Bathroom trends that will date

[mydailymailhell]

I’m about to do a loft conversion which will have a fairly small bathroom. It’s the first time I’ve ever done a bathroom from scratch so am poring over Instagram and various websites for inspiration.

what do people think are the main bathroom trends that will date?

and on the flip side, what styles are “classic”?

Black fittings!

Those black frame shower doors will definitely date!

Black and gold hardware

I think marble in unobtrusive colors (white/ pale grey / sandy) is fairly timeless

Yes to plainer marble.
The heavily veined Calacatta marble style porcelain tiles which are in every new build at present will date terribly

Pink sanitary ware

Classic I'm afraid will equal boring. So white sanitary ware, chrome fittings and travertine flooring may not be the most exciting of features but seem to be standing the test of time. Wooden floorboards, painted or natural, will never date. Personally if I was worried about this I'd do it all in white (inc white tiles) and use the walls as the main feature - keep them updated, so for example paint them blush pink and the accessorise with vibrant plants and gold mirrors etc.

Ps then when the trend for green, pink and gold has gone (which if it hasn't it's due to soon) then you can update with new colours and accessories.

@BruceAndNosh

Ha, I like calacatta but think of it as fairly plain. E.g. the attached.

Is that what you mean?

Fake wood tiles on the floor look classic.

Are metro tiles in white dated?

Anything that isn’t easy to maintain: high shine surfaces, shiny cheap chrome etc, small high shine tiles with lots of grout. Very badly matched bold colours. High fashion taps, sinks, showers. Keep it simple, functional, energy/water efficient, ventilated but well made and easy to clean.

We are renovating and trying to work out the same. I've seen alot of metro tiles around and few shops have mentioned them, but I do worry they will date quickly. I've also seem some herringbone styles in a teal or other colours- almost like a feature wall/splash back to the sink, but again, will that date sooner than plain white? Also heavily textured tiles will date quickly I assume.

Anything that’s a pita to use or clean just isn’t worth it. So black fittings in a hard water area, endless grout, etc. The plastic-fantastic vanity units, bath panels etc aren’t going to age gracefully: anything vinyl-wrapped-mdf will look crap after disappointingly short time.

But... glossy bathroom tiles have broadly been acceptable for 40 years. Admittedly the dodgy trims date but a white ceramic suite, plain shower screen, neutral tiles used only where you need them, simple functional items... just a boring background that’s easy to cheer up. Tiles are easy enough to replace without ripping out the whole bathroom, and the rest is white-ceramic-chrome-taps.

Don’t get fussy taps! The previous owner of our house put in mixer taps with a spout thing, but we’re in the south with hard water so the limescale buildup is awful and impossible to get rid of!
Most important for a new bathroom in my opinion is good ventilation, lights in a sensible place (make sure you’ll be well lit stood in front of the mirror), any tiles and surfaces as easy to clean as possible, and put in a shaver/toothbrush socket.

We inherited very similar spout taps like the above in our en suite, both on the basin and bath. They were grim with limescale too.

totally agree to go functional on taps - simple good quality taps / shower valves in proper stainless steel are absolutely the way to go.

In 10 years time, whatever you have put in will look dated. I'd just go with what you like now.

We’re just having ours done and I’ve just changed the planned anthracite radiator for a chrome one as on reflection, I thought it might date. We’re having long tiles in very subtle pale grey stone, but only half tile, chrome fittings, a decent but simple shower over bath (no rain head) and patterned LVT flooring. We are having a vanity unit but only because the bathroom is so tiny we need the storage. White fittings. The coloured sinks etc look great in the showroom along with the bright/hexagonal tiles but it will all date to early twenties I think. We are having wall hung loo and unit which I don’t think will date as it helps keep everything clean and more floor visible which helps in a tiny room.

Regarding metro tiles-when I started buying property 25 years ago, they were a thing then so I don’t think they date. They’re pretty classic. Especially in a stretcher Bond pattern-the fashion for laying them in a vertical or herringbone pattern will date I think. Also very contrasty grout.

I agree, but I also think you should put stuff in you like now rather than worrying about what it might look like and will still be on trend in the future

a classic white bathroom suite might not date…. But it’s quite boring

I think metro tiles will date. I know they have been around for ages but they have got more popular in recent years. I hope they go out of fashion. They remind me of old fashioned public toilets.

(1) Flat coloured taps (including black); (2) Decorative marble like Calacatta Viola; (3) Chunky terrazzo; (4) Microment/ Polished Plaster/ Tadelakt (particularly bathrooms where it’s used everywhere).

We’re fitting a water softener before we put our new bathrooms in to avoid limescale.

I agree. Metro tiles look like something out of old fashioned toilets. And they will date.

Those black shower enclosures will date terribly. Along with blue kitchens!!

I like black fittings, and don't really care if they date. I'll still like them. I've never liked chrome, or anything 'shiny'. We've installed a water softener though to minimise limescale, so we should be able to keep them looking nice.