By Johnson 
Choosing to go ‘design-forward’ in your bathroom can feel like the preserve of the bold. While it can be met with rewards, you also run the risk of buying into something with a shelf life shorter than you expected — ideas you love at the time but that soon become outdated bathroom trends.
But your bathroom should be a space that sets the tone for your day, as well as a refuge to return to before you retire to bed. Personality and character are the benefits of following the right bathroom trends, and it might be that you feel empowered to take some risks and try out new designs and styles that we may not typically go for in larger-scale spaces than the kitchen.
The trick is keeping ahead of the bandwagon, and not investing in outdated trends past their prime. So, who better to tell us what those are than the people who spend all day designing bathrooms?
1. Brushed Brass
Do instead: Brushed nickel acts as an updated, modern twist on brushed brass.
(Image credit: West One Bathrooms)
For the past few years, it has felt as though brushed brass was the obligatory choice for luxurious, trendy bathrooms, and has been considered the biggest bathroom faucet trend. Loved for its warm tone and its matte, textured finish, it could be found displayed on practically every Pinterest bathroom board.
However, the brushed brass supremacy is officially over, for Louise Ashdown, head of design at West One: “For the last several years, brass and brushed brass has dominated bathroom brassware but for 2025, there will be a shift to new finishes which I’m excited about.”
While there is an obvious appeal to the brushed brass finish, its extreme popularity has left the look feeling like an obvious choice, which can make it seem like an outdated bathroom trend. With all the same textural and luxury appeal, brushed nickel offers a modern interpretation of the trend. The cooler tone propels the look into the modern day, while maintaining a slight warm hue that stops the material to appearing too harsh.
“While most silver-ish metals have a gray shade to them, brushed nickel emanates a slightly golden hue that glows with subtlety, gently reflecting back light sources in the room to create a spa-style atmosphere,” explains Louise.
“This makes it the perfect choice for those with warm-toned bathrooms with color palettes of beige, cream, chocolate, yellow, or even deep sapphire blue. Because brushed nickel isn’t overtly shiny, it also resists fingerprints – a godsend in busy family bathrooms or sharing households.”
Louise Ashdown
Showroom manager and head of design at West One Bathrooms, Louise Ashdown has built a career around creating beautiful, stylish bathrooms. As the winner of the international design and architecture award in the bathroom category, she’s a trusted voice on all things design.
2. Matte Black Brassware
Do instead: For materials you love the look of, but don’t want to have to deal with the upkeep for, experts suggest bringing them in as smaller decor pieces.
(Image credit: Ripples)
Much like the decline of the once-loved brushed brass, Ripples designer, Danii Tipping, also expects to see a move away from matte black brassware.
Once considered the high point of bathroom hardware trends, it has had a speedy decline in popularity, due to both its stark contrast in lighter schemes, and the high-maintenance care it requires.
“While it made a bold statement and was hugely popular a few years ago, it’s notoriously difficult to keep clean, especially in hard water areas and prone to scratching and tarnishing,” Dani says. Although its delicate nature makes it a less desirable choice for larger installments, matte black brassware can still make a dramatic and effective statement in bathrooms when used sparingly.
Danii suggests that “if you’re still drawn to the look, consider incorporating it in smaller accents like robe hooks or toothbrush holders.”
These smaller accessories are less prone to daily wear, so you can easily get away with bringing them into your bathroom design.
Danii Tipping
Danii Tipping is a bathroom design expert and the owner of the Ripples showroom in Lindfield. Danii uses her design background to create bathrooms that seamlessly combine style with function, transforming tired rooms into highlights of the home.
3. High Gloss Tiles
Do instead: Unlike high gloss tiles, natural stone tiles will wear beautifully over time.
(Image credit: West One Bathrooms)
Some trends stick out as an obvious marker of the time in which it was decorated. One particularly obvious example of this is the super shiny, high-gloss tiles. Although these were once a standard feature in all bathrooms aiming for that sleek, modern look, they now seem like an outdated bathroom trend of yesteryear. Compared to other contemporary bathroom tile ideas, this look lacks the originality and style that would make it feel timeless.
Beyond their appearance, high-gloss finishes are known to leave you feeling as though you constantly have to wipe them down. Stepping in to replace the high-shine tiles of the past are natural, textured materials. Think terracotta, and limestone finishes.
Danii says that “natural, textured finishes bring warmth and authenticity to a space. However, it’s wise to be selective — while terracotta has been hugely popular recently, it may not have lasting appeal.”
Proven classics, like a richly veined marble or a brushed limestone, may be safer options.
4. Spotlit Niches
Do instead: LED lights around the ceiling give this bathroom a warm, luxurious glow.
(Image credit: Ripples)
Loved for the soft illumination it offers and its ability to draw attention to smaller architectural features, spotlit niches have been a mainstay in luxury bathroom lighting ideas for the past few years.
However, Danii believes we may be witnessing the end of this trend’s heyday: “The era of spotlights in niches is waning.”
Instead, Danii observes “LED lighting emerging as the superior choice.” While spotlights act as a highly focused light source, LED strips bring a more evenly distributed glow to the bathroom, making for a less harsh appearance.
“Not only does it offer a sleeker, more seamless finish.” Danii continues, “but it also allows for adjustable color temperatures to create a more inviting and customizable ambience.”
LED lights are also a pleasingly pocket-friendly option, making us all the more happy to usher them in as the new lighting option of choice.
5. Cool Color Palettes
Do instead: Warmer color schemes with wood, color, and natural textures in beige over gray.
(Image credit: Ripples)
“Cold tones, which have dominated the bathroom space in past years, are expected to fade away and make room for more inviting palettes,” predicts Yousef Mansuri, C.P Hart’s director of design.
Crisp white, slate gray and charcoal shades are all expected to see a dip in popularity, making space for colors that make you feel more comfortable, like earthy reds and warm browns.
This coincides with the shift towards natural, texturally rich materials, which typically complement this warmer color palette.
Although cool tones can bring a certain sleekness to a space, you can also run the risk of making your bathroom feel sterile, and uninviting, far from the spa-like zen we’re all aiming for. This risk is entirely mitigated by a warmer color palette, which instead offers an instantly comforting, cozy feel.
Across interior design generally, we are seeing a noticeable shift towards warmer, earthy colors.
“In the bathroom,” Yousef observes, “deep reds, energizing terracottas, and clay browns are used on basins, tiles, brassware, and, most impactfully, furniture – as seen in the C.P. Hart Hoxton Colour furniture range. These warm tones sing when combined with natural timber, stone, and plaster or concrete.”
Natural materials and earthy colors work together in symbiosis, creating a striking yet harmonious look that we can’t get enough of.
Another choice material Yousef expects to see more of is timber, specifically when fluted. As Yousef explains, “Timber’s natural qualities – offering visual interest and spa-like acoustic benefits – make it a particularly compelling choice.”
This striking design feature brings further warmth and depth to a bathroom.
6. Minimalism
Do instead: Bolder colors and more maximalist design style are coming to the fore in bathrooms.
(Image credit: West One)
Much to the chagrin of ‘clean girl’ style devotees, it might be time to bid minimalist interior design farewell, at least where bathrooms are concerned.
According to Louise, we have the garish nightmare of 70s color palettes to thank for the beige supremacy of recent years, explaining: “The backlash to these in-your-face color schemes was decades of minimalism — and white and cream has long been the over-riding theme for ‘spa style’, heritage and modern bathrooms.”
However, with the 70s now firmly far behind us, it seems as though it is finally time to embrace their love of all things color. Avocado green bathtub anyone?
Dive head first into this trend by getting on board the ‘color drenching’ train. Although this all-or-nothing approach may appear intimidating at first, it only has to be as intense as you choose for it to be, plus, the bathroom is the perfect place to test it out. With so many materials to play around with, it can be easy to create a complex and exciting design.
Using the same color across various materials and textures allows for a more complex take on color drenching.
(Image credit: West One)
As Louise explains, “Color drenching can be achieved through paint but equally well through tiling on walls and floors. This gives you a chance to add texture and depth with everything from marble and mosaic to glazed to patterned tiles. Or consider waterproof bathroom wallpaper — this way you can stick to your color theme but introduce subtle pattern to break it up a little.”
However, as Louise mentions, “This trend is not one to follow in half measures — so pick a color and stick to it. It doesn’t have to be a primary bright; it works equally well in a soft pastel, but do your research, see how colors make you feel and what suits you, you’ll spend a lot of time looking at your reflection in a bathroom so you want the space to complement you, not clash.”
You’re going to spend a lot of time looking at this color, so it’s worth making sure that you won’t grow sick of it after a week.
7. Fluted Tiles
Do instead: Creating patterns with zellige tiles can offer the same feel as fluted tiles, without the tricky upkeep.
(Image credit: OWN London)
While some trends can stick around for decades, others seem to die as quickly as they appeared. Although the fluted tile look only gained traction in recent years, they’ve already been written off by our experts as an outdated tile choice.
“Fluted tiles have become less popular due to their impracticality and difficulty in cleaning,” explains Dyna Dreer, senior interior designer at OWN London.
While this style may look effective, the nooks and ridges make them difficult to clean, with dirt easily building up within the crevices. Plus, something as distinctive looking as this is more likely to date quickly.
Instead, Dyna suggests a return to much-loved classics.
“There’s a shift back to classic slab showers and the use of zellige tiles in different forms and patterns,” she explains. “We’re embracing this trend by using this traditional more natural material in a playful, contemporary pattern. The irregularity and imperfection add texture, personality and character to the bathroom.”
Endless options for colors and finishes make this an infinitely customizable option. We particularly love the look of a Moroccan-inspired bathroom, easily achieved with zellige tiles.
Brown & Off-White Karin Bath Mat
Price: £115
In line with our experts love of all things earth-toned, this bathmat brings a chic, luxurious feel to your bathroom setup.
Price: £9.99
If you’re looking to bring a slightly whimsical touch to your bathroom, you won’t find an accessory much better than this one. It would look especially effective in a full-pink color drenched room.
Natural Stone Effect Toilet Brush Holder
Price: £20
If you aren’t ready to redo your whole bathroom in an earthy, natural stone material, bringing in smaller accessories is a great way to start.
From tiling to tubs, our experts seem to be aligned in the view that the warmer, and the more textured, the better. Reds, browns and wooden accents make up the color palette of the moment, while bright whites and cold greys are set aside for the time being.
Whether these trends trigger a complete refurb, or just some subtle tweaks, with these in mind you’ll be able to avoid all the worst bathroom mistakes.
Now, I think it’s time for a bath.