The Best Bathroom Design Ideas for 2024

While the last decade saw the rise of chrome finishes for bathroom fixtures, this year it’s all about that brass. From taps and faucets to cabinet handles and shower heads, sleek brass finishes are becoming more and more common. 

The great thing about brass is that it stands the test of time, and always appears shiny and new with a quick polish. It also pairs well with many other bases that you might use throughout your bathroom – think wooden cabinetry, marble tiles, and even most colours. 

If sleek sophistication with a touch of old-world charm is your home design aesthetic, brass finishes are the way to go.

Gone are the white porcelain vanities of yesteryears; now it’s all about mixed bases and modern sophistication. If you’re looking for a stylish feature point in your bathroom, opt for one of the chic new basin trends to hit this year. 

For a sleek vanity look, consider mixing wooden cabinetry with a marble bench top. While these bases are different, they are also complimentary, and give a point of contrast for one of the focus points in the room. For the more adventurous, think about adding a colour to your cupboard doors (teal is very in!) or purchase a rough-cut basin made from sandstone or onyx. 

Whether it’s textures, colours, or finishes, mixing and matching the style choices of your vanity will ensure you have a sophisticated talking point for years to come.

For the final touch to your vanity, investigate the different options for free-standing mirrors. No longer a plain rectangular attachment to your white basin, mirrors now come in all shapes, sizes and styles to help modernise your bathroom. 

A particular trend we’re seeing in recently is the rise of arched and oval mirrors. These classy styles look very elegant above a modern vanity, and are much trendier than your run-of-the-mill mirrors. Make sure to match your mirror frame to your vanity – wooden doors, for example, pair well with a wooden frame, or if you’ve opted for the brass finishes we mentioned above, you might like a brass-framed mirror. 

Whatever your choice, don’t feel limited by the typical pairings found on the showroom floor – now that mirrors are free-standing, they can be purchased separately and added on to an existing home design.

It’s not just mirrors that are separating themselves from the locked-down fixtures – baths are also making the change! While traditionally baths would be long, rectangular, and in the corner of the room, freestanding baths give you many more options for both placement and style. 

A simple white bath along the middle of the wall can look modern, while creating a feeling of openness with the space around it. Sleek curved edges are also in and are much more pleasing on the eye than the boring rectangles we’re used to seeing. 

Some designers are even taking this concept a step further with unconventional colours and styles – think grey stone or black marble, particularly in pod shapes. The sky’s the limit with these new bath trends, so make sure you shop around for all your options before settling on your favourite.

From floor tiles to wall tiles, vanities to baths, bathrooms are traditionally seen in white. The idea of a white bathroom is that it evokes the feeling of cleanliness, but let’s face it – black is the new black. 

Bathrooms are now being styled in deeper tones, with a particular focus on blacks and deep greys. Darker shades of marble are particularly in fashion, and give a feel of sophistication to an otherwise boring room. The great thing about darker bathrooms is that they can be paired with almost any colour – teal and deep blue are especially in, or as mentioned previously, wooden and brass elements complement nicely. 

If you do decide for elements of white in your bathroom, consider using it sparingly – a white vanity benchtop or bath looks much more stylish on its own than when paired with white walls, white cupboards, and white finishes.

A trend that’s relatively new to the Australian market (and one we hope will stay) is thermostatic mixers. These luxurious mixers allow you to pre-set your favourite shower settings, from the temperature through to the pressure. And the extra perk? Thermostatic mixers will keep your temperature constant – no more freezing or scalding when your partner turns the kitchen tap on! 

As well as upgraded technology, another trend we’re seeing in home designs are showers with a more open feel to the recess itself. Frameless shower screens are becoming more popular, as are single-sided screens, so you don’t feel so boxed in. Have a think also about how much space you’d like to allocate to your shower. Large open spaces complete with oversized rain showerheads are becoming much more common than your usual person-sized shower-box. 

The last trend that is total gamechanger to home designs are bathroom skylights. The perfect combination of style and practicality, skylights help bring natural light into your bathroom without sacrificing privacy. 

The other great thing about skylights is just how magical they can be once the sun sets – imagine leaning back in your new free-standing bath, looking at the stars from the comfort of your own home. Honestly, we’re wondering why no one thought of it sooner (or at least why they didn’t catch on!). So when you are talking to your Bundaberg Builder make sure you ask about them what type of skylight they can do for you in your bathroom.

Are you weighing your options when it comes to your home design? Contact us today to help design the house of the dreams.