Tips for creating a timeless bathroom design that lasts 

Designing a new bathroom or remodelling an existing one is an exciting process. It gives you the chance to showcase your sense of style and provides a great creative outlet for all your ideas. But keep in mind that designing a bathroom should be approached with a sense of longevity in mind. 

It’s important that you are happy with the design of your bathroom in the present and in the future. Styles and trends come and go. You don’t want to end up with a bathroom that you dislike in only a few years’ time after the trend you excitedly embraced has faded from favour. 

Another key element to consider is ease of function. You want a bathroom that not only looks great, but is also easy to keep clean and requires minimal maintenance. 

In this blog post, we take a look at some things to keep in mind for creating a timeless bathroom design that lasts. 

Go with a neutral colour palette 

Getting your colour palette right is essential. While certain bold colours might be in style in the here and now, you need to think in the long term. 

Neutral colours like white, grey and beige will never go out of style. For your wall paint and tiles, stick to these colour combinations and you can’t go wrong. If you go all out on a bright blue mosaic tile scheme or a vibrant purple feature wall, you could be limiting the resale value of your property as these colours won’t be to everyone’s taste and such features are costly to re-do. 

Neutral colours also easily pair with pretty much any type of material used in a bathroom like ceramic, marble, wood or stone. So if your bathroom vanity is made from a gorgeous brown Santana Oak, the countertop will really pop against the neutral colours you’ve used for the walls and tiles. 

If going neutral seems a bit on the plain side to you and you want to inject a bit more colour into your bathroom, you can do this without sacrificing on design longevity. Look for opportunities to add a touch of colour in the small things. For example, hob or on the bench basin tapware is easy to change as opposed to wall mounted tapware and represents a chance to get a bit more creative. Why not go with sunset instead of the standard stainless steel look? And if you want to change things down the line, replacing your tapware out for something more neutral is much more affordable than having to completely re-tile or re-paint. 

Accessories like towel rails, soap dishes and mounted toothbrush holders also allow you to change things up. Matte black accessories are very popular and create a more dramatic look, especially when paired with an all-white bathroom. Again, these can be easily swapped out later on if desired. 

Choose classic design features 

In the same way that it's best to go with a colour palette that won’t go out of style, it’s important to make sure your bathroom design features will remain timeless. This includes carefully choosing the right fittings and materials. 

To start with, the shape and style of your bathroom fittings have a big impact on its overall look and feel. Square and angular basins, tubs and tapware are quite trendy at the moment and lend a highly modern look to any bathroom. However, soft round shapes that are less contrasting are considered to give a classic and timeless look. 

If you just can’t say no to having a square basin right now, it’s a good idea to match it with rounded tapware to add just a touch of softness back in. So if you decide to sell your property in the future, you’ll have the best of both worlds in terms of design and be able to attract a wider range of buyers. 

Next on the list of features to get right is to select timeless materials for your cabinetry, countertops, flooring and other elements. Some materials are just better to build with than others. For example, quality timber effect finishes for draws and cupboards and manufactured stone tops for vanities have always been favoured materials and never go out of style. Enamelled titanium steel is another high quality material that is always highly sought after in bathrooms. It’s strong, easy to clean and silky smooth to the touch, so it’s perfect for bath tubs and basins. 

Materials to avoid include inexpensive laminate over particle board for bathroom countertops which can swell and warp. For shower enclosures, one-piece fiberglass inserts are prone to scratching and are not very pretty to look at. Investing in premium materials will always be worth your while in the long run. 

Pick high quality products 

Reputable bathroom brands may cost more upfront, but they cost more for a reason. Bathroom fittings such as tapware, showers and tubs from premium brands are built to last, not just look good in the showroom. 

High quality products contribute greatly to both the timeless design and ease of maintenance of your bathroom. Many top European brands, such as Villeroy & Boch and Hansa, have built a reputation on having excellent after-purchase service with spare parts readily available. 

These brands also keep in-wall plumbing components the same year after year, never needlessly changing their designs. When the time comes for you to do a renovation, you will be easily able to change out handles and back-plates, leaving any in-wall components as is. 

If you are trying to stick to a tight budget, invest your money into the ‘moving parts’ of your bathroom, such as quality tapware and in-wall systems. These are the components that you want to last for as long as possible. 

Another tip when choosing bathroom products is to look for products with universal fittings. For example, if you are interested in installing a shower system, try to find a model which has a universal thread. This will allow you to update the handpiece and the shower rail in the future without replacing the whole system and needing to break any tiles, greatly adding to the longevity of your bathroom. 

Finally, premium brands offer a range of innovative product features and finishes which add incredible longevity to your bathroom. Take Villeroy & Boch’s CeramicPlus finish for instance which makes it much easier to take care of ceramic surfaces.  Fluids immediately form droplets on making contact with treated surfaces and bead off into the outlet, so cleaning is a breeze. CeramicPlus also has scratch-resistant properties. Such finishes ensure your bathroom looks like new for years and years to come. 

Need help creating a timeless bathroom design? Talk to the team at arthaus 

Whether you’re renovating a home bathroom or working on a commercial project, arthaus is here to help. 

Our bathroom experts have all the right know-how to recommend the perfect products for your needs so that you can make that final decision with confidence. 

Click here to get in touch with us today. We have a dedicated bathroom showroom in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley which is open to the public 6 days a week.  

Or give us a call on 07 3252 6111. We look forward to making your dream designs a reality.