It is a well-known fact in the real estate world that kitchens and bathrooms are the key selling points of a home. It is always worth investing your time and money in a good design to achieve a quality bathroom and today’s trends are taking bathrooms to a whole new level. Bathrooms are no longer a purely functional and utilitarian space but rather a sanctuary from the outside world, a domestic oasis to relax and rejuvenate from the stresses of a busy life – your own personal spa at home.
Many home bathroom designs are drawing inspiration from hotel bathrooms and spas, resulting in some truly indulgent bathrooms, which are a relaxation destination in their own right.
In keeping with the current trend in hotel bathroom design, open concept style bathrooms are becoming more popular in new build and remodelled properties. With our tropical climate and abundance of breeze, including an open plan bathroom/bedroom in your home is a smart way to enlarge your bathroom and up the style stakes in your master suite or guesthouse.
“Bathrooms are definitely more important than they were,” explains interior designer and owner of the leading interiors store House, Fran Morrell. “Larger bathrooms are increasingly popular. Bathrooms are seen now as spa options. More plumbing options are available – rain showers, sauna showers, etc. The wet room is much more common now – an open plan shower where the floor is a continuation of the main room but the water drains away, with or without a shower partition.”
The biggest challenge with designing a large bathroom is working out how to break up the area. You don’t want the key features to get lost. Keeping all pieces in proportion to the room is essential. For smaller bathroom spaces adding an antique mirror perfectly positioned to reflect the view, not only creates an elegant effect but also makes the room appear larger.
Image courtesy of Oil Nut Bay and Christian Horan Photography
Al fresco showers have long been a favourite in our islands and that design element is as popular as ever. Gone are the glass block walls and terracotta tiles of old and in with natural stonewalls and unobtrusive glass panels. This is a recurring trend in many of the new generation of villas in the BVI and there are no finer examples of this style than in the villas of Oil Nut Bay, the prestigious luxury resort community in the North Sound of Virgin Gorda.
The colour palettes making an impact this year are monotones: greys and whites with touches of black. Soft beiges and coral stone are also relevant for tropical bathrooms. With the choice of bathroom hardware ever expanding, brass and matte black are the key trends to look out for.
A very simple and cost-effective option to take your bathroom over the top in style is to add a statement wall. Using unusual or colourful tiles is a great way to create an eye-catching wall feature.
When considering your choice for flooring Fran Morrell suggests: “Larger tiles make more of an impact – a cleaner look and less or no grout. Larger tiles are requested more plus the use and direction of tiles is also being played with to create interest, used diagonally or vertically up a wall rather than the traditional horizontal placement. Marble is also popular. Mixing marble tile on the wall with wood accents and floor brings a more contemporary mid-century feel.” Try adding a stylish rug to turn the floor into a focal point.
Designer Fran Morrell has shared her top 5 style elements for a luxurious bathroom:
- Cool stone tiled walls paired with a wood floor
- Seating (comfortable chair for relaxing)
- Plants (a must in a bathroom)
- Mirrored storage
- Flattering and atmospheric lighting
So what are you waiting for? Fill your Pinterest board with pictures of your favourite hotel bathrooms and start planning the bathroom of your dreams.
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