<\/span><\/h2>\nThe whole moody vibes thing really started to take hold maybe five-ish years ago, and with the color-drenching trend that exploded in the last year, it just makes sense this would make its way into the bathroom. It\u2019s kind of always been a thing for powder baths where people are more comfortable taking risks, but this boutique hotel slash members-club aesthetic is primed to also make its way into primary baths.<\/p>\ndesign by life of plenty home | photo by justin march<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFirst up is this absolutely gorgeous space by Life of Plenty Home. I especially love how subtle the contrast is between the dark lime-washed (or possibly Roman clay) walls and the more cream-leaning marble-fluted sink basin and rattan mirror. This keeps the design super interesting and layered without coming off overly glam.<\/p>\ndesign & styling by a1000xbetter | photo by michael p. h. clifford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHere\u2019s the treatment in a full bath, by our friend A1000xbetter. This one is a bit more retro in vibe, between the terrazzo floor and the wood paneling, but the feeling is the same. It feels like the kind of room you can enter at 2 am when your bladder can\u2019t make it to the morning, and your eyes won\u2019t be smited by brightness. <\/p>\ndesign by crystal sinclair designs | styling by mariana marcki-matos | photo by tim lenz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nI\u2019m screaming this is so good. Forgive me for being graphic, but it\u2019s kind of like the inside of a uterus in the absolute best way (girl power!). All jokes aside, it takes a very daring person to let their designer (Crystal Sinclair Designs in this case) implement something like this and I applaud this homeowner. And while that custom red marble sink is likely the cost of a hospital bill after giving birth, you can get a similar\u2014if not so bold\u2014look by opting for a deep burgundy wall or tile color, adding some thin picture frame molding, and going with an antiqued mirror finish on multiple surfaces.<\/p>\n
A bit less glam is this powder back by Laura Brophy, achieved with a rough, possibly vintage or antique stone basin. Contemporary touches like the streamlined wall-mounted faucet, sconces, and the thin-framed mirror keep this space feeling forward-thinking rather than overly rustic.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Natural Spa Vibes<\/span><\/h2>\nOn the complete flip side of \u201cmoody boutique hotel\u201d is the warm, natural spa aesthetic. While your mind might go to something very clean and white, this trend is far more rooted in earth tones and materials. Marble is replaced with wood, limestone, and slate. Surfaces are cohesive\u2014meaning the same finish is seen across ceilings, walls, even vanities. It\u2019s calm, luxe, and rich-looking while also down to earth.<\/p>\ndesign by yond interiors | styling by jen paul | photo by malissa mabey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhile I was only really able to get two images approved for use, don\u2019t let that make you think this isn\u2019t having its moment. Because it is, and big time. In the last decade, we\u2019ve seen a lot of colorful bathrooms, eclectic and glam spaces, charming English cottage looks, but I think this is where modern design is heading. More \u201cquiet luxury\u201d than in your face (but expected) spa. I especially love how Yond Interiors mixed the nearly velveting mushroom finish of the walls, ceilings, and pony wall (that houses the vanity) with a thick grouted slate and a stunning wood surround for the tub. I\u2019m not sure how a wood like that would hold up to water over time, but I have to imagine that was thought through. (Also, you heard it here first: Slate and terra cotta floors are having a comeback\u2026)<\/p>\ndesign by studio utkan gunerkan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHere\u2019s a fairly different look, from Studio Utkan Gunerkan but the serenity they both serve is unmistakable. I think this is accomplished by picking just a few materials and using them all over. Here, the concrete-like material on the walls, floor, ceiling, and vanity is balanced by a pinkish clay-hued tile in the walk-in shower. That\u2019s it. It\u2019s simple but powerful.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Raw Edge Vanity<\/span><\/h2>\nThis is more of a detail than a full-room design move, and also kind of an offshoot of the warm natural spa look from above. I\u2019ve been seeing so much of this lately, executed both in stone and in wood. Raw edges are particularly interesting when juxtaposed with the cold and pristine nature of a stone like marble.<\/p>\ndesign by anke design studio | styling by anna gawlik of anke design studio and justyna kuska of oni studio | photo by oni studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nI originally pulled this image to illustrate the previous trend, but then I couldn\u2019t stop finding bathrooms with wood or stone with raw edges, like this one by Anke Design Studio. And while I\u2019m sure this detail isn\u2019t for everyone, it lends a one-of-a-kindness that doesn\u2019t feel like it can be replicated. It\u2019s uniquely yours and celebrates the beauty of stone. <\/p>\narchitecture & design by alessandro isola | photo by thomas pagani<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIf you told me to close my eyes and picture a bathroom with rough-hewn and scraped wood on every surface besides the sink vanity, which was a boulder-like chiseled stone, I\u2019d struggle to come up with something this refined in my brain. But Alessandro Isola somehow managed it expertly. This feels like a 5-star resort, as many of Isola\u2019s spaces do, which typically feature raw-edged rock and stone elements where most tend to lean in linear, clean-cut marble and wood.<\/p>\ndesign by susannah holmberg studios | photo by malissa mabey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nA bit less grand but no less beautiful. I love this bathroom by Susannah Holmberg Studios because it feels both incredibly special but somehow attainable. The live edge counter that flanks the plinth stone basin really grounds the room. <\/p>\n
<\/span>White Plumbing Fixtures<\/span><\/h2>\nGold and brass has had a chokehold on metal finishes for well over a decade at this point, and we\u2019ve toyed with wondering what\u2019s next. Chrome maybe? Polished nickel? Bronze? All of those are great options, but strangely white fixture finishes are kind of having a (niche) moment. Now, I don\u2019t see this replacing brass in any way, but it\u2019s a good contender if you\u2019re after something new and modern. <\/p>\nstyling by california casa | photo by aaron bengochea<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nA white faucet really plays to the youthfulness of this bathroom (this is actually a design in collaboration with Domino for surface company Concrete Collaborative). It doesn\u2019t cut through or juxtapose anything about the checkered tile or the bobbin-esque mirror, but rather complements it perfectly.<\/p>\ndesign by lizzie green of popix designs | photo by charlotte lea<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHere, by Lizzie Green of Popix Designs, the white faucet is more of a contemporary foil to the earthenware thin stacked tile on the wall. A brass fixture would have been beautiful, but this is unexpected, cheerful, and feels like an eternal spring.<\/p>\n
And while I know this isn\u2019t a faucet, I couldn\u2019t skip over including the white finish on the metal doors of this shower (the space was designed by Handelsmann + Khaw). It\u2019s such a cool look that we don\u2019t see often. <\/p>\n
<\/span>Interesting Trimwork<\/span><\/h2>\nWe\u2019ve been seeing picture frame molding everywhere, but it\u2019s taken its time to make it into the bathroom in the same way it\u2019s applied in living spaces. In addition to that, there\u2019s also so much fun being had with subtle tile and marble trim work. Think contrasting colors, stripes, and barely-there stone. It\u2019s really the kind of thing that can take a fairly subtle room and take it to the next level.<\/p>\ndesign by carlos garcia interiors | photo by christopher horwood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nYou don\u2019t often see so much molding in a bathroom, but I love it! Now, keep in mind that in a powder bath like this one by Carlos Garcia Interiors, there isn\u2019t much to be concerned with in terms of moisture, but in a bathing space, you may want to consider a PVC molding to avoid any warping or deterioration over time of the wood. <\/p>\n
The image I\u2019m referencing here is on the second slide (in case it doesn\u2019t default to that for you). This is a bathroom in Le Grand Mazarin Hotel, which was designed by Martin Brudnizki. As if the peachy tile with a subtle darker peach stripe every four rows wasn\u2019t punchy enough, they added a black and white vertical stripe prior to the bullnosing. I think almost every room can stand to have some black sprinkled in, and this is a highly effective and quirky way to do it that\u2019ll draw the eye and make you smile every morning and night. <\/p>\n
Heidi Caillier Design knows just how to take a fairly serious (and seriously beautiful) room and add that je ne sais quoi<\/em> to make it feel new. In this instance, it\u2019s the thick, lacquered green trim at the baseboard and around the opening to the bathtub nook. <\/p>\nAnother one by A1000xbetter, I almost missed the delicate marble trim along the top line of the tile and around the threshold of the shower stall. I can\u2019t stop looking at it and it\u2019s such a surprising, simple detail in a room with so much else to look at. <\/p>\n
<\/span>Brown, Black & Dark Gray Natural Stone<\/span><\/h2>\nMove over white marble because darker pigment natural stone is here to take its seat on the throne (and no, I don\u2019t mean the toilet\u2026or do I?). There\u2019s such a gravitas to opting for an Emperador\u00a0Marble or Nero Marquina marble over the more commonly used Carrara or Calacatta, and also feeds into the moody boutique hotel look I shared earlier. <\/p>\ndesign by montana labelle | photo by patrick biller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMy jaw is on the floor here, and if ever I would allow my mouth to touch the ground, it would be on this gorgeous creamy and dreamy stone floor in a space by Montana Labelle. And look, I know that marble tub is something few could fathom for themselves, it\u2019s great inspiration for the power of dark stone. Hard to go back to white stone after laying eyes (and jaw) on this. <\/p>\ndesign by style house la | photo by joe schmelzer\/treasurebite studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nI\u2019m fairly certain this stone is actually a red marble, but when I first earmarked it, I thought it was dark brown, so I\u2019m letting it slide anyway. Isn\u2019t this just so gorgeous? Thank you Style House LA for this marvel.<\/p>\ndesign by lark+palm | photo by paul dyer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFor those not inclined to go so potent, darker gray marbles might just be for you. It\u2019s stormy, modern, and plays nice with both warm and cool tones on other surfaces. I especially like it against a grey-washed wood like the one in this bathroom by Lark+Palm. <\/p>\n
<\/span>Color Drenching<\/span><\/h2>\nSurprise, surprise\u2026said no one. We can\u2019t get away from color-drenching (I mean, I\u2019m not ready to anyway), so it\u2019s no wonder it\u2019s sneaked into the bathroom. I love this one because it\u2019s a fairly simple way to make a huge impact with some pretty affordable materials. Of course, like anything else, it can also read luxurious, modern and personality-filled, all depending on what you pick to get the point across. <\/p>\ndesign by another human | styling by joie einstein | photo by stephen paul<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAnother Human\u2018s Leah Ring is no stranger to creating spaces that make you smile while simultaneously leaving you thinking \u201cwait, why didn\u2019t I come up with that?\u201d In white, the classic square tile and floating flat-fronted vanity would feel sterile, nearly clinical, but in sage and mint green, it\u2019s just so dang pleasant. <\/p>\ndesign by erdem hamza | photo by ibrahim ozbunar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nColor drenching doesn\u2019t always have to feel contemporary, either. Erdem Hamza went monotone (with white for contrast) but in a way that is organic, worldly, and chic. Don\u2019t be afraid to look at sinks and fixtures in colors other than white, and then match it to your wall paint and tile selections.<\/p>\n
Talk about happy! This is what I call color-drench-light. Meaning, yellow isn\u2019t on every single surface, but it\u2019s on just enough to get the point across. Tamsin Johnson varied a buttery yellow on the cabinets and mirrors and a darker ochre on the tile. Even the antiqued brass faucets seem to play into the color scheme. <\/p>\n
And finally, a mauve moment by Decus Interiors. This is similar to Leah Ring\u2019s green bathroom in that it\u2019s a straight-forward square tile with a painted flat-front floating vanity, but it feels very different with the swirling stone that picks up on those purple hues, and the linear color-matched cabinet handles. It\u2019s hushed but speaks volumes. <\/p>\n
\u2014<\/p>\n
There you have it. Overall, there\u2019s definitely a trend toward deeper, more personality-filled bathrooms, replacing the cold, white spaces that were the norm for decades. I hope these rooms inspire you, even if they wouldn\u2019t be something you\u2019d choose for yourself. Heck, may they push you to think outside the box for any room in your home, not just your bathrooms. But well, especially your bathrooms if you have the inclination to work on yours.<\/p>\n
Until next time friends\u2026<\/p>\n
Opening Image Credits:\u00a0Design by Montana Labelle | Photo by Patrick Biller<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n