Katie Wells
Traditional Bathroom Trends for 2026
In 2026, home interiors are taking a more uplifting approach, with intentional personality, harmony and comfort taking centre stage. A calming and grounding midimalist style is being used throughout the home, including the bathroom space, combining simplicity and functionality with character, colour and texture.
What is Midimalism?
Midimalism is an emerging interior design trend that blends the simplicity of minimalism with the richness of maximalism to create a warm, balanced and lived-in aesthetic. It starts with the clean, uncluttered foundations of minimalist design and layers in carefully curated touches of colour, pattern, texture and personality inspired by maximalist interiors. The result is a calm, functional and intentional space that still feels expressive, joyful and full of character. The key is finding harmony – avoiding spaces that feel either too stark or overly busy – while creating an inviting and comfortable environment.
Key characteristics of midimalism:
- Balance – Achieving balance is essential, combining open spaces and clean lines with thoughtful, meaningful décor.
- Warmth – Colour and texture play a major role in creating a welcoming atmosphere. Natural materials, layered textures and muted tones are commonly used.
- Personality – Midimalism embraces individuality without overwhelming the space. Statement pieces, artwork and unique objects are incorporated in a considered and purposeful way.
- Stylish yet functional – While midimalism enjoys the decorative flair of maximalism, it prioritises practicality and everyday usability.
Rather than following strict design rules, midimalism is guided by philosophy. It encourages the thoughtful use of colour, pattern and personal items while maintaining a sense of calm and order. This flexible approach allows for personal interpretation and creative freedom, making the style adaptable to individual tastes. As a result, many current design trends are gaining popularity for their midimalist qualities, as they successfully create spaces that feel harmonious, balanced and deeply personal.
New Neutrals
Crisp, clean and simple interiors are a thing of the past. Interiors are moving away from the dominance of cool greys and stark whites, instead opting for an interior with increased personality and using colour to bring calm and joy. While there is still a need for neutral colours, these new neutral tones are becoming softer, warmer and more grounded. Shades of beige, clay, soft terracotta and atmospheric blues now take the place of pure white, infusing spaces with a sense of warmth and quiet sophistication.
This shift in colour palette works beautifully with traditional bathroom design, allowing bathroom features inspired by period design to become the focal point and moving away from more contemporary colour palettes.
Sustainable & Artisanal Design
As the draw towards personalised spaces full of character has grown, so too has the appreciation for authenticity. Artisanal craftsmanship, textured surfaces and unique items are being used to bring depth and soul to traditional interiors. This style can be used to honour design pieces from the past and achieve a homely and lived-in environment. Sustainability has also grown in importance when selecting the pieces to bring into the home. Durable, long-lasting items are taking precedence over disposable designs. This movement celebrates individuality, favouring unique, character-rich items that tell a story and make each space feel personal and distinct. The result is a home that feels warm, responsible and deeply human.
When bringing this style into your traditional bathroom design, think era-inspired pieces that display excellent craftsmanship, tell a story and appeal to your personal tastes. The Guild Collection, for example, is full of artisanal items inspired by the Arts and Crafts era. Celebrating long-lasting quality and meaningful design, this collection achieves a distinct and welcoming traditional bathroom interior. Similarly, the Riviera Collection presents beautiful designs with an Art Deco influence. This collection achieves a creative and sophisticated interior with unique and character-rich designs.
Creative Pursuits
Over recent years, the visual and artistic landscape has been changing rapidly. As a result, a distinctly human-crafted aesthetic has been emerging with the interest in analogue crafts growing for their personal, tactile and emotive appeal. This is leading to interiors becoming hyper-personalised, full of handmade pieces, customised designs and narrative-rich décor. The idea is that people are telling a story or putting a piece of themselves into their interiors. Analogue crafts offer a childlike glee and freedom that distracts from adult life and responsibilities, giving rise to an unserious approach to interior design where playfulness and creativity prosper.
Being creative within your traditional design can come in many forms. A great place to start is with your walls. From bold colours to playful patterns, your wall décor can hold a lot of personality and creativity. Our wall panel collection features a range of designs inspired by period wallpaper designs in a range of beautiful colours that achieve a creative and narrative-rich interior. For your bathroom features, opt for spherical forms, playful details, and bold colours and patterns.
Creating Your Traditional Bathroom for 2026
With a move towards a midimalist and creative aesthetic where interiors are highly personal, inviting and warm, there are certain areas of the bathroom that are a great place to start when creating your new modern bathroom. Below are some tips and tricks for achieving a personality-filled yet balanced and functional bathroom design.
Bathroom Furniture
Freestanding vanities with legs are replacing more minimalist floating styles to meet the growing desire for warmer and more inviting spaces. Opt for sharp, geometric shapes over more rounded, curved silhouettes, such as our Guild or Riviera furniture ranges. Warm neutrals and rich wood grains create a balanced interior with warmth and character compared to cooler tones. |
Showering Spaces
With their open showering experience and minimalist design, wet rooms and walk-in showers are a great option for creating a midimalist bathroom. Bring in a pop of colour and pattern found within maximalist design with a large-format wall panel. This creates surfaces that are seamless and full of character without resulting in a cluttered look. Our range of wall panels includes statement marble designs, subtle stones and beautiful period wallpaper motifs. |
Basins & Taps
2026 bathroom design trends look towards more calming, harmonious and creative environments. With this in mind, there are a number of things you can do with your basin area that help to achieve this aesthetic. Firstly, rounded and curved basins feel more organic, approachable and creative than their sharp, angular counterparts, creating a sense of serenity and balance. When choosing your brassware, warm metals, such as brushed nickel and gold, are a great option for this aesthetic as they complement the natural wood and stone materials used for your bathroom furniture. |
For more 2026 bathroom design trends inspiration, head over to our Instagram.