Looking for ways to give your bathroom a cosmetic refresh? Realtor.com recently reached out to Stephanie Thornton Plymale, CEO of Heritage School of Interior Design to share her thoughts on these current design trends. Continue reading to learn how you can incorporate these trends into your bathroom to give your space a fresh, stylish look.
A Unique Vanity Stool
If you have a vanity in your bathroom or even an empty corner, have some fun selecting a unique vanity stool! We love seeing these as a final touch in the bathroom. A vanity stool provides the perfect space to relax and refresh, or just an unexpected accent. We love this Wire Loop Chair from Urban Outfitters. Whether you use it as a stool, a surface to stack towels, or simply decor, this stool is guaranteed to add a little glam to your space!
Ladder Shelving
The benefit of ladder shelving is that you get a lot of storage space with a relatively small physical footprint! Ladder shelving is a great solution for a smaller bathroom. As you can see from the image at right, ladder shelving can add extra vertical storage space above the toilet– a typically underutilized space. Humidity plants (think orchids or a sweeping pothos), crisp white guest towels, and small accessories are all perfect elements to complete the ladder shelf look! We like the minimalist look of this shelf from Birch Lane with the simple white shelves and natural wood frame.
Mosaic Tiles
A bathroom can be a great place to express your creativity with pattern and color, especially if it’s not your primary bathroom. Many designers have been playing with patterned tile to create designs in unexpected ways. The Tile Shop has a wonderful variety and selection of tile, and they offer customized mosaic options. I recommend you play around with different colors, different mediums (glass, marble, ceramic) and create a mosaic that feels truly yours! Installing a new tile backsplash behind the sink (like the gorgeous green tile above) or re-doing the tile of your shower walls can have a significant impact on the overall look and feel of your bathroom. Take some time to explore all of the options out there and see what you can create!
A Vintage Touch
Upcycling vintage pieces is another creative way to bring something unexpected into your bathroom and is a major trend that we have been seeing lately.
Pro Tip: you can often find a vintage dresser at a garage or estate sale for less than you’d spend on a brand new vanity. Then, customize it however you want – one sink or two, repaint and refinish as you wish!
If estate sales aren’t your scene, we recommend perusing local vintage shops to find the perfect piece for your space. For a smaller scale project, look for a vintage shelf that you can sand down and finish with a fresh coat of paint. If you don’t necessarily want a project, a beautiful vintage mirror or artwork can add some character to your space. For even smaller accents, consider vintage glass containers or perfume bottles!
Combining Tile and Wallpaper
If you’re not afraid of bold color and pattern, check out this bathroom renovation from StudioDIY, where they combined a royal blue Fire Clay Tile (found here) with a tiger print wallpaper from Aelfie, found here!
While the StudioDIY designer selected this combination for a fun kid’s bathroom, we have been seeing some gorgeous combinations of tile and wallpaper in more mature spaces too! See the design by Lauras Design Co. above as an example of a sophisticated mix of tile and wallpaper. Whether you prefer a more bold or understated look, this trend is a great way to add a variety of texture to your space.
To pull off this look, first you will want to decide what ratio of wallpaper and tile you want. Do you want tile wainscoting with wallpaper featured above? Or an entire wall of wallpaper and an entire wall of tile? Once you’ve decided, select a wallpaper that you’re in love with, and pull a color from the wallpaper to select the color of your tile. Even if you’re just doing white tile, you’ll want to match it with a white in the wallpaper to make sure they are in the same tone.
Looking for More Bathroom Trends?
Considering painting the walls in your bathroom black? Click here to learn How To Design a Black Bathroom That Will Wow Your Guests!