Bathrooms are often overlooked throughout the interior design process.

Why spend time trying to make a toilet look beautiful when you could be styling your living room with cozy couches or turning your bedroom into a loft? However, bathrooms are one of the most important rooms in the house, and styling them properly can change the whole tone of your home.

Bathrooms are almost always shared, and need to provide all of the comforts of modern living like an energizing shower in the morning, or a relaxing, late-night bath.

As such, they can be a challenge to design. Merging practicality with aesthetic appeal is a difficult task when it comes to bathroom fixtures, but it can (and should!) be done.

Given that bathrooms are usually shared by most household members, a stylish bathroom will improve the daily life of multiple people in the home. It will also increase the comfort of your guests and is an opportunity to impress them with a beautiful and clever design that enhances their bathroom experience.

There are a few strategies for updating or creating a coherent bathroom design. One of the main aspects of bathroom designs – and often one of the most overlooked – is the choice of accessories.

Bathrooms are usually the most accessory-heavy rooms in a house (possibly excepting the kitchen) because they serve so many functions. Crucial bathroom accessories include things like soap dispensers, shelves, soap dishes, towel rails, toothbrush holders. Other important fixtures include mirrors, sinks, cabinets, toilets, and bathtubs.

There is a versatility in this that allows for a bathroom redesign without even requiring renovations. For those on a modest budget who want to refresh their bathroom décor without having to remodel, updating the bathroom accessories is an excellent and affordable way to change your style.

Following one specific interior design trend like brutalism when selecting your accessories is a great way to create a sense of tonal unity in the bathroom and will give the impression of sophisticated, stylish design.

Current trends in bathroom design are seeing a return to the monochromatic palate, with plain whites and greys creating a pristine and well-organized atmosphere. Simple, tone-matching accessories are popular as a way to complement the monochromatic colours without pulling focus from the overall effect.

For those who prefer a more lively colour palate in their bathroom, accessories are often used to bring a burst of colour into the room. Rich, bold colours like purple and blue are common choices because they keep the contemporary coolness of a monochromatic palate while adding visual intrigue and layers to the contemporary style.

When designing a bathroom, research is always the first step. Try to compile a list of design ideas that you like, to get a sense of the styles you might want to emulate. Once you have an idea about how you want to redesign your bathroom, it’s time for the more practical concerns like size and budget.

These factors will influence the materials you can include in your remodel, as well as the furniture, accessories, layout, and complexity of the design. To help refine your bathroom inspiration, below are some gorgeous images of 4 beautiful designer bathrooms from around the world.

Bathroom Design Ideas: 4 Best Bathroom Designs

5. Romanek Malibu Home

Designed by Bridgette Romanek of Romanek Design Studios, this luxury Malibu project embodies the natural beauty of its Southern California setting. The use of unrefined materials and colours adds to the serenity of the design, creating a simple and personalized atmosphere.

The star of this designer bathroom is the zellige tiles. Each zellige tile has a unique colouring and edging which gives them their handmade appearance. For those looking to recreate the look, you can purchase similar tiles to the ones used in the Malibu home from many major tiling companies. The ones pictured above are available here from Perini for $119 per square metre.  

4. Kasler and Les Cole Maine Coastal Home

White is one of the most popular colours for contemporary bathrooms because it gives off a sense of pristine cleanliness and hygiene. The master bath of this Maine home features custom made mosaic tiles and a gorgeous mounted brass ceiling light from Circa Lighting.

The beautiful blue accents of the towels and shower doors in this designer bathroom is an easy-to-recreate idea – simply look for a matching towel set in a colour that you love and make sure your cabinet/vanity furniture allows you to show it off.

If you like the mosaic look but your budget does not allow for something custom made, you can find the tiles pictured above here for $30/sheet.

3. Commune Design Beverly Hills Spanish Colonial

The Spanish Colonial architecture of this Los Angeles home was a huge inspiration for the bathroom designer team at Commune Design. The beautiful Mediterranean tiles stop halfway up the walls, drawing attention to the archway and curved doors outside the ensuite.  

This is a beautiful example of how paying attention to the pre-existing features of your home can help you to create something new.

If you are a fan of the Mediterranean-style tiling, we suggest the Dural Navy Encaustic Tile pictured above, available here for $58/square metre. Even if the Mediterranean tile is not to your liking, the message of this design is clear: listen to the bones of your home, and let them be the foundation for something beautiful.

2. Tharp New England Country Home

This New England Country Home was heavily inspired by the romanticism of old English castles, and every room has a fairytale quality that makes this all the clearer. Rustic furniture and raw natural materials offset with refined brass or metal fixtures creates a beautiful atmosphere which all pulls together in the master bathroom.

You can purchase the exact tile used for this bathroom design here from Walker Zanger for $19.60 per square foot. Another way to emulate the fairytale chic of this bathroom in your own home is vintage cabinets and vanities like this one.