How to Use 2021 Bathrooms Trends in Your Remodel
Twenty-twenty-one bathroom interior design has been about creating personal sanctuaries in the room where most of us start and end our days. These modern bathrooms have clean lines and an airy openness reminiscent of the great outdoors.
Two prevailing aesthetics that have dominated 2021 bathroom interiors are Minimalism and Japandi. Minimalism, which has been widely popular over the past several years, calls for a simplistic and orderly design that keeps your bathroom from overcrowding. Similarly, Japandi design is a combination of naturalistic Japanese minimalism and easy Scandinavian functionality. Together these design styles have led to the rising popularity in the use of natural influences, effortless usability, and understated elegance.
If you’re ready to modernize your bathroom, learn more about bathroom remodeling and costs by visiting our pricing guide or keep reading for minimalist, earthy bathroom ideas that embody 2021’s most popular trends!
Make Your Own Personal Spa
In 2021, people want their bathrooms to feel cozy, comfortable, and luxurious. Maybe it’s a by-product of the pandemic; after all, most people spent more time inside their homes in 2021 than ever before. Or maybe the self-care movement is extending into interior design. Either way, people want to be pampered.
Add a luxury or two. Make your bathroom a more enjoyable place to be by investing in luxury fittings like a massaging shower, hydrotherapy bath, steam room, sauna, or heated tiles. Then, create a cozy atmosphere by lighting scented candles and adding soft textures like rugs, fuzzy towels, or a soft robe.
Install a freestanding tub. If you’re going to have a modern bathroom with a tub, you may as well have a freestanding one. Stand-alone tubs are visually pleasing because they create clean, curved lines. Their simplicity is soothing and can make you feel calmer whether you’re just passing by or settling in for a bath. Clawfoot tubs are one example of a freestanding tub and have a Victorian elegance that can mesh beautifully with a naturalistic style.
Soften the walls. With metal fixtures and stereotypically white walls, tubs, and toilets, bathrooms can sometimes feel sterile and unwelcoming. One way to avoid that is by covering your walls in a soft texture such as wood, plaster, or some types of tiles. These materials feel homier than smooth white walls and can warm the room up depending on your color choice. Plus, they add a layer of visual interest.
Channel Your Inner Naturalist
Natural materials and influences have been quite popular in 2021 as designers have striven to create calm bathroom oases. Just like adding luxury fixtures, evoking the natural world can set your mind at ease, a phenomenon known as biophilia. From basic materials to decor, you have tons of natural influences to choose from.
Work with wood. Using wood in your designs can cozy up your bathroom, as mentioned earlier. You can include wood in your walls, flooring, cabinetry, storage, decor, artwork, and lighting. Just be sure to consult with your remodeler and choose a wood that can withstand bathroom moisture.
Stay on trend with marble. For the past several years, marble has been a recurring trend in the interior design world. Its unique patterns draw attention whether located on your walls, tile, sink, or floors. White marble is a good choice for those who prefer a clean, look. But those looking for something with a little more punch can try red, yellow, green, or even blue marble.
Have fun with flora. Whether you grow your own house plants, put up a floral wallpaper, or paint your walls green, consider bringing greenery into your bathroom. Evoking plant life will help your space feel refreshing and relaxing, like a tropical retreat. It’s also not a bad idea to give your bathroom large windows so you can appreciate the nature outside and have plentiful natural light.
Bring Back the Classics
You can never go wrong with elements of classic bathroom design. Even if you have a modern style, classic designs can be updated to mesh into your modern decor while providing a touch of elegance and sophistication. Check out some of 2021’s best new takes on the classics.
Swap out your metals. Rather than use chrome or steel — two popular choices for bathrooms — choose metals like unpolished brass, bronze, or pewter, which will age beautifully as they oxidize. These worn metals can help your bathroom feel personal and lived-in, rather than merely functional.
Get funky with fluted finishes. Instead of using plain smooth surfaces, change things up by adding a fluted, ribbed, or reeded finish on vanity units, cabinets, shower doors, or decor. Fluted finishes are reminiscent of the 1920s, yet generate visual interest that melds with modern styles. Since modern aesthetics tend to be sleek and minimalist, an art deco inspired-bathroom vanity set might add a soft, funky vibe.
Add sophistication with drapes and crittall framing. If you want to incorporate elegant bathroom decor, window drapes are a great place to start. Having a long, luxurious fabric hanging from your window will instantly cozy the room up and add a wow factor. However, make sure your bathroom is well ventilated to avoid moisture damage. Similarly, you can install crittall windows to get extra fancy. These steel framed windows originated in the 1880s and are another art deco trend reaching popularity in 2021.
Get Bold with Colors, Tiles, and Lighting
Make a statement in your bathroom with bright colors and tiles, or unique lighting. These features will create energy in your bathroom and show off your personal style. Plus, they add a focal point that can help tie the whole room together!
Experiment with new and classic styles of tile. Penny tile, another element of early 1900s interior design, is once again back in style. Designers have made the material modern again by using it to make contemporary patterns. Subway tiles are also still in — now popular in fun colors, funky textures, various sizes, and patterned styles — but larger format tiles are gaining traction. Larger tiles mean fewer grout lines to scrub and they create an outdoorsy yet sumptuous air when paired with natural stone materials.
Use color to create a mood. Since nature has been a theme in 2021 design, it should be no surprise that greens, browns, and tans have gained favor. In darker shades, green is bold, bright, and individualistic; but, in a light hue, green represents harmony and is calming. Colors of the earth, like terracotta, rust, and carmel are on-trend because they have a warming effect on the room, which can put you at ease. Black or grey bathroom remodels have also risen in popularity for the moody, relaxing atmosphere they give off.
Step up your lighting. Oversized or statement lighting is a great way to elevate your bathroom and show off your style. You can go big with a chandelier, drum pendant, or a large floor lamp. However, if you’d like something more sensible consider backlighting your mirror or medicine cabinet. This will give you additional ambient light and a dimmed light for nighttime.
Prioritize Functionality
Your bathroom is where you start and end your day. It gets a lot of use, so it’s important to make sure your bathroom fits your lifestyle and gives you all the functionality you need. And the great thing is that designers are finding more and more ways to make functional spaces also beautiful! Consider carving out a sleek bathroom niche, a floating sink, or a modern medicine cabinet to boost your bathroom’s storage and design aesthetic.
Add storage with a niche. Bathroom cabinets can take up a lot of space in a room where you’re already most likely struggling to store towels, skincare products, soaps, and more. A 2021 alternative to cabinetry is niches. You can make a bathroom vanity niche by carving small cubbies into the wall on either side of your sink to hold toiletries, plants, or pampering products. You can also leave an empty shelf underneath the sink to serve as another storage nook.
Fascinate with a floating sink. Floating sinks are another way to create more storage in your bathroom. Leave the space underneath your floating sink empty for a spacious look, or fill it up. Floating sinks come in many different styles, including farmhouse sinks, so find one that blends in with your style or stands out as a statement piece.
Modernize your medicine cabinet. Medicine cabinets used to be bulky eyesores. Now, they are becoming sleeker and more useful, while still providing the extra storage you need. You can have your medicine cabinet inset into the wall for a crisp, modern look. Or you can add a backlight to your medicine cabinet to serve as extra ambient lighting.
Now that you have plenty of 2021 bathroom inspiration, are you ready to put your remodel into action? We’re just the builders to help you do it! As design-build remodelers, Home Indeed combines the designing and building processes, simplifying your experience, among other advantages. Contact us to see if we’re the right fit for you or take a look at our frequently asked questions to learn more!
