Choose a theme, use smart planning

What makes a modern bathroom and how can you design it to suit your wishes?

Could your wet cell do with a facelift? And would you also like your own spa area? In this hansgrohe guide on the modern bathroom, we show you how to plan and design your own personalised space. A timelessly beautiful living space, where you can enjoy spending time on a daily basis. Add an element of extra relaxation, luxury, design, enjoyment and comfort to your home.

A smart-living bathroom from hansgrohe.
Less is more: modern design is characterised by minimalist shapes and clear lines. The basin taps in the Talis Select E range are operated at the touch of a button.

How would you like your bathroom to look? Before we offer you some concrete assistance with your bathroom planning, we can show you a few ideas. hansgrohe design tip: give your bathroom a theme. Once you have decided on a concept, you should consistently follow this through. Here are three suggested themes:

‘Inspired by nature’ theme: the modern bathroom in a natural look

Natural surfaces and materials are a must: wooden floors, wooden washstands or wooden platforms. Pebble floors, natural stone tiles or natural stone floors also look good, appeal to all the senses and warm the feet. A further on-trend idea is the use of a wood finish with concrete or marble, or a concrete look with wood effects. Old wood with stone is another great combination. In terms of colour, beige shades along with grey, granite or anthracite give your bathroom a modern look. On walls and ceilings, the entire range of natural tones really works well. Perhaps you dream of having an open-air bathroom on a terrace or in the garden? In that case, opt for a sky blue ceiling.

An open-plan room concept creates lots of space for a spa area. A shower, a bath tub – or both? Large windows flood bathrooms with natural light and make for sunny times. If this isn’t possible, you can skilfully illuminate your bathroom to create a cosy, feel-good atmosphere. Floor-level shower areas featuring rain showers enable you to move around freely and enjoy the feeling of the droplets tumbling onto your skin.

Do you love decorations and accessories? Whether you opt for the jungle, mountains or desert, photo wallpaper is back in. So too are wooden side tables, stools, ladders or deckchairs. Lush green plants as well as rugs and textiles in earthy shades are original eye-catchers. With so much harmony, you also need some contrasts. Wood with chrome makes for an attractive mix of materials in the bathroom. Another popular option is mineral casting or ceramics in white with chrome and stone with glass.

Bathroom furniture in stylish and functional designs

Modern bathroom furniture plays a central role when designing an inspired bathroom. Floating vanity units made from wood or natural stone not only offer storage space but also look wonderfully elegant. Mirrors with integrated lighting and sleek, handleless cupboards create clean lines and a neat, tidy look.

Toilets and wash basins are also important: wall-hung toilets with a concealed flushing tank create a modern and minimalist design, while stylish wash basins in a range of materials, colours and shapes are beautifully eye-catching.

Combined with open shelves or alcoves, decorative elements and practical items can be stylishly displayed. This transforms your bathroom from a purely functional place to a place of relaxation and inspiration.

Summary of tips for modern bathrooms and the right inspiration

  • Natural surfaces and materials:  wooden floors, wooden vanity units, pebble floors, natural stone tiles.
  • Natural shades: beige shades, grey, granite, anthracite, natural shades.
  • Open-plan room concept: large windows, daylight, clever lighting, floor-level shower areas.
  • Love of accessories: photo wallpaper, wooden furniture, green plants, earthy textiles.
  • Harmony and contrasts combined: wood with chrome, white mineral casting or ceramic with chrome, stone with glass.
  • Modern bathroom furniture: floating vanity units, mirror cabinets with integrated lighting or handleless cabinets.

‘Design statements’ theme: add accents to a modern bathroom

Skilfully-placed design elements will make your bathroom look classy and refined. In a discreet interior, modern taps or shower combinations give the impression of works of art. Or you can treat yourself to real luxury and pull out all the stops when designing the entire room. Modern design is characterised by minimalist shapes and clean lines. Less is more, objectivity is your trump card. High-quality bathroom design is convenient to operate and highly functional. Assemble all your things in built-in units, base cabinets, tall cabinets or sideboards with exclusive surface finishes. Plenty of storage space allows your bathroom utensils to disappear, creates a sense of orderliness and offers an unimpeded view of the essentials: your treasure trove of design features.

Exclusive eye-catching features are: freestanding bath tubs or wash basins, combined with towering taps (=Highrisers). A shower area with a large, completely invigorating rain shower. A wash bowl with a sophisticated tap, operated at the touch of a button. An elegant designer towel radiator. If you like patterns and material combinations, you’ll love the tiles: colourful mosaics, oriental, geometric or floral decorations. Gold with marble, glass with stone, cool surfaces in black/white or light/dark. High-contrast colours, materials and textures add a touch of glamour to the bathroom.

Summary of the design statements in a modern bathroom

  • Skilfully placed design elements: taps and shower combinations as features.
  • Modern design: reduced shapes and clean lines.
  • Create storage space: built-in units, base cabinets, tall cabinets, sideboards.
  • Exclusive eye-catching features: freestanding bath tubs, wash basins, rain showers, designer radiators.
  • Patterns and material combinations: colourful mosaics, oriental, geometric or floral decorations, gold with marble, glass with stone.
  • Well-thought-out floor plan: shower and bath tub separate for additional convenience and flexibility during everyday use. 

‘Unusual architecture’ theme: the modern bathroom-cum-living room

How wonderful would it be if you could have lots of space in your bathroom! In a new build or a total renovation, it’s possible to create wonderfully spacious dream bathrooms flooded with light. Trend-setting: when sleeping or living areas merge.

To create the feeling of a spa in your home, you can install spacious solutions which expand your radius of movement. For example, a freestanding bath tub in the centre of the room or on a platform. Double wash basins with designer taps or taps that tower up from the floor. A bidet. A floor-level shower paradise with multiple shower heads. Also luxurious: king-sized shower systems with convenient shelves.

Who says that bathroom are purely for personal hygiene? Use couches, leather armchairs or lounge furniture to design relaxation areas and turn your bathroom into a second living room. Thanks to avant-garde designer lamps, sophisticated LED lighting or plenty of natural light, you will never again want to leave your dream bathroom.

Opulent or cool? Parallel or asymmetrical? Give expression to excellent taste and creative ideas: with structure-creating tiled walls, surfaces in contrasting colours, purist accessories or a mirrored cabinet. Windows offer pleasant views of the garden. Why not try adding art like a landscape painting or a sculpture to a black bathroom?

Need even more inspiration? We’ve tracked down the latest bathroom trends for you.

‘Unusual architecture’ summary

  • Spacious architecture: dream bathrooms flooded with light that merge into living areas.
  • Feeling of a spa in your home: freestanding bath tubs, double wash basins, bidet, floor-level shower paradise.
  • Relaxation areas in the bathroom: couches, leather armchairs, lounge furniture, avant-garde designer lamps, sophisticated LED lighting.
  • Excellent taste and creative ideas: structure-creating tiled walls, surfaces in contrasting colours, purist accessories, windows, landscape paintings, sculptures.

Do you have a small bathroom?

Use bathroom mirrors to simulate size. Conjure up lots of light with a sophisticated illumination concept (LED strips, mirror lights, halogen spotlights), even in windowless bathrooms. To make optimum use of every square centimetre, you can install an angular bath tub under a slanted ceiling, for example. 

Use concealed installations so that the taps don't appear bulky. Flat shower and bath tub control systems are embedded in the wall. This looks classy and provides room to move around even in small spaces. Or you could dispense with the bath tub altogether, and instead build yourself a modern shower area featuring a lavish rain shower. Put your towels on wooden ladders or heated towel rails. 

Placing a wash bowl on a floor unit is a space-saving solution that offers you extra storage place underneath. Here too, the tap can be concealed in minimalist design. Tall cabinets and built-in units allow bathroom utensils to disappear and clear away the clutter in a small bathroom. You can also visually enlarge the bathroom using a light colour for the walls and floor.

Summary for small, modern bathrooms

  • Bathroom mirrors: simulate size.
  • Sophisticated illumination concept: LED strips, mirror lights, halogen spotlights.
  • Angular bath tub: under the slanted ceiling.
  • Concealed installation: flat shower and bath tub control systems embedded in the wall.
  • Modern shower: with lavish rain shower.
  • Towel rack: on wooden ladders or heated towel rails.
  • Wash bowl on a floor unit: for extra storage space.
  • Tall cabinets and built-in units: bathroom utensils disappear.
  • Light-coloured walls and floor: visual enlargement.

Shower on weekdays, bath on Saturdays?

Do you need a shower and a bath tub? Fair enough. Both have their merits. But what bath tubs and showers look impressive in a modern bathroom?

  • The freestanding bath tub is the epitome of upscale bathroom culture. The playful lion foot variant, an angular, boat-shaped or oval design: they all look grandiose in a large modern bathroom. 
  • The corner bath tub is a space-saving solution for smaller bathrooms. Nevertheless, please make sure that it fits your body size and offers space for more than just a sitz bath. A bath mixer that towers up from the floor is a stylish addition.
  • The practical shower cabin never goes out of fashion, but is getting bigger, more comfortable and more luxurious. Whether it is placed in the centre of a room, on the wall, in a wall alcove, in front of the window or in the corner depends on your taste and on the bathroom architecture. Transparent showers with glass/Plexiglas all around are very much the current trend.

Do you dream of having a walk-in shower?

There are models which can be entered from multiple sides. Sometimes a discreet glass partition provides splash protection; purists even dispense with the glass. Avant-garde variant: the shower that you can walk straight into from your bed. In the open-plan shower paradise, you can add exciting highlights with modern tiles. Incidentally, walk-in showers aren’t just an asset in terms of aesthetics; since they have no tripping hazards, they are an ideal basis for creating a future-proof, cross-generation bathroom and for environments that are suitable for the elderly.

Summary for showers and baths in modern bathrooms

  • Freestanding bath tub: luxury and upscale bathroom culture.
  • Corner bath tub: space-saving for small bathrooms.
  • Practical shower cabin: bigger, more comfortable and more luxurious.
  • Transparent shower: glass/Plexiglas all around.
  • Walk-in shower: models which can be entered from multiple slides.
  • Modern tiles: exciting highlights in open-plan shower paradises.

Have you discovered some great tiles?

Bathroom tiles offer infinite décor and design possibilities. Whether discreet and natural, oriental and playful or youthful and fresh, they are eye-catching features in the bathroom and hopefully you will want to feast your eyes on them for many years to come. In purely practical terms, they provide important spray and mould protection for walls and floors. 

With intricate ceramic and/or glass mosaic tiles, you can add beautiful accents to the shower, wash basin, bath tub or alcoves. Classic tiles are increasingly giving way to tiles in a wooden floorboard look and marble floors. For example, you can cover your walls and floors all over with large natural stone tiles made from slate, granite or sandstone. With their natural grains and structures, they add a sense of pristine cosiness to the bathroom. Whether you opt for porcelain stoneware or tiles in a wood finish, half-height tiling or tiling right up to the ceiling, anything goes – providing it is easy to clean. 

Of course, you don’t have to use tiles: ‘bare’ walls are often found in modern bathrooms. If you like the cool, purist feel, you can opt for a trendy concrete look in grey or natural shades.

Summary for tiles in modern bathrooms

  • Décor and design possibilities: discreet and natural, oriental and playful or youthful and fresh.
  • Intricate mosaic tiles: beautiful accents for the shower, wash basin, bath tub or alcoves.
  • Natural stone tiles: slate, grant or sandstone add natural grains and structures to the bathroom.
  • Porcelain stoneware or tiles in a wood finish: anything goes – providing it is easy to clean.
  • Concrete look in grey or natural shades: cool, purist and modern.

Frequently asked questions about modern bathrooms

What characterises a modern bathroom?

Modern bathrooms are characterised by clean lines, premium materials, functional elegance and innovative taps that save water and energy.

What design ideas are popular for modern bathrooms?

Popular design ideas include ‘inspired by nature’ with natural materials and colours as well as ‘design statements’ with minimalist and functional elements and efficient taps.

What is the role of lighting in a modern bathroom?

The lighting is key to the creation of atmosphere and functionality, and ideally involves a combination of natural light and carefully planned, energy-efficient artificial light sources.

What does the phrase ‘design statements’ mean in the context of bathrooms?

The phrase ‘design statements’ refers to the use of striking, often minimalist design features, which are both functional and aesthetically appealing, including modern taps.

Which colours dominate modern bathrooms?

Modern bathrooms are often dominated by classic, neutral and natural colours like white, grey, beige and earthy tones.

How important is the choice of materials when designing a modern bathroom?

The choice of premium materials like natural stone, glass and wood is essential to the durability and aesthetic quality of a modern bathroom, combined with taps that save water and energy.

How can a modern bathroom be sustainably designed?

Some of the ways in which sustainability can be achieved include the use of environmentally friendly materials, regional products, water-saving and energy-efficient taps and energy-efficient lighting.

Bathroom planning with hansgrohe: more articles on designing modern bathrooms

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