Deborah Matthews, Channel Marketing Manager for Hansgrohe UK, outlines some of the key bathroom trends currently influencing bathroom choices.
Bathroom makeovers will account for a significant proportion of installation work throughout the year – meaning trade professionals will be called upon as the source of expert advice and the latest innovations available if clients are unsure of how best to transform their bathroom spaces.
And questions around the latest technology and finish preferences, as well as the current trends influencing the market, make keeping up to date important to answer with confidence.
Here we take a look at four bathroom trends that have had an impact during 2025 and are predicted to continue to direct consumer choice with 2026 on the horizon.
The ‘spathroom’
Bathrooms are often the most ritualistic spaces within the home, so it’s not surprising that there has been a significant rise in demand for spa-inspired designs to create feelings of everyday luxury and relaxation. Inspired by the tranquillity and luxury of a modern spa, transforming a bathroom into a ‘spathroom’ is becoming increasingly popular.
Elements such as warm lighting, stone floors and rainfall showers, help to create a relaxing spa-like experience in the home, whilst keeping overall designs simple and minimalistic allows the mind to feel calmer and taps into an overall ‘spathroom’ aesthetic.
Creating the ultimate ‘spathroom’ also requires thinking about accessories and even textures. For example, swapping chrome for a textile shower hose, like hansgrohe’s DesignFlex, which can be matched to brassware, can enhance a luxurious and spa-inspired feel.
And adopting a simplicity-driven design approach can help. Handleless cabinets and bathroom countertop space for decorative items, as well as sleek wall niches into the shower or bathing area to keep items hidden away from sight, help to create a seamless, calming aesthetic.
Shower heads that allow the selection of different spray patterns also assist users to create unique experiences depending on mood and needs. For example, showers incorporate fine droplets of water – as opposed to strands – which cocoon the body, providing a rain experience. Other types of rain sprays turn the water into microdroplets, which can mimic misty rain, creating a quieter, more relaxing experience that is also gentler on the skin.
For example, Raindance Alive is the latest addition to hansgrohe’s Raindance showering range. Its combination of RainAir and PowderRain creates an extraordinary showering sensation, whilst the innovative mesh design of an anodised aluminium spray disc provides an organic aesthetic
Concealed on the rise
With aesthetics to the fore, consumers are also looking for solutions that visually enhance the bathroom space. This has led to a rise in the specification of concealed shower units as opposed to externally exposed options.
To help installers deliver on this rising bathroom trend, the iBox universal 2 enables speedier, more flexible, and safer concealed shower installations with enhanced bathroom design freedom and superior showering experiences for end users.
Designed with flexibility in mind, the iBox universal 2 gives installers a range of installation options. For example, the basic body can be adapted to any standard wall depth between 80 and 108 millimetres, and an extension rosette enables convenient installation even in the case of wall constructions being too flat.
The installation process is supported with an integrated circular spirit level making the first alignment of the iBox universal 2, simple. A pre-mounted seal now alleviates potential errors or component loss.
The iBox universal 2 sealing sleeve is permanently attached to the sliding sleeve so that it cannot be lost or forgotten during the installation process. This practical benefit simplifies installation as everything is always at hand. In addition, the sleeve is continuously elastic and waterproof.
Thinking sustainably
Sustainability is an increasingly important factor for clients as they opt for the products they want to use in the home. Being able to advise on how bathroom components such as showers can deliver sustainability benefits without compromise to performance, can lead to constructive and informed discussions with clients.
By opting for the innovating technology of EcoSmart, installers can ensure that shower water provision is optimised and, with it, the amount of household energy needed to support its functionality reduced.
For example, the Pulsify shower range with EcoSmart technology from hansgrohe offers an optimal individual shower experience with high performance and water saving capabilities. Its different spray types still mean users can have completely individual, luxurious shower experiences in their everyday life.
Likewise, the Activera shower range with elastic spray nozzles automatically adapts to water flow and pressure. The result is exceptional shower performance with minimal consumption of valuable water resources. Again, thanks to EcoSmart technology and an integrated flow limiter, the Activera range uses just eight litres of water per minute at three bar pressure and EcoSmart+ products further reduce water consumption to just six litres of water per minute.
The finishing touch
Finally, it is also important to recognise the importance of product finishes in the mind of clients. In recent times we have seen a move away from the traditional chrome finish and a trend towards the selection of warm metallics. They add a softer edge to bathrooms, making them feel less clinical and more spa-like.
Interior design as a whole has shifted toward softer industrial, natural, and earthy aesthetics, which warmer metallic finishes complement. They provide a great choice for those who want an alternative to the more clinical appearance of chrome.
For example, the move towards “Bi-Colour” brassware utilises more than one finish in a single product to create an individual design. Combinations such as Brushed Black Chrome with Brushed Bronze work well together with the added benefit of making it easier to find ancillary products such as shower frames and hinges to match taps and showers.
Brushed finishes are also more popular than polished because they are softer and more welcoming in appearance and have the practical benefit of not showing water drops on the surface after single use.
Image: hansgrohe
