Sponsored by Beaumont Tiles
Many people wouldn’t realise when walking into their local Beaumont Tiles, that its experts scour the design fairs of Europe and Asia for the latest trends and developments, bringing those back to Australia before deciding whether, how and when to apply them to the local market. This global research and consideration is key to what ends up on their shelves and, in turn, in our homes.
This week, I sat down with trend analyst Rachel Gilding and communications and design specialist Christie Wood, to get the lowdown on what’s trending, and what we can expect to see in the future, in not just bathrooms, but also kitchens and laundries.
“We are usually looking five to seven years ahead in terms of predictions,” says Rachel. “And people might be surprised to learn that a lot of it is about analysing the mood and culture of society at the time, because there’s no denying our homes influence how we feel. We taker a lot of futuristic information and then see how that works in relation to what we see at the large design fairs overseas. And then we assess how these things might work in the context of the Australian market.
“In the past, it would take two or three years to actually see any of these things come to market but now, due to advances in technology, this has sped up so much that that might now be as little as three to six months.” Christie says the general public probably don’t realise how pivotal this homework is in deciding what they sell. “It goes a lot deeper than people would think!”
So what can we expect to see in our future bathrooms? Because whether you’re starting a reno next week or in a few years, you want that room to stand the test of time and not date quickly.
Rachel says with tiles, it’s all about elongation and larger formats, noting that the ever popular subway tile is going nowhere but we can expect to see longer, as well as mini versions of it. Manufacturing improvements mean we can now expect to see subways which are suitable for floors too.
“Large format tiles were everywhere at the fairs,” Rachel adds. We’re talking 1.2 x 2.8 metre slabs, and 60x120cm is another popular size. This slab format is allowing people to really emulate the look of stone and marble in their tiles as well as creating the illusion of more space by giving the eye less interruptions with grout.” Christie adds: “It gives a real sense of luxury and sophistication.”
When it comes to tile colour, things are getting really exciting. “We are in such a fun time and I’m so excited,” says Rachel. “There’s definitely more colour, in two main ways. First is a naturalistic palette inspired by ocean, forest and earth, especially here in Australia, so ochres, green and blues. And then there is more colour through marble look tiles, earth toned neutrals, warmer veining and more coloured marbles. We’re finally seeing the back of Millennial grey!”
It’s socially driven too. Not only are humans seeking more comfort post-covid times, and a connection to nature to soothe the soul, they’re also using colour to inject joy, through what’s come to be known as dopamine decor.
When it comes to vanities, Rachel says we’re seeing them much more as pieces of furniture or hero pieces within the bathroom. Improvements in zero silica engineered stone have improved the options for vanity tops, and fluting and curves are still popular. Christie adds that slim shaker profiles and colour are also on the increase with vanities as well as smarter storage and technological integrations like speakers in mirrors.
In taps, chrome is making a real comeback, black is on the wane and brushed nickel, champagne gold and antique brass are all popular choices. Sensor taps were seen a lot at the design fairs, as well as smart toilets, which are a lot more aesthetic and less space age looking than they used to be! While freestanding and back-to-wall baths are both popular, they’re more curved and softer than they used to be. “They’re less high gloss and boxy,” Christie notes.
Rachel says people are increasingly having fun with their laundries; almost because they’re not seen by visitors, you can be a bit more daring with their design than you would with the kitchen, for example. For splash backs, both subway and bold marble-look tiles are popular. “The advances in glaze technology mean the marble-look tiles emulate natural stone more than ever, creating, for example, that soft honed look and undulated surfaces.”
