Want to create an opulent oasis at home? Look no further than our top 5 most blissful bathroom trends for 2017.
Words Beth Greshwalk / This is an edited extract from Adore’s Bliss Edition
1 UNIQUE TILING
Bland bathrooms are a thing of the past, with 2017’s interior spotlight on distinctive tiling arrangements. Whether you go subtle with small, geometric mosaics, or bolder using mismatched shapes and patterns, creative tiling is your transformative tool: “Tile selection sets the initial tone and mood of a bathroom,” says Olivia Sirocco, interior designer with GIA Bathrooms & Kitchens of Melbourne. “Its surface, depth, and how it ties into the rest of the room, is essential in creating the perfect space.”
Olivia, who helped design these bathrooms shown, believes we should not limit the number of different tiles we use, as long as the textures and colours tie in together. “If you are looking at layering to create depth, it is also nice to incorporate different materials,” she adds.
While Mediterranean-flavoured, encaustic tiles are a GIA favourite, “pastel colours, terrazzo bodies with patterns over the top, and Moroccan-inspired patterns” are also trending, Olivia says.
2 BLACK FIXTURES
Black is today’s ‘it’ colour when it comes to bathroom fixtures – everything from cupboard door handles and tapware, to shower screen framing. Use black to create beautiful contrast on a whitened backdrop, or to fuel the drama of darkened surrounds, as Mim Fanning of Melbourne-based Mim Design demonstrates in these two bathrooms (pictured above and right).
In the bathroom above, Mim’s chosen black-framed shower door and tapware create a stunning divergence on the light background, while complementing the home’s Edwardian heritage. Her addition of marble tiles and vanity allows for elegant contrast, without over-contrasting: “Too strong of a contrast can look harsh,” she says.
Pictured below – this bathroom designed by Arent&Pyke, is yet another example of how black fixtures like tapware, towel rail and shower screen door frames can look striking when paired with an all-white bathroom.
3 BEAUTIFUL BATHTUBS
Making a freestanding bath the star of your bathroom not only inspires relaxation, but also puts you right on trend for 2017. These curvaceous and sculptural tubs shown are two standouts that make a bold design statement.
Bonnie Hindmarsh of Sydney’s Three Birds Renovations recently chose a black contoured model (pictured, below) to make an opulent statement against a white herringbone tile backdrop. “Remember, tiles can’t distract from the bath,” Bonnie advises. “We created a subtle feature wall behind the bath that complemented rather than competed.”
Meanwhile, Justin Northrup of Melbourne’s Technē Architecture + Interior Design worked a statuesque bath (pictured, above) into the open-air courtyard of a matching art deco home: “Locating the bath outside was primarily experiential, while it also served to stretch the interior so it’s perceived as a generous space.”
4 STATEMENT SINKS
Never underestimate the style power of a bathroom sink.
Whether you go concrete-chic or curvaceous ceramic – two basins making headlines this year – you’re certain to create impact, and Nood Co. founder Matt Di Costa couldn’t agree more. “Sinks are a great opportunity to make a statement in a bathroom. They are affordable and easily changeable – you can add colour or change up with another material.”
The Box Sink (shown above) and Trough Sink Vanity Set (pictured opposite), are both popular sellers of the Perth-based brand, and show how concrete can look sharp yet soften your bathroom. As Matt points out, “Our Box Sink has a lovely Scandinavian reference, with soft curved edges.” Proof that concrete needn’t be rigid, after all: “Our concrete isn’t as aggressive and raw as your usual concrete. It blends into surroundings, accenting marble tiles and taps.”
Wood Melbourne’s concrete vanity basin pictured below, is another example of a basin with industrial-chic flair, and looks great paired with the warmth of their Aphra wall-hung timber vanity unit.
5 ROUND MIRRORS
Mirror, mirror on the wall – when it comes to transforming bathrooms, round has it all. A captivating way to soften your space, round mirrors counteract the hard edges that often make bathrooms feel ‘clinical’. So, why not dare to be different while adding feminine flair? Remember – the bigger, the better.
Principal Jean-Pierre Biasol at Melbourne’s Biasol Design has made a bold design statement with this round strap mirror from Meizai, shown below: “We loved the attachment detail. The mirror feels more like a piece of furniture, complementing the round Alape basin.”
