On busy mornings and exhausted evenings when we can’t wait to get into bed, the bathroom may not be your first thought as a relaxing or enjoyable environment. Therefore, the perks of a bathroom renovation should not be overlooked. A clean, stylishly decorated bathroom can make even the most monotonous of mornings or hectic of evenings feel a little lighter, providing you a location where you can relieve your stress and relax your mood.
Modern bathrooms have grown to prominence, with a variety of contemporary design concepts that are simple to implement while making a significant impact to the overall look and feel of your bathroom. Continue reading for 10 bathroom design tips, including recommendations for tiny spaces for urban dwellers in Hong Kong and Singapore to inspire your next renovation.
1. Take Influence from Nature
Elements of nature and greenery automatically make a space feel more relaxing. By incorporating some plants, potpourri, and earthy decorations such as wooden cabinets, stools, or vanities, your bathroom design can evoke a sense of calm and serenity, making this space thoroughly pleasant to be. The LAUFEN INO vanity unit, made from real wood veneer in dark walnut, comes with a pull-out compartment that enhances the room in terms of style and practicality. For other natural and minimalistic inspirations, the Duravit D-Neo countertop comes in a variety of wood-inspired colour fronts such as terra oak and natural walnut, and can easily be wall-mounted to give your bathroom a unique look.
2. Add Mirrors
This is one of the best ideas for small bathrooms, as mirrors always make a space look larger than it actually is. You can either use standard rectangular bathroom mirrors or consider adding decorative mirrors to give the room a more interesting look. Many of these mirrors often now have different lighting features, such as LED illumination which can further add to the modern feel.
Villeroy & Boch’s Subway 3.0 mirror with LED lighting comes in a circular frame which adds a different shape to your bathroom, whilst the settings such as continuously variable light colours and dimmable lighting can easily be switched by tapping twice. If you are partial to circular mirrors, the Emco Pure++ mirror with LED lighting also features different light colours and brightness that are easy to operate with a sensor switch, as well as an innovative mirror heating feature that dispels frost and can help regulate the ambient temperature within the room.
For a true smart home solution, the Emco Prestige 2 illuminated mirror cabinet allows for networking of different light sources via Bluetooth, where you can perform all operations via an app, controller, or directly on the touch control panel.
3. Rethink Your Bathroom Sink Design
By elevating your bathroom sink design, you can even make the simple act of washing your hands more enjoyable. Consider adopting a large basin that can comfortably fill with water, with a faucet that has adequate clearance for you to put your hands under without bending over too much. Gessi has a range of high-end sink mixers that can seamlessly blend into your bathroom design - the Gessi 316 INTRECCIO comes in elegant finishes such as steel brushed, copper brushed, and black metal brushed to make your bathroom feel more contemporary. The Laufen Il Bagno Alessi One countertop basin, designed by Stefano Giovannoni, will be a standout fixture in your bathroom. It is known for its timeless form, imaginative elements, and touch of eccentricity.
Floating sinks are a popular choice for small bathrooms, where you can neatly tuck laundry baskets, towels, or other amenities as needed. Grohe has a selection of floating sinks that can effortlessly fit into your bathroom whilst creating generous storage space, such as the Grohe Essence countertop washbasin or the Grohe Euro washbasin vanity unit which comes with built-in storage.
4. Utilise Bright Colour
Liven up your bathroom with some colourful accents or contrasting colours to create a unique, modern feel. You can consider painting the walls a singular bright shade like dark blue or pale yellow, then use entirely black or white furniture to make the colour contrast really stand out. Alternatively, you can use white and cream tones for the walls with subtle colour accents such as vibrant towels, stools, and toiletry racks.
The eye-catching peony Villeroy and Boch Finion rack module is a wall-mounted solution that instantly turns your bathroom into a convenient hub, featuring a wireless charging station, continuously dimmable LED lighting, an auto-on function, and up to 3 light channels which can be controlled via a remote. If your bathroom is painted in brighter shades, the LAUFEN Space tall rack in matt white will stand out beautifully against the vibrant hues, whilst offering comprehensive storage space with multiple shelf levels that add to your overall aesthetic.
5. Blend Different Textures
The simple act of mixing different textures, tiles, and materials can instantly make your bathroom feel more modern, creating subtle contrasts for your eyes to take in. You can try using a particular set of tiles for your shower floors and another set in a different texture or colour for your walls and main flooring. However, make sure that these colour combinations do not clash too much – go for neutral tones such as black, grey, cream, and beige if you are attempting this idea. Creating a mood board will help you a long way into designing what colours and materials to use.
If you want to make a statement in a more coordinated manner, select a tile pattern that you can comfortably use throughout your bathroom, including on the floors, walls, and surfaces. You do not need to go overboard – if these tiles have bold colours or intricate patterns, you can cleverly place them so they pop out more amongst the other tiles or colours in your bathroom.
6. Find the Best Shower System
A modern bathroom would not truly be complete without a beautiful shower system - or even better yet, a bathtub if you have the space!). The Villeroy & Boch Antheus freestanding oval bath makes a luxurious addition to a larger bathroom, made from a durable and smooth quartz-acrylic mixture that withstands impact and scratches, with slanted backs that make for true relaxation.
Those with smaller bathrooms can consider a rain shower for the most enjoyable experience, such as the Grohe SmartControl 360 Duo. This shower system comes with a range of innovations, such as different spray modes (TrioMassage, PureRain, and Rain O) which can be changed by clicking a button, wonderfully even water distribution via GROHE DreamSpray, and the easy removal of limescale with a SpeedClean wipe. A sturdy, ornamental shower bracket for your showerhead, like the easily-adjustable and sleek LAUFEN TwinGliss Shower Rail, is also a good investment if you do not want to change your entire showerhead. Silver is the standard for most shower setups, however you can try gold, white, or black if this fits with your current colour palette.
7. Incorporate Hidden Storage
Clutter is one of the major culprits that makes a bathroom appear less polished. Consider enclosed storage to neatly stow away all your loose needs if you have a lot of toiletries or bathroom accessories. For those looking for ways to maximise space, floating drawers beneath a sink or built-in cubby shelves in your shower area could be ideal. An Emco Asis divider system can also be inserted into pull-out compartments or drawers for easy organisation, allowing you to keep all your amenities in their ideal place.
8. Use Glass Elements
Adding in more glass elements, such as glass shower doors or partitions, can evoke a feeling of airiness and openness, further ‘expanding’ the space - a great move for those with small bathrooms. You can play around with textured glass, frosted glass, and even patterned glass to mix up the feel of your bathroom.
Glass amenities can also lend a feeling of sophistication to your bathroom, including shelves, soap dishes, and tumblers. The Grohe bathroom set is a holder finished with crystal glass that can easily be wall-mounted to your bathroom, providing a sturdy safe-keeping for your toothbrush, whilst the timeless design of the Emco Fino crystal glass soap dish set will keep your soap within easy reach. The Grohe Selection glass shelf with bracket also provides a spacious surface to display all your bathroom products and cosmetics, with a durable chrome surface that is easy to clean.
9. Go Black and White
Black and white is one of the most popular ideas for modern bathroom design. The monochromatic contrast looks effortlessly classy, especially if you play up the contrast. Consider white-tiled walls with black-tiled floors, and carefully use each tone for curtains, soap dishes, showerheads, and floormats.
10. Play with Mood Lighting
We’ve all been inside bathrooms that are either glaringly bright or too dimly lit for us to properly see our own reflections. During your renovation, you should select lighting fixtures and strengths that can effectively brighten your bathroom without being overwhelming. For some modern lighting ideas, consider separate lights for the vanity, shower, and main bathroom. For example, you could utilise a backlit mirror or a pendant beside the vanity; or you could suspend a hanging lamp over the sink, with surface-mounted ceiling lights for the shower.
Emco has a selection of LED backlit mirrors that are easy to customise and use according to your lighting preferences - the Emco Evo mirror cabinet possesses high-quality LEDs above and below the mirror which can conveniently be controlled with a Touch Sensor, allowing you to alter the brightness (from 100%, 50%, or 25% brightness) and colour temperature (from a cool 6000K to a warm 3000K) at the touch of your finger. The overall mood of your bathroom can also be enhanced by the Duravit mirror with LED lighting, which incorporates dimmable lighting and mirror heating all activated by a sensor switch, lending to both the room’s brightness and warmth.
Want More Modern Bathroom Ideas?
We hope these bathroom design ideas allow you to carry out the home renovation of your dreams. If you are still looking for inspiration, our luxury bathroom fittings might be just what you need.