Key Bathroom Trends In 2022

2022 will be a time of simplicity and naturalness. The focus for the bathroom, more than any other room in the home, will incorporate the key trends of wellness and self-care, with an emphasis on the importance of creating harmony. Choosing less and focusing on more quality items that last and provide comfort above all else will be the priority.

Size does play a part in the design for a bathroom, however, regardless of the space, trends for 2022 dictate functionality and eco-friendly as top of the list. “Green” designs coupled with water-efficient and energy-efficient bathroom fixtures are a must-have. Andy Grigor, Head of Design and Innovation at Methven explains that while water conservation may be at the forefront of our minds, it doesn’t have to mean compromising on the shower experience.

“People tend to associate less water with bad experiences. Our mission at Methven is to change that. We design with the intent to use less but not at the expense of experience. Our shower designs focus on innovation, sustainability and water conservation, and along with leading-edge technology result in a transformative shower experience.” Methven offers a number of 4-star shower options, such as The Rua Rail Shower, where the water flow rate is optimised to be water efficient without compromising the luxurious spray performance.

The Rua features the award-winning Aurajet technology. The design is a standout with hidden nozzles generating individual jets of water that collide against precisely angled surfaces offering a seemingly floating shower head. The result is a stunning fan of luxuriously dense droplets.

The future of bathroom design will be the integration of intuitive products that make life easier and use energy efficiently. “Our lives already have an overload of information and there is a movement to transition from the smart home to the thoughtful home,” explains Andy. “We are working on hidden technology that helps meet everyday demands, with products that have intuitive features that use several metrics to predict your needs.” An example of this is, your shower automatically setting your preferred temperature and water flow. Intuitive shower technology will keep track of your habits and will automatically power on the thermostat at just the right temperature for you, and on the preferred water flow.

From an interior design perspective, artistic touches give character to bathrooms with the use of modern wallpaper, wall panelling or warm, moody colours to add personality and harmony to a bathroom. The natural hues of stone and wood dominate. Bathroom spaces, including vanities, walls and ceiling linings are adopting finishes in raw timber, stone and concrete. Sustainable timber is a natural material that brings a sense of warmth and depth to a room, adds texture and movement, bringing nature indoors.

“The connection to nature and earthy raw colours and textures provides a calming yet resort luxe feel to an ultimate bathroom sanctuary,” says Andy. Overall bathroom design sees, “a simple pallet with natural materials of stone and wood allowing bathroom fixtures to accentuate the detail and finishing touches. We’ll start to see softer forms become more prevalent, but for tapware clean lines and a minimalist touch will enable other features in the bathroom, like the shower design, to become the hero feature.”

Showers are now taking centre stage and becoming the main feature in new bathrooms. When moved to the centre from a corner, glass and LED lights accentuate a new design layout and illuminate the area to create a modern bathroom feel. Methven’s Koha MKII Rail Shower provides the perfect centrepiece with its classic, understated form. Organic curves meet crisp edges to create a timeless look that is as practical as beautiful. “This one function rail shower features Satinjet® Technology with twin-jets of water colliding to create a full-body shower sensation, while also delivering on water efficiency,” says Andy.

Variations of the green colour palette are the colours to look out for in 2022. “There is no ignoring the dominance of green which is growing in popularity. There seems to be a renewed zeal for nature and the outdoors, and we see greening in our interiors, bringing the outdoor in,” says Andy. “We’ll also see transformative shades of blue inspired by the colour of the ocean and the sky. It’s a dynamic colour that can ground and connect us to our surroundings.” Brushed gold set against darker colours such as Forest Green, Deep Blue and dark wood are the ultimate finisher. The luxury metal offers another option to the popular and minimalist looks of stainless steel and brushed chrome.