Bathroom Design Trends

So what are the emergent design criteria when creating a high quality bathroom for clients today? First, a well-designed personal bathroom seeks to evoke the mood of being away on vacation and attempts to preserve and restore this temporary sensation of deep relaxation. The design aim is often to provide the opportunity for the greatest amount of enjoyment and fun in the smallest amount of space. The private bathroom continues to develop into an area for recuperation with room for healthcare and very personal bathing rituals. As part of an intimate living space, the bathroom is a room in which people can boost their energy levels and create a place for greater quality of life. In other words: have a vacation-like escape in one's own bathroom spa.

Next, consideration of the practical side of a typical bathroom shows that long term implications need to be considered. Most people use one and the same bathroom several times a day for 15 to 20 years. The furnishing for a well-designed bathroom must therefore feature a design approach that will be more timeless in appearance than one that quickly becomes dated. International architect and product designer Philippe Starck has been celebrated for his work in that regard achieving designs that are elegantly straightforward and, at the same time, ingenious in concept, enjoying a lasting look over time. However, any design focus should never be an excuse for a lack of function. Every designer bathroom also has to be easy to use and provide real practical value. This is true if the space is large or if the concept of high design and an oasis of wellness are sought in a small amount of space.

Architect Philippe Starck has successfully created timeless, simple, functional design solutions using furniture in bathroom spaces. Photos courtesy of Duravit USA, Inc.

Focusing on the right character or nature of the design is also being recognized as critical to the end user as well as to the relationship of the bathroom with the rest of the building. It is equally important as it relates to building context. An urban building for example will likely have different bathroom spaces than a more rural or resort location, meaning that the size, connection to the outdoors, and therefore, the overall character may be different. For German designer Michael Sieger, a welcoming feel is a crucial aspect to the character of any well-designed bathroom. He believes it follows that the bathroom will become the focal point of the larger private living area and will be opened to embrace sleeping, fitness and wellness: “A bathroom is a dream bathroom if it adopts this principle of opening up and elevates bathroom living to a new level of family relaxation and communication.” This is why the design of a dream bathroom should be oriented around creating a welcoming atmosphere. He also believes that furniture plays a key role in “the bathroom's new living-room quality”: “High-quality wooden surfaces, such as Mahogany, Bleached Oak or Rosewood, give the bathroom a lively warmth and personality. The natural warmth of wood stands in contrast to the white ceramic and acrylic surfaces of the washbasins, WCs, bidets and bathtubs and introduces a sense of the living room into the bathroom.” However, according to Sieger, it is not just washbasins that should feature a furniture surround but even tubs and shower trays can be elevated to furniture status: “This gives the bathroom just the right 'living character' to become a dream bathroom.”

There is a growing trend to integrate the bathroom area with the spaces around it to create a complete personal spa and wellness are. Photo courtesy of Duravit USA, Inc.