28 bathroom ideas to inspire your next big project

The Italian home of architect and designer Patrizio Fradiani is rich in period details, from the hand-painted frescoes to original stone floors, but he refuses to be tied to the past. This highlighter-bright yellow glass cubicle is an inspired and unexpected addition. Cubicle Ion Glass can create bespoke, laminated coloured or tinted glass shower and toilet cubicles Ionglass

Designing in greyscale doesn’t need to be dull. In this small bathroom by Consuelo Pierrepont of American practice Sway Studio, the Toile de Jouy-style wallpaper creates points of interest across the wall, the interruption of the chunky, solid concrete basin lending a contemporary edge. Wallpaper ‘Pampa’, £166 per linear metre, Pierre Frey Basin Custom design by Consuelo Pierrepont, for similar try Kast Concrete Basins Tap ‘Purist’ wall-mounted tap, from £1,260, Kohler Mirror ‘Hang 1’ round mirror, from £245, Blu Dot

Interior designer Iya Turabelidze has used bright colour – in the form of the Klein Blue cabinetry – to ensure this bathroom in a private home in Russia leaves a lasting impression. Tiles Bespoke design made from Ukrainian stone – for a similar look, try ‘Marini Base’ terrazzo tiles from Fired Earth, £124.80 per square metre Fired Earth Cabinetry The sink unit and mirror are bespoke designs made of stainless steel, which have been painted Klein Blue – ‘Ultra Blue’ by Little Greene is similar, £49 for 2.5 litres Little Greene Tap ‘Tara’ by Dornbracht, from £903, CPhart

Interior designer Beata Heuman utilised every inch when creating this bathroom under the stairs in her home, originally a Victorian coal store. ‘The colour scheme was inspired by a space I saw in Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany, which had a large Carrara marble sink sitting against soft pink walls,’ she tells us. ‘The pleated curtain serves a useful storage function’. Lights Adjustable brass and bone china shell wall light, £384, Felix Lighting Specialists Curtain ‘Marbleized’ velvet £125 per metre, Beata Heuman

Apply a real-life Instagram filter to your bathroom with a coloured glass shower screen. This yellow panel has a brilliantly mood-lifting tint that casts a permanently sunny glow over the otherwise pared-back palette of natural materials. Screen Glass specialist Float GlassDesign can create a bespoke tinted pane of glass Float Glass Design Basin ‘Sonar’ by Patricia Urquiola, from £792, Laufen Tap ‘Kartell’ mixer, from £636, Laufen Cabinetry ‘Boutique’ double vanity unit, from £3,332; tall cabinet, from £1,964, both Laufen

Use standard square tiles to great effect by arranging them in a bold, chequerboard pattern. When used as a backdrop for an architectural-style washstand, the result is fantastically graphic. ‘I Catini’ basin and stand by Cielo, from £1,580, cphart

Why stop tiling when you’ve covered the splash-zone? Interior designer Jacques Erasmus extended this glossy cobalt pattern to surround the door frame and upper expanses of wall, creating an all-encompassing surface that’s fully committed to its waterproof function, as well an adventurous look. Tiles For similar, try ‘San Diego’ in ‘Ink’, £400 per square metre, Fired Earth Shower ‘Traditional’ rose, fixed riser and mixer in satin brass, £1,422, Perrin & Rowe

Contrast is key in this Brazilian bathroom, where São Paulo-based design practice Estudio Penha has offset contemporary custom-made basins and industrial-style bulkhead lights with pretty, mint green tiles and mismatched antique mirrors. Basins Bespoke stainless-steel designs set into a custom-made limestone countertop. Hansgrohe has a good selection, from £495 Hansgrohe Tiles For similar, try ‘GreenHexagonal’, £5.18 per square metre Bert & May Lighting Try the salvaged British bulkhead wall lights by Revo, £270 each, Skinflint Design Accessories Try H&M for rattan and seagrass baskets

Swapping small design elements for something excitingcan have a big impact. In this space, neutral ceramic tiles are enlivened by red grouting, adding a twist to the solid stretches of high-gloss finish. Tiles ‘Materia’ in ‘Mastice’, £36 per square metre, Ceramica Vogue Grout Try ‘Kerapoxy’ epoxy grout in ‘Cherry Red’ by Mapei, £26.34 for 3kg, Pure Adhesion Light ‘Pendant 02’, from £725, Magic Circus Éditions

Simply cladding a wall can make the world of difference, be it wood, stone, tiles or composite. Australian design studio Biasol wrapped the bathroom of The Budapest Cafe in Chengdu, China, in colourful terrazzo, echoing the curved alcove with the basin and accessories. Walls ‘EM-35-09’ terrazzo by Signorino, Try London Terrazzo for similar Mirror Try the ‘Angui’ mirror by AYTM, £135, Nordic Nest

Embrace the rundown and rustic, and turn unloved spaces into washrooms without the need for refinedment. Johannesburg architecture practice Silvio Rech + Lesley Carstens’s rugged concrete wall dramatically juxtaposes the perfect, smooth surfaces within it, both textures exaggerating the other. Mirror Custom-made by Silvio Rech + Lesley Carstens. For similar, try the ‘Orta Drop’ mirror, £699, Heal’s Basin Bespoke piece designed by Silvio Rech + Lesley Carstens, made by Boutique Baths

Creating a scheme from a single object can produce unexpected results. Australian design studio Decus Interiors extended the dark red directly from the Calacatta Viola marble, balancing the stone’s white tones with the rest of the space. Mirror Custom designed by Decus Interiors – try the Industrial metal wall mirror, £199, Nordic House Vanity Bespoke fluting by Decus Interiors – for a similar colour, try ‘Grenache’ architects matt emulsion, £55 for 2.5 litres, Paint & Paper Library Marble Calacatta Viola from Artedomus

An open-plan layout gives you the luxury of an en-suite without making the space feel boxed in. In this rustic Mexican home, a simple concrete wall provides just enough privacy. Shower For similar, try the ‘La Chapelle’ wall-mounted shower head, £449, Holloways of Ludlow Furniture ‘Backenzahn’ oak stool by Philipp Mainzer for E15, £860, The Conran Shop

A single, bright tone throughout the bathroom gives an energising boost. Fledgling Spanish architect and interior design studio Basamenta covered this private home in a zingy apricot hue accented with gleaming brass and playful terrazzo – sure to provoke a morning smile. Tiles Try ‘Norse’ ceramic gloss tiles in ‘Terra’, from £46.40 per square metre, Mandarin Stone Lights Try ‘Kew’ wall light in ‘Polished Brass’, £366, Porter Basin Custom ‘Sabadell’ terrazzo in ‘NCS S 2030-Y70R’, from £90 per square metre, Huguet Paint Try ‘Shrimp Pink’, £50 for 2.5 litres, Little Greene

The ‘Pipe’ shower by Marcel Wanders for Boffi is an absolute design classic. Conceived by the Dutch designer 18 years ago, its simple yet functional design still looks as modern as ever, and it’s a perfect statement piece in this smart black and white bathroom. Shower ‘Pipe’ by Marcel Wanders,£4,640, Boffi Taps ‘Minimal’ wall-mounted,£1,086 each, Boffi Tiles Bespoke black Corian – for similar try the wide range at Jodari

With inventive plumbing, any space can become a bathroom. Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara di Pinto of Milanese firm Studiopepe transformed this space with a burst of colour, protective flooring, seating and storage to form a multipurpose area. Bath ‘Morphing’ bathtub with ‘Pan’ taps by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba, from £5,385, Zucchetti. Kos Chair ‘Zig Zag’ by Gerrit Rietveld, £1,440, Cassina Table ‘Maru’ by Doshi Levien, from £1,090, B&B Italia Wall ‘Cherry Bomb’ wallcovering by Gio Pagani for Wall & Decò, £171 per square metre, West One Light ‘Laurent 05’, £1,343, Lambert & Fils

Juxtapose hard, heavy stone with a soft material to create a comforting, welcoming feel. In this space by Decus Interiors, a wall of pink leather tiles contrasts with the slabs of honed Cipollino marble that form the basin and vanity. Lights ‘Duo Balls’, from £1,700 each, Articolo Wall Studioart can supply something similar Vanity Custom design by Decus Interiors – try Contemporary Stone

Bali-based architecture studio Word of Mouth harnessed the endless creative opportunities afforded by the terrazzo trend in this joyful villa. The firm used coloured pigments, stones and glass chips to create different textures and tones, with brass inlays producing a sunburst pattern. Walls and bath Try Diespeker & Co for similar terrazzo

Let the tiles do the talking with a pattern that’s bold, but also chimes with other tones in the space. The soft coral of these encaustic floor tiles is offset by the room’s natural palette, the black accents ensuring the scheme still packs a punch.Tiles Customised ‘Eclipse’ cement tiles by India Mahdavi, from £167 per square metre, Bisazza Bath The straw marquetry decoration is bespoke. Simon Orrell Designs creates similar pieces Light ‘Chanpen’ hexagon pendant by Forestier, £263, Made in Design

Beautiful marble is a work of art, so treat it that way by mounting it within a frame, as seen in this bathroom by interior designer Tristan Auer for Wilson Associates, a creative studio in Paris. It’s an effective way of accentuating a smaller area of stone if your budget is limited. Bath A custom-made design, carved from marble – stone specialist Lapicida sells a range of hand-carved marble tubs Tap For similar, try the ‘Berkeley’ black china lever wall-mounted bath/shower mixer, £894, Aston Matthews Furniture ‘Palette Desk JH9’ by Jaime Hayón for And Tradition, £1,759, Aram Store

Italian duo Andrea Marcante and Adelaide Testa’s careful mix of textures creates a delicate, unique washing zone. Keep colour to a minimum to highlight the varying surfaces and combine woods, metals and ceramics to emphasise the tactility. Wall ‘Pico’ tiles by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec for Mutina, £176 per square metre, Domus Vanity Bespoke piece by Marcante-Testa – try Julian Chichester Basin ‘BetteBowl’ by Bette, discontinued – try ‘BetteCraft’, from £918 Mirror ‘Randaccio’ by Gio Ponti, from £592, Gubi Light ‘Alouette’ wall lamp by Atelier Areti, £346, Nest

Large format tiles create a sense of luxury, the seamless finish lending a bespoke feel while actually being simpler to install. Designed by Barber & Osgerby, these tiles are speckled with ceramic flakes, reinforcing the uniqueness as each is one of a kind. Tiles ‘Primavera’ porcelain tiles by Barber & Osgerby for Mutina, from £236 per square metre, Domus

Who says bathrooms belong indoors? Create a private oasis by flanking a freestanding tub with fronds and foliage, and immerse yourself in nature as well as water. For a modern look, match a statement, minimal bath with plants of all varieties – as shown in this tranquil bathing area designed by Jacqueline de la Vega for Villa A-Mar in Bali. Bath For a custom-made bath in Corian, Hi-Macs or Krion, try Solidity

A three-dimensional slatted wall adds depth and is an elegant way to distract from a lack of window. Create atmosphere with the warm glow of low-level lighting, as seen in this space by Nina Maya Interiors. Mirror Custom design by Nina Maya Interiors. Try ‘Abel’ oval mirror, £305, CB2 Basin Designed by Nina Maya Interiors in ‘Aspen Grey Silk’, Neolith Light ‘Arch’ wall light in ‘Opal White’, from £363, Douglas & Bec

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