Insight & News

Grey is the new Black

Grey is the new Black

The role of a bathroom has shifted from a practical space to an additional living area. Over time it has become a place to chill out and unwind and its décor has adapted to this changing culture. Soft furnishing, storage that resembles furniture and on trend lighting fixtures are now common place alongside indulgent rainfall showers, decorative mirrors and feature units. Some now say it is second only to the kitchen as the heart of the home.

There are several luxury design trends now featuring in many bathrooms as designers are moving away from hard angular finishes to more statement design features. 

Monochrome has made a comeback with the palette shifting from black and white to mix with subtle greys. It's traditional for a bathroom and yet, continues to work with contemporary schemes too. 

In keeping with this trend geometric patterned tiles once only prevalent in Edwardian properties are now hugely popular in these hues across the property spectrum. The black, white and grey patterns can be tessellated in different ways to create several different designs. 

Brands well known in other areas of design and fashion such as Ted Baker and Laura Ashley are now designing in this sphere. Why? During his travels in Europe wandering in search of inspiration Ted's discerning eye happened upon a stylishly striking house made entirely of tiles. From floor to ceiling, every inch was adorned in the finest ceramics; even the furniture and oven were adorned in intricate mosaic. Ted Baker remarked, "Isn't it funny how one tiny piece makes all the difference?" Believing a shirt bedecked in mosaic to be a little cumbersome for the modern man about town, Ted set about creating a range of tiles that could decorate the home instead and that's how it all began.

Laura Ashley has also designed a tile range to compliment their existing offering of interior furnishings.

Tiles play an important role in interior design as they set the look and feel of a house. Tiles can be used to create the desired ambience but can also be difficult to choose.  Consulting an interior designer can be useful as they provide good advice considering other aspects of your bathroom design and surrounding property. 

Colour and texture can also be introduced in different ways.  For example, coloured shower panels, vanity tops and basins are a popular new addition along with the geometric tiles which can be used on both wall and floor surfaces.

And while you may have thought gold taps belonged to a classical era, gold and rose gold are very much back on trend.

Rose gold bathroom décor is featured in current collections from brassware to basin stands and is perfect to bring warmth and a feeling of real luxury to your bathroom.

Again, going back to monochrome trends, these golden hues, work in harmony to create stand out elements against the greys and inky blacks.

You can use gold sparingly to give your bathroom just a touch of luxury, or more liberally if you're creating a more opulent space. 

Take advantage of our free interior design service and pop into our Forest Road showroom to see how you can incorporate these trends into your next bathroom.