The need for comfort, tranquillity, calmness and a relaxed environment is paramount, with no sign at all of any decline in the importance of the home. Many people continue to spend more time at home, rather than travelling to work-specific locations; as a consequence, the house has to work so much harder to fulfil all the different needs and activities, and ensure as much as possible that it works for everyone.
The dramatic escalation of the cost of living and squeeze on disposable income may well mean that some house owners decide against wholesale renovations of their bathrooms for the time being. However, bathrooms offer so many opportunities for specific elements to be changed or updated to create a new, fresh feel to the room.
Installing new taps, for example, in this season’s warm metallic tones, such as brass, gold and brushed bronze, will instantly update the bathroom. And if they can be textured, so much the better. To complement this, look to bold, warm colours for the walls – and maybe consider colour drenching, with floors, walls and ceiling all in the same shade – which appears to be a trend across not only bathrooms, but bedrooms and kitchens this year.
Wallpaper – either specifically made for moisture-laden environments or varnished to withstand damp atmospheres – is another great way of updating a bathroom. Freestanding baths continue to be the feature of choice when space allows. And when dealing with a small bathroom, it can be useful to affix as much as possible to walls, rather than installing floor-standing toilets, sinks, furniture etc. Nostalgia also appears in bathroom trends with chequerboard for both floors and tiles – a backwards look towards a classic Victorian style.
Sources: House Beautiful; Ideal Home; Period Living; Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms; House & Garden; English Home