Design
How to furnish a contemporary bathroom
reading time: 7 minutes
What does furnishing a bathroom mean today? What are the latest trends in furniture and coverings? What are the features of the contemporary bathroom and which are today’s most popular tiles?
In recent decades the bathroom has been profoundly (and rapidly) transformed by lifestyle changes, by the evolutions in household composition and homes, and also by a fresh approach to the concepts of privacy and intimacy. From a purely functional room of secondary importance it has grown into a private mini-spa, an intimate oasis of wellbeing where we can enjoy even just a few minutes’ relaxation, a place to be furnished in line with both personal taste and the latest contemporary trends.
The style of the contemporary bathroom mirrors that of the entire home, so the colours and materials differ depending on the colour scheme chosen for the overall interior design project. Therefore, in the last few years the types of tiles which can be installed in the bathroom have multiplied, as have the installation options and the architectural and compositional potentials of the various tile sizes.
A unique interior design style for every bathroom
The first step when designing the furnishing of a contemporary bathroom is to create a moodboard with the colour scheme and the material effect finishes of the coverings and furniture. The starting point is always a style or an inspiration (location, mood or theme) which will help to delineate the features which follow.
How to choose the colour for your bathroom: read our guide
Coverings for the contemporary bathroom
Compared to past decades, bathroom coverings have also evolved, reaching beyond the ceramic tiles traditionally used. Options such as water-repellent wallpapers, eco-mortars and micro-cements, painted finishes such as Tadelakt and synthetic panelling to match the shower tray are all becoming more and more common.
However, the most popular, due to both tradition and convenience, are ceramic tiles, a category which now also embraces porcelain stoneware.
In fact, porcelain stoneware extends creative possibilities as it enables the same decor or effect to be used on both the walls and floor. So there are no limits to imaginative design: ceramic carpets, mix & match of material effects, monochrome total looks, micro-decors or maxi sizes.
Here are some examples of how to style a contemporary bathroom in line with today’s biggest design trends.
- Contemporary rustic bathroom: giving the rustic style a modern reinterpretation means evoking its typical features (wood, stone) but with cleaner lines and more sharply defined volumes. In this case, the tiles might be in wood-effect porcelain stoneware with a very strong vein pattern (in which case herringbone installation would be a good idea) combined with a structured stone look.
- Contemporary classic bathroom: style and refinement mixed with modern minimalism. In this case a luxury marble-effect stoneware could be used for the room’s covering, installed with the very latest sizes and styles.
- Contemporary elegant bathroom: elegance is, of course, subjective, but with regard to interiors it implies neutral shades and simple furniture with some more precious details. A stone-effect stoneware with a delicate texture and subtle colours may provide an excellent starting-point for designing a modern refined bathroom.
- Minimalist contemporary bathroom: formal simplicity and uniformity of coverings could be the key to a bathroom of this kind. Medium and large sizes in resin or concrete effect are ideal in this case, in delicate, powdery colours.
- Industrial contemporary bathroom: lovers of metropolitan moods can cover the bathroom with a wood-effect stoneware with a surface rich in knots and veining, and use black metal features to highlight the stylistic reference.
A trendy modern bathroom
Apart from the general style categories set out above, there are also trends which come into fashion from time to time, and which cause specific sizes or decors to be particularly popular. Some examples? Tiles that evoke traditional cement tiles, widely used and very popular for some years now, or the brick sizes, for horizontal or vertical installation and with different surface effects, from matt finishes to glossy tiles that evoke Moroccan pottery.
Furnishing the contemporary bathroom: sanitary fixtures, taps, furniture
Once the design scheme for the coverings has been decided, it is time to choose the various furnishings and fittings. Over time, sanitary fixtures have changed in form, concealing U-bends and generally wall-hung or flush with the wall. The shower area is stylistically integrated into the rest of the bathroom, with matching shower trays and walls. The finishes available for taps have multiplied to match the metal shades of accessories and handles.
The contemporary bathroom has thus become a place where the home’s owners can express their personalities and creativity, as well as a room for focusing on personal wellbeing.
