Updating the look of your bathroom is exciting, but tricky – you want to invest in features that feel contemporary, while avoiding anything that’s so trendy that it’ll be out-of-date too soon. Opting for a modern interior design aesthetic – think clean lines, neutral hues and natural materials – is an ideal way to balance today’s trends with elements that you’ll love for a long time. Whether you’re planning a total renovation or you want to refresh your bathroom with a few new fixtures, these modern bathroom design ideas will bring beauty, function and stylish stamina to your space for years to come.
A Mix of Metals
When it comes to modern design, it’s often all about the finishes. While modern lines favour timeless simplicity, the aesthetic tends to play with finishes at the extremes of the shine spectrum, like matte black or gleaming metallics. In the bathroom, consider choosing two finishes (like muted gold on the mirror and lights alongside a nickel-tone faucet and showerhead) for a subtle, but still distinctively modern effect.
Related: Our 10 Most Popular Bathroom Design Ideas on Pinterest
Touches of Timber
Modern bathrooms are often minimalist, but that doesn’t mean they have to be cold or sterile. Incorporating teak, beech or oak wood details inspires a spa-like feel, conveys warmth and adds contrast to the metallic, marble and white that typically characterize modern design.
Two-For-One
The best bathroom investments do double duty: elevating both the look and the functionality of the space. Replacing a clunky old toilet with a sleek, integrated bidet toilet, for example, supports a more sustainable lifestyle (a bidet can dramatically reduce your household’s paper use) while simultaneously providing modern design. A self-contained shower-toilet like the Duravit SensoWash® i Plus offers an elegant look and the latest technology – which means it will deliver enhanced style, hygiene and comfort for the long haul.
Standalone Style
Comfort and relaxation are forever on trend – and so is a luxe freestanding bathtub that’s made for soaking. Keep the feature contemporary and comfortable by choosing a deep tub design that showcases smooth curves in a round or oval shape.
Elegant Flow
Fixtures are like jewelry for the bathroom, stylishly (and functionally) accessorizing streamlined modern bathtubs, sinks and showers. Showcasing subtle tapered lines and a matte black finish, Hansgrohe’s Joleena Bathroom Faucet brings durability and a modern moment to the bath-time experience.
Related: 12 Modern, Minimalist Bathroom Ideas to Inspire You
Clearly Chic
Space is always in style. A glass-walled shower evokes a modern, minimalist feel that looks luxe in a larger bathroom – but also creates the illusion of a more open floor plan in a smaller bathroom space.
Related: Modern Shower Ideas That Will Turn Your Bathroom Into a Masterpiece
The Right Niche
You’re always going to need a convenient place (or a few) to keep your shampoo, soap and other shower necessities on hand. A recessed shower niche creates sleek space for essential storage – as well as a clean-lined, modern design detail.
Related: 13 Ways to Stylishly Store and Organize Your Toiletries
Up in the Air
Speaking of storage, a vanity defines the aesthetic of any bathroom. To keep things clean and modern, consider a floating design. Floating vanities provide storage while also creating the illusion of more space – and more space will always have staying power in a smaller bathroom.
A Sleek Vessel
While the sink is most certainly a functional element of the bathroom, it can also be a work of modern art. A vessel sink, which looks as if it’s sitting atop the bathroom counter, adds contemporary curves to the vanity – and to the bathroom on the whole.
Light Bright
Good lighting is absolutely essential in the bathroom – and yet many people overlook the opportunity to use lighting trends for design impact in this space. Lustrous pendant lights in an unexpected material bring a touch of drama to the room, while still maintaining a clean, modern aesthetic.
Related: The 10 Most Popular Pendant Lights
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