Lilith Hudson
We tend to have a blind spot when it comes to bathroom design. It’s easy to tell when a sofa has had its day or a kitchen starts to look passé, but bathrooms? Not so much. And so, without noticing, yesterday’s height of taste becomes today’s definition of uncool. Just think back to the 1980s when fluffy toilet seat covers could unironically pass for the height of sophistication, or the ’90s, when sponge-painted walls and beige tiling reigned supreme.
So what are the hallmarks of a stylish bathroom in 2026, and how can we ensure they won’t look tacky down the line? Well, planning a bathroom that’s distinctly personal and not entirely trend-led is a good place to start.
In the market for a bathroom renovation? Here’s what’s stylish (and what’s not), according to designers.
Coloured baths
If you’re thinking avocado suites, think again. In 2026, colourful baths are a tasteful retro bathroom trend. “It’s no longer about putting one bright object into an otherwise neutral bathroom and asking it to do all the talking,” explains Keeley Sutcliffe, design manager at the British bathroom company BC Designs. Instead, it’s about curating a palette that imbues a bathroom with personality.
These palettes, she says, are more nuanced and include “mineral blues, softened greens, dusty pinks, earthy shades and warmer neutrals that sit comfortably alongside stone, timber and tile”.
Bathroom blunders
Tiling every wall from floor to ceiling A wash of white square tiles or brick-bond metro tiles is guaranteed to look uncool (yes, even with a border accent band). “It can make a bathroom feel cold and overly functional,” says Marcelina Janiszewska, head of interior design at Project London. Tiles allow for limitless creative opportunity, but using them sparingly can often be more effective.
Typography wall art Vinyl wall decals, “live, laugh, love” signs, and any typography art that feels overdone are an overt design faux pas. That doesn’t mean wall art doesn’t belong in a bathroom at all, but think originally and add a print that’s unique to you. “Framed vintage posters and old advertisements work particularly well,” says Saskia Blyth, the founder of Blyth-Collinson Interiors.
Too much marble No one’s denying the long-standing appeal of marble or marble-effect tiles in a bathroom, but overdoing it is a common bathroom mistake. “Marble itself could never be naff,” explains Grazzie Wilson, the head of creative at Ca’Pietra. “The problem came when we started to equate that personality with quantity.”
Jacuzzi baths Nothing says uncool like a jacuzzi corner tub. They’re less a luxury symbol, more a hallmark of tacky 1980s design. Instead of jets and flashy controls, a beautifully shaped bath can do all the talking. Choose a freestanding tub to create a spa-style bathroom, or make the material itself the main event.
Chrome and cooler metals
If you’re still falling back on brass or matt-black hardware, you may want to give chrome a second thought. Far from unfashionable, it’s now one of the chicest finishes, and a great way to give your bathroom some edge.
There’s far more on offer than just polished chrome, too. “Nickel has a different depth, brushed nickel feels softer, and pewter can bring a more muted, architectural quality,” notes Sutcliffe. “Against walnut, terracotta, warm stone or a coloured bath, a silver-toned finish can stop the palette becoming too sweet or too tonal.”
Adding decorative details
The worst thing a bathroom can be is boring. Personal bathrooms are on trend, so be sure to include plenty of decorative details.
“Introduce pieces you wouldn’t expect to find in a bathroom, like an antique chest or chair – something that instantly adds depth and makes the space feel like a proper room in its own right,” says Tom Cox at Studio Hám. “Collected objects do the same: a ceramic, a little painting, a treasured find. They always tell you something about the person who lives there.”
Layered lighting
“A single light source simply won’t provide the right illumination for everything we do in a bathroom,” says Iwona Budnik, associate interior designer at Own London. That doesn’t mean you should resort to LED mirrors and run-of-the-mill sconces, however. Instead, a layered approach using backlighting, spotlights and sconces can make a bathroom look so much more tasteful.
“Decorative lighting is the perfect way to dress a room – it’s almost like jewellery,” Budnik says. “Sculptural pendants, decorative shades and distinctive sconces can introduce colour, texture and character, while the huge variety of glass available today means lighting can be both practical and decorative.”
Adding a textile
While they shouldn’t be overused, one or two textile accents can really bring a bathroom to life. Far from uncool, they help soften a space – and no, you don’t need to rely on the wall-to-wall carpeting of the 1970s and ’80s.
“A bathroom should have warmth and character, and one of the ways we like to do this is with fabric,” says Cox. “A soft shower curtain is one of the simplest ways to warm a bathroom. It’s a large expanse of fabric in a room that often has very little.” You could also try shaded sconces, a sink skirt, or a linen cafe curtain.
The Telegraph, UK
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