Designing a bathroom involves:
- Attention to detail.
- Material and product selection.
- The ability to create a meaningful design made specifically for the owner.
I am Jorge Fontan, an architect in New York and the owner of Fontan Architecture, a Manhattan-based architecture and design firm specializing in custom home designs and interior renovations. Our unique approach is not just about creating beautiful spaces, but about understanding and meeting our client’s individual needs and aspirations, ensuring that their homes genuinely reflect their personalities. In this post, we will review various bathroom design ideas using examples from our projects.
Marble Slabs
My first pick of material for a luxury bathroom design would have to be marble slabs. These slabs, large pieces cut from an entire block of marble, express luxury and elegance. If you look at the bathroom below, you will see that the back wall does not have any grout lines, as it is made from large pieces of marble that extend the entire wall length. Slab bathrooms are the epitome of luxury bathroom design, inspiring and aspirational.
Marble Slab Bathroom
Travertine
Travertine is a beautiful stone with an unparalleled richness to its natural character. This stone is a great option for luxury bathrooms and can really elevate a bathroom design from good to amazing.
In the bathroom below, we balanced the classic feel of Travertine with the modern geometry of this bathroom. This process involves carefully selecting and integrating modern design with a timeless aesthetic and classic integrity. If you are interested, we have another post where you can read more about Luxury Bathroom Designs.
Travertine Bathroom Design
Tadelakt
Bathrooms do not have to be made of tiles or stone; there are various alternative materials for bathroom walls and floors. Tadelakt is a waterproof Moroccan plaster that can be used for bathrooms to achieve a unique look. Tadelakt is a manually applied material relying heavily on high-quality artisanal craft. A great feature of this material is that the bathroom has no seams on the walls. It is a beautifully textured, seamless material for a great bathroom design.
Tadelakt-Shower
Porcelain Tiles
Porcelain tiles come in a wide variety of colors, textures, and looks, making them a versatile option for bathroom floors and walls. Porcelain is a durable man-made material that we often use in our bathroom designs.
Dark Porcelain Shower
Concrete Look
If you are looking for a more industrial or raw look, a concrete texture might be a great alternative bathroom wall material. This bathroom is in a loft and has seamless grey concrete-textured walls and floors that make it unique and minimalist.
Concrete Look Bathroom Design
Marble Look Porcelain
One of the best advantages of porcelain is that it comes in many different colors and styles. If you would prefer a low-maintenance, more affordable option that still looks like marble, you can consider using marble-look porcelain tiles. Be careful, as the visual quality of some marble-look porcelain are not as good as others.
Porcelain Bathroom with a Marble Look
Wood or Wood Look Materials
Wood is a great way to add warmth and a spa-like feel to a bathroom. You can use natural woods or, for more durable options, wood-look porcelain.
Wood Slat Look 3D Tiles
Large Format Porcelain
Minimizing grout lines will enhance a bathroom design and simplify maintenance and cleaning. Using large-format porcelain slabs means you can build an entire bathroom with fewer joints. This is a much more modern and high-end look than using smaller tiles.
Large Format Porcelain Tile
Free Standing Tub
If you have a large enough space, you may want to consider a free-standing tub. This makes a design statement and feels more luxurious. Having a separate shower and tub is a standard for a high-end home’s primary bathroom.
Bathroom With Free Standing Tub
Dark and Moody
Bathrooms all have a vibe, and that can be bright and cheery or dark and moody. This bathroom has dark-colored tiles, bronze metal panels, and dim lighting to create a dark and moody feel with an elegant touch.
Dark and Moody Bathroom
3D Tiles
Some tiles have 3D textures that create patterns and add depth. This feature can be a fun way to add an accent wall or feature to your bathroom design.
3D Tile for Bathroom Walls
Wallpaper
People often like to have a little fun or do something different in the powder room. Using wallpaper can be one way to achieve a unique character for your bathroom.
Wallpaper bathroom
Linear Shower Drain
Linear Shower Drains are a sleek and minimalist option for a modern bathroom design. They can have a grill or, as in the picture below, have the bathroom floor material integrated into the drain. Integrating the material on top of the drain is a great bathroom design detail, and a linear drain adds a modern look.
Wall Mounted Toilet
We often install wall-mounted toilets in modern bathrooms. These provide an easy-to-clean option with a sleek look.
Wall Mounted Toilet
Coordinate You Bathroom Fixtures
Coordinating bathroom fixtures is critical to a good bathroom design. Consistency is important. There are many fixtures to purchase, which need to match and work well together visually and functionally. Coordinating and matching bathroom fixtures involves attention to material/finish, fixture style, and function.
Matching Bathroom Fixtures
Custom Sink & Vanity
Custom sinks made of stone or marble slabs are great for elevating a bathroom into luxury status while achieving a truly bespoke and unique bathroom design. The sink below is made from marble slabs matching the walls behind.
Custom Bathroom Sink
Mosaic Shower Floor
Mosaic floors are a nice touch for a shower floor because they offer a nonslip surface and also an opportunity to break up the materiality if you are trying to achieve a multi-layered aesthetic.
Mosaic Tile Floor for a Shower
Smart Bathroom Features
There are many smart features you can use, such as smart toilets, mirrors, heated floors, and various fixtures. These can be fun and practical additions to a bathroom.
Smart Bathroom Mirror
Frameless Shower Doors
Sometimes, simplicity is the key. Frameless shower doors are a great example of “Less is More” in a bathroom design.
Frameless Shower Door
Accent Lighting
Lighting can make or break any bathroom design. A little accent lighting can add a bit of drama and valuable light to your bathroom. In this bathroom, we designed a floating mirror with a perimeter LED light to create a glowing effect.
Bathroom Design with Accent Lights
Shower Niche
Shower niches are essential for high-quality bathroom designs. Below, you can see my favorite way to build a shower niche. These niches are made from the same marble slabs as the walls, and they have miter cuts to create a seamless look as if the niche is carved into a block of marble.
Marble Shower Niche
Make it Your Own
The most important part of my job when designing someone’s home is figuring out what design is best for them. We create bespoke designs specifically for each of our clients to ensure they are happy with their homes and that the design reflects their individuality.
Bespoke Powder Room Design in a Luxury NYC Apartment
Thank you for reading our blog post on Bathroom Design Ideas.
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This post was written by Jorge Fontan AIA a Registered Architect and owner of New York City architecture firm Fontan Architecture. Jorge Fontan has earned 3 degrees in the study of architecture including two degrees from the City University of New York and a Masters Degree in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University. Jorge has a background in construction and has been practicing architecture for 20 years where he has designed renovations and new developments of various building types.
