Research reveals the biggest bathroom trends of 2021
What are the biggest bathroom trends of 2021? Bathroom experts at PlumbNation have examined Google search data and trending Instagram hashtags to reveal the biggest bathroom trends of the year, and bathroom wallpaper has taken the crown.
The seemingly contradictory trend – wallpaper near water?! – has the highest annual search volume with 380,400 online searches (a 33.8% increase on last year) and nearly 11,000 Instagram hashtags.
The research also took in colour schemes, with pink and green bathrooms seeing the biggest year-on-year increase at 155%, up from 3,400 searches from 2019-2020 to 8,670. Maybe we shouldn’t have ditched the 70s avocado bathroom suite?
But the most popular colour scheme for the bathroom is black and white, which ranked second overall at 94,600 annual searches – a 116.97% increase in year-on-year popularity – plus 17,519 Instagram hashtags. As for grey bathrooms? They scored the most Instagram hashtags in 2021 at 3,9071, yet online searches have decreased by 96.39% on last year.
PlumbNation has crunched all this data to rank the top 10 bathroom trends of 2021. The bathroom specialists scored each trend out of 10 for annual search volume, year-on-year popularity change and Instagram hashtags, before allocating an average score across all three factors. Check out the top 10 below, along with hints and tips on how to get the look…
The top 10 bathroom trends of 2021
1. Bathroom Wallpaper
- Annual search volume: 380,400
- Year-on-year change: 33.80%
- Instagram hashtags: 10,926
- PlumbNation overall score: 6.39
Because bathrooms are often small spaces, it’s a great opportunity to unleash your creativity and go wild with colour or pattern without overwhelming the space entirely. More and more companies are now producing moisture-resistant, wipeable wallpapers just for the bathroom, like this beautiful Into the Blue bathroom wallpaper print from West One Bathrooms.
Wall&Decò Wet System 16, Into The Blue, from West One Bathrooms
2. Black And White Bathroom
- Annual search volume: 94,600
- Year-on-year change: 116.97%
- Instagram hashtags: 17,519
- Overall score: 5.63
Monochrome is a timeless trend, so if you want to invest in a bathroom that will never date, go black and white. A black freestanding bath is a great way to make a statement, or keep your bathroom suite white and choose black accessories, like this Halo Noir LED bathroom mirror from Pebble Grey, currently reduced from £249.99 to £159.99.
Halo Noir LED bathroom mirror from Pebble Grey
3. Terrazzo Tiles
- Annual search volume: 93,900
- Year-on-year change: 71.66%
- Instagram hashtags: 24,554
- Overall score: 5.63
Terrazzo is a trend we can’t get enough of both here at Good Homes and over on our sister title, Grand Designs magazine. Developed centuries ago in Italy as a budget flooring solution, using waste chips from the marble industry, terrazzo is making its way into our homes as a sustainable material for flooring, wall-coverings and surfaces with a fun, distinctive look. Go subtle in grey tones, or bold, with something like the Terrazzo Hexagon Nevada porcelain tile in pink (£38.95 per sqm) from Walls and Floors.
Terrazzo Hexagon Nevada porcelain tile in pink from Walls and Floors
4. Pink Bathroom
- Annual search volume: 43,700
- Year-on-year change: -36.02%
- Instagram hashtags: 35,786
- Overall score: 4.81
Pink bathrooms are in! It might not be for everyone, but it’s the most popular bathroom trend on Instagram so far in 2021. It’s a flexible trend, too, whether you opt for pink tiles, a pink bathtub, a pink paint job or just pink accessories against your classic white suite, there are plenty of way to get onboard. Try the Coleford Dusky pink chevron-effect bathroom wall tiles (£44.36 per sqm) from Victorian Plumbing – that way you nail the chevron tile trend, too.
Coleford Dusky pink chevron-effect wall tiles from Victorian Plumbing
5. Black Bathrooms
- Annual search volume: 70,400
- Year-on-year change: 153.24%
- Instagram hashtags: 1,820
- Overall score: 4.67
If monochrome isn’t for you, how about an entirely black bathroom? This moody, hotel-like trend is a bachelor’s dream, but you’re going to need to get your lighting on point with this one! How about a starry sky lighting effect, like this black bathroom shared by @futurenordichome? There’s a little cheating going on here with the white bathroom suite, but it’s certainly a strong look.
View this post on Instagram
6. Pink And Green Bathroom
- Annual search volume: 8,670
- Year-on-year change: 155.00%
- Instagram hashtags: 148
- Overall score: 4.07
A pink and green bathroom certainly sounds like an acquired taste, but we keep seeing this trend pop up – pink painted walls meet tropical-print bathroom wallpaper, or pink tiles offset by tropical plants. It really does work, but if you’re not convinced this one will be an enduring trend, cheat by painting your bathtub green and accessorising your bathroom with pink towels, or vice versa. Check out these Rainforest towels (currently on sale from £9.50 and available in three sizes) from Clarissa Hulse.
Rainforest towels from clarissahulse.com
7. Contemporary Bathroom
- Annual search volume: 17,400
- Year-on-year change: 7.41%
- Instagram hashtags: 22,013
- Overall score: 4.06
This one’s a little ‘catch-all’ given we’d all like to think we have a contemporary approach to design. But if you really want to go modern, keep things on the minimalist side and embrace curves, space and neutral tones. Make sure your bathroom tech is on point, too! The below example from @munkbathrooms is how the Good Homes team pictures a contemporary bathroom.
View this post on Instagram
8. Grey Bathroom
- Annual search volume: 3,090
- Year-on-year change: -96.39%
- Instagram hashtags: 39,071
- Overall score: 4.02
Grey has become the king of neutrals, and why not? Such a versatile colour, you can go as dark or pale as you like and add splashes of colour in complimentary colours from blush pink to sunshine yellow and British racing green. These pale grey Metro Elephant & Castle gloss tiles (£18.95) from Walls and Floors are perfect for refreshing a bathroom or kitchen wall space.
Metro Elephant & Castle gloss tiles from wallsandfloors.co.uk
9. Cocoon Bathroom
- Annual search volume: 1,540
- Year-on-year change: 144.44%
- Instagram hashtags: 1,452
- Overall score: 3.99
‘Cocooning’, where happiness, comfort and escapism are paramount, must be the most indulgently aspirational of lifestyle trends. One bathroom company in particular, By Cocoon, has identified the bathroom as the best place to do this. Their bathrooms are seriously dreamy, but if you want to recreate the look on a budget, just think oval, freestanding baths, muslin cloths and earthy tones…
View this post on Instagram
10. Round Bathroom Mirrors
- Annual search volume: 98,400
- Year-on-year change: 74.47%
- Instagram hashtags: 59
- Overall score: 3.81
Round mirrors are everywhere in 2021, not just in the bathroom – especially if it’s a hanging mirror. But if you are going to embrace this trend in the bathroom, go all in with a round hanging mirror complete with LED lights, like this Belt LED illuminated black bathroom mirror (£334.99) from Pebble Grey.
Belt LED illuminated black bathroom mirror from Pebble Grey
At the start of the year, Good Homes consulted bathroom experts to predict the top 5 bathroom trends of 2021 – how accurate were their forecasts? Read the article here to find out
To view the full research see plumbnation.co.uk
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