find out how to create your own Macramé plant hanger, watch our video below.



Organic materials

If you’ve taken a look at my Organic Oasis style guide, you’ll know that your choice of textures, surfaces and materials can have a big impact on the overall look and feel of your bathroom. Natural, organic materials, like wood and stone are key to creating a more relaxing space that is at one with mother nature.

Whilst wood and stone can be both expensive and difficult to maintain, especially in an area of the home with high moisture content, there are plenty of cost-effective ways to replicate the look—forming the basis for your Tropical Spa bathroom.

Tropical Spa bathroom by Victoria Plum customer @inthedoghouse on Instagram

The weathered and well-loved appearance of the Dalston floorstanding vanity unit fits perfectly with the Tropical theme. Whilst a wild beast (well…cute pup) really sets the mood too! Thanks to Victoria Plum customer @inthedoghouse for sharing.

Of course, wood can be used creatively in other ways throughout your bathroom. How about picking out some bamboo accessories, like a towel rack, bench and bath mat, to bring a more natural feel to your space?

If you’re lucky enough to live in a property with existing rustic or weathered features, why not turn these to your advantage? Exposed brick walls and wooden beams can really enhance the Tropical Spa look. Whilst a combination of contemporary and traditional elements, creating a Modern Vintage style, is really on-trend at the moment.

Tropical Spa bathroom from Victoria Plum

For further inspiration, why not check out my Tropical bathroom style guide?


Subtle touches

If you’re still sat on the fence, there are some more subtle ways of adding a tropical touch to your space. A well-positioned plant in a carefully-chosen pot can work wonders when combined with an organic surface like marble (see below).

Subtle Tropical Spa by Victoria Plum

You can go as small as you like with your chosen plantlife. Ideal, if you have a lack of floorspace.

With the right combination of plants, colours and textures, you needn’t go overboard with the amount of greenery you choose. I love the chevron-pattern picked out in the tiled walls (see below), which mimic the shape of tropical houseplants.

Tropical bathrooms with chevron tiling

Left: A few plants go a long way in this beautiful bathroom by Victoria Plum customer @thereality_of_renovating on Instagram. Right: Could you imagine lying back and relaxing in this stunning space by Victoria Plum customer @charlotte.peta?


Like the look?

What do you think of the Tropical Spa trend? Will it inspire you to bring the outdoors indoors? Why not share your thoughts by joining our growing online social community. Simply click any of the buttons below and follow us on your favourite social media platforms.

If you’d like to be inspired by the latest interior design ideas, like the move towards new metallic finishes, why not browse the rest of my “Bathroom Trends” articles? Just head to our bathroom inspiration page click on the “trends” tag or search using the nav bar at the top of this page.

Author, Nicky Kingston

Posted by Nicky Kingston in Inspiration | 2 years ago

Nicky is our resident Stylist and loves bringing new and exciting bathroom trends to life. Nicky’s passion for design led to a 1st class degree in Surface Design & Textiles, before earning a reputation as a home stylist in London.

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