2017 is well and truly behind us and 2018 is the ‘Year of the Dog’-So let’s get your tails wagging and your ears pricked with some of the latest ideas.   So what, you may ask, is going to be trendy and new in bathrooms this year?  Good questions to ask are;

• What will be the influences?
• How will technology be incorporated?
• What styles, patterns and colours will be in vogue?
• Let me try to scratch the surface and answer these questions.

For many people who decide to make changes or renovations in their home the inspiration and impetus for making the changes often follows a stay in a hotel in a stylish or exotic location and the creation of a new bathing sanctuary will bring back memories while relaxing. If you don’t have a holiday planned soon and some inspiration is required then look no further than our fabulous showroom where we have over 20 stylish bathroom settings to help get your creative juices flowing.

Large Format Tiles

The main change in tiles is that large formats are taking over for bathroom walls and floors. These Great Danes of the tile world take less time to fit and there are less grout joints. Most manufacturers in Europe are discontinuing small format tiles for the larger sizes and with the development of printing technology the finishes and decorative effects applied to porcelain and ceramic tiles are very sophisticated and realistic, for instance wood effect tiles not only look like wood but have a wood texture too and textures add warmth to a tile and takes away from a clinical cold look.

Use the same tiles on the walls and floor to give a ‘spa- like’ effect and should you choose the ever more trending ‘marbles’ you could get the look of luxurious marble at a much more affordable price.

Floor areas are less than wall areas so for maximum impact on a limited budget it makes sense to be more extravagant on the floor tiles.

Patterns and Colours

Patterns and colours are back with a vengeance, and thank goodness! Unlike the random spots of Dalmatians there are some rules to make using colours and patterns work well.
As a rule of thumb if you have a patterned floor the walls should be plain and vice versa, patterned walls should have a plain floor. However, that is not a fast and hard rule!
The trends for 2018 are for colourful, bold patterns of either a single design or a collective of various patterns. A complete immersion of pattern from the floor up is forecast to be huge, but not everyone would be comfortable with that amount of pattern in what is generally one of the smallest rooms in the house. Bold colour accents are the solution to introduce colour and pattern and add character to a room, but bold does not mean avocado and peach!

The colour trends for this year are shades of blue- perfect for bathrooms as they are reminiscent of the sky and sea- denim blue, indigo, and turquoise are the ‘in’ colours for 2018 as often dictated by the fashion industry. This choice of colour range for a bathroom is a long term investment because they are for life and not just for Christmas, they will never go out of fashion.

Traditional

Like a British Bulldog, traditional and period styling never goes out of date and works as well in modern new builds as well as Victorian and Edwardian properties. Free standing roll top baths are as popular as ever but the latest trend is to have a coloured outside. Some can be painted in traditional colours and others come in a selection of 2 or 3 colours with a dove grey exterior being the most popular. Freestanding and roll top baths are synonymous with luxury bathrooms and are one of the attributes that Zoopla has in their top 10 features that help to sell a house.

You can go all out and complete the look with everything traditional including taps, accessories, shower heads and valves, toilets, furniture and even the choice of tiling, or combine a mixture of traditional and modern- both work well together.

Ultra Modern

Ultra-modern furniture, just like Cockapoos and Labradoodles, are in vogue this year. The increasing need for practical bathroom storage is dictating this current trend- let’s be honest you can’t buy less than 12 toilet rolls and who doesn’t buy a good BOGOF?
High gloss modular bathroom furniture is the most popular and is available in a whole range of colours, sizes and styles. All the unsightly pipework is hidden away and there are less dust and dirt traps. With a sleek profile your room will look more spacious especially if the units are wall hung- the more floor you see tricks your eyes to make the room appear bigger and lighter- a bonus in narrow rooms.

White gloss will help to reflect the light and brighten a darker room.
A matt finish, however, is less likely to show finger marks, water marks and limescale residue, so is often more practical.
Bright and bold colours are becoming trendier this year, with orange, red and zesty lime being popular choices. Fun and organic shapes are being introduced into bathroom furniture ranges, so look out for curves and angles.

Brassware

Golden Retrievers are golden, brassware is chrome! No more- both are available in other limited colours. Colour trends for bathroom and kitchen brassware are gold and copper- copper has been available and popular for a year or two and is not likely to diminish but gold is rising in both of these areas with champagne and rose gold being the colours trending this year. These gold colours are less brassy looking than the gold taps of old and with antique gold and brushed copper having soft finishes all these colours add a touch of class and luxury to any room. With mosaic tiles, accessories and lighting being produced in these colours then the theme can be continued around your room, but use them sparingly for a more subtle and understated effect.

Lighting

Just like man’s best friend who lights up your life, bathroom lighting can do the same. Technology has changed bathroom lighting and it is considered a key component of a good bathroom. Illuminated mirrors and cabinets with demisters, sockets, Bluetooth, clocks and magnifiers are almost an essential in most bathrooms, they look good, are practical and add extra storage. LED lights can be warm or cool, zoned, inset, wall mounted and sensor.

Lit mirrors are available in any number of shapes, styles and sizes to suit every bathroom and they can even play your favourite music be it relaxing or revitalising to enhance your bathing experience.

The Tail End

We at New Image believe that what defines a luxury bathroom is the room design and the product design and any bathroom that our customers have invested in- be that in time, effort or money, will offer an element of luxury- even if that is an added sense of security, comfort or the feeling of indulgence. Luxury doesn’t have to be dominated by expensive products to create that WOW in your bathroom. With our expertise and experience we want our customers to feel that we have not only fulfilled their expectations but exceeded them.
Luxury should be standard and not an aspiration so come and take a leisurely stroll around our showroom and see what we can do for you, you would be barking mad not to!!