Hoping to achieve your dream modern bathroom? It's simple- just follow the advice of the in-house experts at Victoria Plum...
Modernist designs are all the rage, and it’s no different for bathrooms. we all live hectic lifestyles where life seems to pass us by at great speed, so a minimal, modern bathroom style gives us that sense of calm that we may crave. There is a popular trend towards modern stylings for bathrooms at the moment, where you can wind down and soak in a hot bath or shower at the end of a long day. There is a sense of luxury in the sparse, but thoughtfully designed modern style and bathroom fixtures that bring a sense of calm and elegance that gets many of us in just the right way.
Regardless of whether you’re looking to completely overhaul your bathroom or simply bring it a little more in line with modern design—through new bathroom furniture and bathroom accessories—it can be difficult to know what to start with and what design cues to look out for.
Decide the best look for you
Modern design and contemporary style are broad genres of design, and there are many different sub-styles that belong under them. There are a few aspects of modern design that remain a constant through most of the sub-styles, however, it's worth remembering the following...
Starting with the layout, contemporary bathrooms are designed with an open-plan concept in mind. Not only does this mean that the bathroom has to be just large space-wise, but it should feel spacious. Design your bathroom in a way that doesn’t break up the space, instead prioritising a larger central space.
This also means that there is a focus on integrating more natural light as part of the design. Including larger windows that let more illumination in and even day curtains help provide your bathroom with a glow of soft, gentle light. If you can’t achieve this, you can also opt for creative usage of bathroom lighting to create a similar effect. Lighting plays a large role in creating a sense of space and creating an at-home feel.
Types of materials
Modern design is all about using natural materials and surfaces. This is important to the style, as the natural materials are meant to contrast the colder colours that are present in your bathroom. Consider integrating wooden vanity units and washstands, as well as a natural stone (or stone-effect) floor. You can combine these with materials like concrete. This contrast will add some warmth and texture to the space, giving it a character of its own while still looking minimal.
In relation to this, choose more earthy colours like grey, cream or anthracite, which all work well with natural materials. These colours are great options for the walls and ceilings. Don’t be afraid to take inspiration from nature when deciding.
Add some personality
At its core, modern design has a few basic design principles that often result in bathrooms looking a lot like each other, especially if we don’t add to them. The best part of modern design is that it gives you the opportunity to add to it, giving it a character like no other. We highly encourage you to use accessories and design accents to give a one-of-a-kind feel.
Turn your attention to the small details, like the fittings of your bathroom taps, toilet roll holders, toilet seats or even bathroom vanity units. Look for eye-catching yet discreet pieces that work well with the colour palette and theme of your room. The importance is in maintaining a sense of order when you add, so it’s important to not go overboard! You can even add a bathroom fitting "showpiece" to your bathroom, like a free-standing bathtub, or a standalone sink with a towering bathroom tap. You could even go simpler and get a stone sink with black bathroom taps! The sky is the limit for options.
If you’re leaning towards the more flamboyant side, experiment with feature walls and colourful tiles and mosaics, with geometric, floral or even oriental designs. Keep the contrast between cold materials and warm materials consistent throughout to give it that grounded, futuristic look.
Imagine you’re thinking of totally redesigning your bathroom and doing an overhaul and want something completely different. Why be limited by the confined spaces of a bathroom being just a bathroom? Architects (like Laura Jane Clark who we interviewed recently) have increasingly challenged this idea of a bathroom is just a place to wash, instead pushing the notion that a dream bathroom is also a place of comfort and relaxation. Many architects have amalgamated the ideas of living and sleeping spaces together and brought the bathroom into the living space. Modern design has introduced sofas and other types of lounge furniture into the bathroom, redefining the bathroom to being just as much living space as any other room.
How to deal with small bathrooms
We said earlier that modern bathrooms are all about open spaces, and many photos of modern bathrooms show large, open spaces too. You might be feeling distraught that your bathroom is too small to achieve the same look. But a small bathroom doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve the same feeling! There are plenty of ways to emulate the large spaces and make your bathroom feel larger than it actually is such as adding a simple vanity unit. The goal is to give the perception of space and to remove or conceal things that take up space.
Use a combination of mirrors and lights to add depth to a room that doesn’t have much bathroom space. If your taps are taking up too much space, opt for wall mounted taps so that you get more countertop space and conceal the bulk of your taps. If a bathtub is taking up too much space, you can opt for a large shower instead, and maybe throw in a rain shower as well to cut down even more on the bulk. Make use of vertical space by adding shower screens and cabinets to the top, and leaving the floor empty, making it feel like there’s more space than there actually is.
Conclusion
When designing your bathroom to be modern, it’s more important to focus on the principles of modern design rather than emulating what we see. You don’t need a big space to achieve the look, you just need to thoughtfully design and plan out the space to create the illusion of space while maintaining clean lines and a soft, cosy feel.
More modern bathroom ideas
At Victoria Plum, we’re full of fresh modern bathroom ideas, so why not check out further inspirational bathrooms on our blog? If you’re interested in a specific style, our Get the Look style guides are a great place to start.
