Timelessness can be hard to achieve with so many loud, exciting fads in interior design. You might be in love with an elaborate patterned tile or maybe a vibrant cabinet color, but will you still like it in a couple of years, or a couple of months? And what happens if you decide to sell your current home? The last thing you want to do is put money into renovations that hurt your resale value rather than boost it.
Luckily, instead of short-term fads that will be outdated in a matter of months, longer term trends or timeless classics are less likely to lose their charm as the years add up. A classic bathroom design not only adds value to your home but also keeps the space beautiful and comfortable as you continue to use it every day.
1. Start with a Classic Freestanding Bathtub
If you’re looking to create a luxurious experience in your bathroom, a standalone bathtub is the way to go. The bigger and deeper the better; what’s better than relaxing with a soak in the tub after a long day? There’s an air of elegance to a large, luxurious tub that can’t quite be replicated by a shower-bath combo.
The bathtub is a classic that’s not going anywhere any time soon, just as it’s continued to be a bathroom staple for centuries. We recommend making the bathtub the centerpiece of your bathroom, a focal point to draw in the eyes and provide some structure to the rest of your bathroom design. There’s no one specific style of tub that works best, but classics like claw-footed bathtubs or hammered copper tubs or even a more modern, geometric style should all serve well.
2. Create a Wet Room for a Seamless Shower Experience
We can all agree that one of the worst parts of a bathroom is having to clean it, especially when water is tracked all over the floor between the bathtub and shower. If you don’t mop that up right away, it can cause damage to your flooring and the rest of your home, which decidedly ruins the relaxing experience of a hot bath. Instead, homeowners are now turning to wet rooms, extra-large shower rooms that can contain a freestanding tub. These rooms can be sealed off from the rest of the bathroom with glass walls and doors or left open. Regardless, imagine the ease of having a drain catch excess water that drips off when you get out of the bathtub.
For bathrooms that don’t have enough space for a full wet room, a similar effect can be achieved with a seamless glass shower. Bulky metal frames not only make a shower look dated and severely out of style, but also are harder to clean with bacteria and mold building up between the glass and metal strip.
3. Transform the Experience with a Rain-Head Shower Head
The spa-like bathroom isn’t going anywhere in terms of popularity among homebuyers and homeowners alike. One of the best ways to transform your shower experience is by installing a rain-head shower head. This style of shower head creates a wide flow of water that covers the entire body in a waterfall-like effect. It’s incredibly relaxing and luxurious, creating a private spa out of your own bathroom.
Rain-head shower heads come in all different shapes, sizes and colors. Circular or square, shiny chrome or matte black, and even shower heads with LED lighting are available for you to truly customize your shower experience. Rather than worry too much about which specific shower head is the most timeless, choosing one that suits the rest of your bathroom design will be the most strategic move.
4. Stick with a Classic like Subway Tile
Subway tile gets its name from the New York City subway system it was designed for over 100 years ago in 1903. Since then, the classic rectangular tiles have remained a design staple for bathrooms and kitchens alike. It’s an incredibly versatile design element that can be used for any style from traditional to modern, retro to contemporary. Not to mention the many different ways to install the tile; a traditional horizontal brick pattern is just as timeless as a more modern stacked pattern.
Tile is a more permanent element of your bathroom than paint is, for example, so picking a color that’s easy to adapt to a new style later will be the best choice.
5. Take Inspiration from Nature with Marble and Stone
What’s more timeless than literal stone? It’s an ancient material and a critical resource for humans in every point in history, used for building, decor, and artwork for centuries. The primary material for everything from the pyramids to Michaelangelo’s David, stone has come to represent timeless elegance and resilience. Marble in particular, while much more expensive than laminate countertops, never goes out of style.
Keep in mind that stones like marble are very slippery when wet, so be sure to use the material strategically in a way that makes sense for your particular space. Stone is great for both main features like countertops and also for smaller details, such as accents of granite or quartz in a tiled shower.
6. Match the Hardware to Your Home
Hardware for your bathroom should be a blend between your personal style and traditional styles associated with the architectural style of the house itself. Researching what materials and styles are traditionally used with your style of home and finding modern versions will be the most timeless option you can go with.
Hardware is also relatively easy to replace, so it’s also an option to plan to update your hardware fairly regularly. Stylish, inexpensive hardware can be purchased with the intention of swapping it out once you get bored of it or no longer feel it suits the space.
7. Choose Neutral or Cool Colors
There’s a reason why white is the most popular color for the bathroom. White toilets, bathtubs, and sinks are always available, whereas other colors may not be. Even a neutral off-white may change slightly over the years and a replacement toilet seat might not match the original toilet very well. Additionally, white is the easiest color to see any dirt and grime buildup on, making it easier to clean the bathroom to perfection.
That said, you can never go wrong with other neutral, natural colors. Light colors typically create an airy, open feel to the space that helps to sell the home spa experience. If you’d like a bit more color in your bathroom, cool colors such as blue and green have also consistently been in style for ages. Watery hues in particular have been shown to have a calming effect; environmental psychologists have proved that sea blue colors ease nerves. Perfect for a spa-like bathroom!
8. Curate Useful Furniture
Having the bathroom optimized for functionality will never go out of style. Curating and adding in useful furniture pieces, such as a larger vanity with lower shelves, helps solve situations that never change with the times, such as running out of toilet paper. Consider useful ways to keep extra paper products within easy reach of the toilet, where you’ll keep your cleaning supplies, and the other fine details that go with everyday living. Having plenty of storage space is always in style!
When picking specific furniture pieces, solid hardwood is always your best bet. Again, natural elements never go out of style and a sturdy construction that will stand up to daily use will be greatly appreciated. Nothing is worse than a cheap vanity that deteriorates too quickly! If it sort of looks like a piece of furniture that you’d typically display in a different room, you’re on the right track.
9. Make Room for Bigger Countertops
Bigger is always better and is a trend that’s not going anywhere any time soon. Again, storage is a timeless necessity, so building bigger countertops into your new bathroom will help create an impression that will stand the test of time. White quartz or marble in particular will reflect light around the room and help keep the space open and uncramped despite the larger furniture.
If you have the space for it, consider a double vanity. Whether you plan to stay in the home for years to come or are fixing it up for resale, you ideally want to design a bathroom that can easily adapt to suit changing needs over time. The average household has three bedrooms per one bathroom, so chances are that you (or the next owner of the home) will be sharing the bathroom with other people. A double vanity creates room for multiple people to comfortably use certain functions of the bathroom at the same time.
Designing a Timeless Bathroom
A bathroom renovation is no simple task; a significant amount of your time, money, and energy must be dedicated to the project. As a full-service design-build company, Kitchens by Oaks is here to make the process run smoother with our talented expert designers who can help create the timeless bathroom of your dreams.
If you’re ready to tackle your bathroom project, give us a call to set up your free consultation and estimate today!
