Updating a bathroom can feel like a mammoth challenge – especially when you’re not across the latest bathroom trends.
Here are some modern bathroom ideas to inspire your bathroom makeover.
This bathroom is a favourite of Hollie Sweet, founder of fashion label ROAME. Her renovations drew inspiration from the great hotels of Los Angeles – the ultimate in understated luxury. The bathroom features emerald quartzite, while sheer curtains let the natural light in. A romantic winged mirror holds “secret storage”, and the matt satin bath “feels like silk” to lie in, Sweet says.
More and more, we’re choosing colour over large swathes of white tile. For home owners looking to bring a sense of fun back to the bathroom, small coloured tiles add versatility and visual interest. This Narrawallee Beach project, designed by Cameron Deynzer of Architect George, showcases the tiny-tile trend so well.
For design duo Alicia and Jon McKimm, a sense of calm opulence was essential in designing and building their couple’s retreat. The bathroom features custom Elba marble, a vanity made from green quartzite, and a striking waterfall skylight that lights the stone-clad bath. They chose materials for their warmth and durability, with muted pops of colour.
Sink into this rugged bath with a hot cup of tea, taking some much-needed time to recharge. The home, now on the market, was reimagined in 2018 with help from designer Nicholas Gurney. Located in a cosy cabin in Thredbo, this bathroom recognises the contemporary need for wellness spaces in a home.
High-profile personal trainer Kayla Itsines enlisted the help of interior designer Hong Henwood to create a hotel-like experience in her home. From the circular concrete basins to the Soktas hand-blown lighting and signature scent wafting through the en suite, this bathroom emanates the feel of a hotel room down to every last detail.
When Steve Rowley and Bree Johnson (co-founders of Frank Body) began planning the revitalisation of this home, it was all about preserving its original character. The bathroom, a new addition, respects and enhances the home’s attributes – providing seclusion, light and character. With internal green spaces, the bathroom has the feeling of being a sanctuary.
Balmain House, by Nina Maya Interiors, has a feel of contemporary elegance – it exudes luxury, without having to shout about it. Luxe organic finishes are transformative in this modern bathroom, from the floor and wall tiles to the vanity tops and cabinetry. This reflects a growing demand for natural materials, as more home owners move away from glossy surfaces to a matt finish.
The owner-builder of EME Design, Luke Middleton, renovated his family home according to passive house principles, and the energy efficiency of the home helps avoid problems like mould build-up in the bathroom. This bathroom proves that there’s no need to sacrifice function over aesthetics: the timber cabinetry, golden tapware and blue-green finger tiles work together to achieve a contemporary feel.
As a judge on the hit TV show The Block and a best-selling author with an eponymous homewares collection, Darren Palmer is one of Australia’s most renowned interior designers. Stepping into his renovated bathroom, the glamorous but serene mood is no surprise. Soft, sandy hues reflect the coastal surroundings of the space, and there is attention to detail in every finish and fixture. “Everything has tactility to it, but it’s a play on a monochromatic tonal palette,” says Palmer.
The green hues of this family bathroom, nicknamed “the mermaid palace”, is a peaceful place to start the day, according to owner Sophie McComas-Williams. She and her partner, Scott, had never undertaken a residential renovation when they first embarked on their project. They did, however, have a long history of collaboration with Sarah Watt of Studio Vista for commercial sites. With her help (and the removal of a 1980s corner spa), this bathroom entered a new era.
Elonera House was reimagined by Mardi Doherty from Studio Doherty with the goal of improving the flow throughout the home. Another part of the brief? Making way for modern amenities, such as the luxury en suite, which was previously a bedroom. The en suite’s palette, polished plaster walls and shimmering mosaics exude a glamorous hotel ambience, while its generous curves create a serene, enveloping space.
Natural stone is having a glorious moment, finding its way into our bathrooms and kitchens to become the centrepiece of these areas. Natural stone slabs are unique and varied, which is likely why they have become so popular – you can find a pattern or style to suit your bathroom while knowing natural stone will always appeal to a wide range of buyers.
Curved edges bring softness and playfulness to this bathroom. Its arched window is a motif that appears throughout the house. “The arches weren’t a premeditated decision but evolved as the design developed,” architect Dominic Pandolfini explains. The light-filled bathroom offers glimpses of the garden, creating a seamless transition between indoors and outdoors.
Everyone seems to love sage green these days, to the point that interior designer Carlene Duffy calls it “the new neutral”. Among other hero materials in this project by Studio Doherty is the mint-green mosaic tile on the main en suite’s walls, floors, bath hob and vanity.
You won’t find this show-stopping stone splashback anywhere else. Except for its place of origin: Madagascar. This feature is one of many in this luxury bathroom, now for sale, owned by Grant and Sharlene Hackett. The slab of lemurian blue granite pairs with gold basins, tapware and marble.
Jason and Portia Johnson bought this Palm Beach, NSW, property in 2020 and engaged the help of award-winning designer Yasmine Ghoniem for its revamp. The bathroom is inspired by Mediterranean scenes, with a coloured ceiling, chequered tiles and brassy touches.
The renovation of this Brunswick Heads property was all about nature, family life and simplicity. The Byron-region home has epic vistas from ocean to mountain, and was renovated by Sydney-based architecture studio SAHA. The peaceful bathroom is the perfect environment to recharge, as the architects drew inspiration from the owner’s heritage, with Japanese tiles adding a spa-like feel.
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