Modern Bathroom Materials And Finishes

Material selection is critical for a modern bathroom design. Before embarking on a bathroom renovation, many different materials, patterns, and considerations must be taken into account.

I am Jorge Fontan, an architect in New York and owner of Fontan Architecture, an architecture and design firm in NYC. At our office, we work on various project types, including residential interiors. In this post, I will review some materials and finishes ideas for modern bathrooms from our projects.

 

Marble Slabs

Marble slabs are the top-of-the-line luxury bathroom material. It is not just the use of marble that makes this such a high-end choice, but also the use of slabs. Slabs are large pieces of marble that can be ten feet by four feet and up. These large slabs make for an amazing-looking bathroom because you can cover a very large surface with one piece and avoid seams or grout lines.

 

Porcelain Slabs

Porcelain slabs, also known as large-format tile, are large pieces of porcelain, a man-made material. Using this large-format material for the bathroom reduces seams and grout lines while being lower priced than marble slabs.

 

3D Tiles

3D tiles have a three-dimensional aspect. They can be an excellent choice to make the bathroom more dynamic, for example, in an accent wall.

 

Concrete Finishes

Concrete is an extremely modern-looking material that can be both minimalist and textural. There are applied concrete-look finishes for the bathroom that can be a good choice. These finishes rely heavily on the craftsmanship of the individual artisan applying the material. Concrete makes for a truly unique and modern bathroom.

 

Marble-Look Porcelain Tile

Porcelain is typically much lower in price than marble, and many manufacturers make marble-look porcelain tiles. Besides price, porcelain has another great advantage: it is nonporous. Marble is a natural material with tiny pores that can absorb and stain over time. Marble bathrooms can, however, be polished to restore their vibrancy if they discolor or fade over time. The downside to marble-look porcelain tiles is that the marble will usually look better.

 

Wood Look Porcelain

Using wood or wood-look materials can add warmth to the bathroom aesthetic. Wood-look porcelain can be a good alternative to real wood, as it is non-absorbent and will not discolor or deteriorate when exposed to water, as real wood can.

 

Mosaic Tiles

Mosaics are small tiles, sometimes creating patterns and sometimes with uniform looks. Mosaic tile is often used for bathroom floors, but you may not realize that there are actually technical reasons for this. Bathrooms are wet areas, and a damp floor can be slippery. A mosaic floor has many small grout joints. These joints create traction, making the floor less slippery.

 

Penny Tile

Penny tile gets its name from being small circular tiles roughly the size of a penny. This tile can provide a simple look at an affordable price.

 

Wallpaper

Wallpaper is an option for bathrooms that is often reserved for a powder room. Usually, people try to have a little fun in the bathroom and do something different. A unique wallpaper can really help a powder room come to life.

 

Marble Tiles

Marble is a natural material with an inherent majestic quality. It really can be a great look for a bathroom and brings a level of elegance not available in many other materials.

 

Porcelain Tiles

Porcelain is a very popular material because it is versatile and durable. It comes in many different colors and textures and is nonporous. If there is any material with enough variation to suit almost anyone’s tastes, it’s porcelain.

 

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Thank you for reading our blog post on Modern Bathroom Materials and Finishes.

I hope this was helpful. If you would like to speak with an architect about a potential project, you can contact us at Fontan Architecture directly.

 

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