Bathroom Trends in 2021

This past year saw home take on a new meaning for almost everyone. Dining rooms became WFH offices, living rooms became the hip spot for Saturday night cocktails shared over Zoom, and bathrooms became a prime destination for retreat and relaxation. In order to gain some insight into see coming down the pipeline for home spaces this next year, we resarch some reports online what will be trending in bathroom design over the next 365 days and beyond. Spoiler alert: It’s gonna be good, especially for self-care.

1. Inset storage
Organizing your bathroom can be complicated. Often, they’re the smallest rooms with the most stuff to corral—towels, cleaning supplies, and all 97 steps of your skincare routine, just to name a few. Ingenious solution to this issue: Lots of nooks and crannies added into the bathroom. 

2. The custom experience
What works in the bathroom of your favorite restaurant or the home of your most stylish neighbor isn’t necessarily going to be what’s right for your space and its inhabitants, and that’s why true customization—and finding solutions that work for your lifestyle—is on the rise. 
When taking stock of your own bathroom’s design, don’t forget to consider not just how you connect with it aesthetically but also how it works for your lifestyle. If 2020 has taught us anything, the idea of home is just as much about how we function in a space as it is about how it makes us feel. 

3. Upgraded vanities
No longer is your bathroom countertop just a spot where you vie for precious real estate during your nightly elbow-to-elbow toothbrush showdown with your partner. Now this area is potentially another full-blown design statement. 
4. Unique tile applications

If there’s one material that is synonymous with the phrase “bathroom,” it’s tile. Perennially beloved for its easy-to-clean and water-resistant nature (especially important in bathrooms for all the obvious reasons), maybe this the key to aesthetic success? 

The best part about this trend? You don’t have to break the bank to get in on it. Install traditional subway tile in a square basket weave or double herringbone pattern to bring visual interest to this builder-basic finish.

5. Floating sinks
Bathrooms that are short on space (especially powder rooms) will see a boost in functionality and aesthetics in 2021, thanks to the rise in popularity of floating sinks. A suspended sink is a great way to maximize space in a smaller bathroom.

6. Medicine cabinets
 Inset ones which look cleaner and more modern than surface-mounted styles. They’re a great inexpensive way to add useful storage to smaller bathrooms.

7. “Living” metals
We foresee the continued embrace of living metals in bathroom fixtures, specifically your plumping and hardware. Metals such as unpolished brass, pewter, and bronze age and patina beautifully over time, making them the perfect addition in traditional and modern spaces alike.
8. Plastre Walls

 Plaster Walls finishes are a great way to get creative in a bathroom. You can opt for different applications and even introduce color to plaster work, making it a versatile material to design with.

9. Natural woods
With all that metal hardware, porcelain, and tile, it’s no surprise that bathrooms can sometimes end up feeling a bit sterile, especially when there’s nary a window in sight. A great way to up the warmth factor of your space is by finding a way to incorporate a few natural elements, like wood, into the decor scheme. 
10. Freestanding tubs
After this year, it’s no wonder copious amounts of self-care is on many to-do lists. Creating an at-home sanctuary for yourself can often be as easy as lighting the right candle or pouring the right glass of wine. For those that want to take it a little further, Jane suggests a bathroom accent straight out of the playbook of some of your favorite luxury hotels: a freestanding tub.