Features by Diane Larner, founder and editor of Bathroom Review & Kitchens Review.
Diane Larner launched both titles over 15 years ago and has been writing about the bathroom and kitchen interior design industries ever since, publishing regular features across both sectors.
Baths and basins lie at the heart of bathroom design, balancing functionality with consumer expectations around aesthetics and comfort. While the wash space is undergoing a period of creative freedom as we embrace double-basin designs, sculptural styles and built-in storage units, the bath is increasingly the subject of debate, with tubs being removed from homes in favour of walk-in showers, and some new builds omitting them altogether.
However, a recent report by Drench, The Great British Soak, revealed that 80% of homeowners with a bath still use it regularly, while 45% of those surveyed said ‘no bath is a dealbreaker’. So despite changing lifestyles, it appears the bath will evolve rather than disappear.
In this feature, manufacturers explore how these changing priorities are reshaping the market for baths and basins, with a focus on products that deliver expressive design, trustworthy durability, and space-saving solutions.
Space-saving baths for smaller bathroom layouts
Whilst a freestanding bath remains, without doubt, one of the most desirable style statements in bathroom design, shrinking floorplans, changing lifestyles and a greater emphasis on practical needs make this option challenging for many projects. As a result, rather than focusing wholly on statement pieces, designers and homeowners are looking for design-led solutions that make the best use of available space while complementing overall schemes.
Darren Allison, managing director at Frontline Bathrooms, agrees: “The biggest shift in bathing is that the freestanding bath is no longer automatically treated as the aspirational choice. Homeowners are asking whether a bath earns the space it takes up, which is bringing compact, back-to-wall and corner formats into much stronger contention. Colour is developing too, but increasingly as part of the wider scheme rather than a standalone statement. For retailers, the opportunity is to start with the room and the customer’s habits, not with a single fashionable bath shape.”
Frontline Bathrooms is strengthening its bathing offer with a broader collection designed around the realities of UK bathrooms, rather than simply adding more freestanding shapes to the catalogue. At the centre is AquaKast, a nine-model collection developed with British bath designer Barrie Cutchie. It includes compact ovals, slipper baths, boat baths, back-to-wall and corner designs, giving retailers options for both statement schemes and more restrictive layouts.
Bringing playfulness into bathroom design
As bathroom design becomes more expressive, we see confidence flourishing when it comes to use of colour, finish and material combination. Rather than adhering to a spa-led aesthetic, designers are injecting a sense of curiosity into the bathroom space; the result is a more experimental approach to specification.
One collection that captures the shift is the new Ginza from BAGNODESIGN. Inspired by Tokyo’s Ginza district, it encourages designers to move beyond conventional bathroom schemes by offering coordinated product families for characterful interiors across residential and hospitality projects.
Extending the concept further, Ginza Junior introduces playful pink and grey finishes designed for family-friendly and inclusive spaces, reflecting a growing focus on balancing safety, functionality and aesthetics within the bathroom.
The rise of coloured baths
Once considered a bold design choice, coloured baths are becoming a bathroom staple. However, rather than being selected purely as a statement feature, colour is now being integrated more widely into bathroom schemes, which means designers and retailers can assist in creating spaces with more personality while maintaining a sense of longevity.
“Coloured baths are not a passing trend now; they have been part of the market for several years, and customers are becoming more confident about using them,” says Adam Smith, national sales manager at BC Designs. “The change is that colour is becoming easier to live with. It might be a soft peach, pale blue or muted green rather than something that dominates the room. Compact freestanding baths will continue to be important too, because people still want that focal point without giving up half the bathroom. The real test is whether the bath still feels right once the novelty has worn off.”
BC Designs has expanded its ColourKast offer with five new shades: Drifty White, Pale Peach, Rose Bloom, Aqua Blue and Minty Green.
Perfectly formed for elegance and efficiency
Integral storage solutions play an important role in ensuring the bathroom space is effortlessly practical, as well as beautifully organised. In addition, increased self-expression means designers are exploring how these essential elements can also act as architectural features. The latest designs demonstrate a growing appreciation for standout forms and refined detailing that both create a focal point, whilst delivering a sense of calm and cohesion.
Martin Carroll, MD Duravit UK, adds: “A key trend emerging in bathroom design is washbasins created for efficiency, styled for elegance, and providing an additional sculptural centrepiece within the space. A key look is basins crafted as monolithic ceramic cuboids, seamlessly integrated into clean-lined furniture. A narrow rim traces the outline, creating a gentle transition from the flat vanity surface to the recess below. Generously proportioned surfaces create a calm, architectural presence, a true study in the interaction between different volumes and levels, providing each piece with its own sculptural identity and expressive form.”
Reflecting this trend, Duravit has extended its Balcoon bathroom collection, designed by Patricia Urquiola. The new collection now includes furniture washbasins, offering greater flexibility for residential and specification projects.
Building a more sustainable bathroom
Against a backdrop of rising environmental awareness and increasing pressure on resources, sustainability is an essential consideration in bathroom design. Manufacturers are responding with a lifecycle approach, with products designed for longevity, reuse and recyclability.
One company that has championed this approach for many years is Kaldewei. With sustainability embedded into its manufacturing philosophy, the company views responsible production as an opportunity to grow whilst fulfilling environmental obligations.
“Sustainability is no longer optional in bathroom design; it’s now the standard. We’re seeing a shift towards circular economy thinking, where products are designed to be reused, recycled and reintroduced into production without losing quality,” says Adam Teal, country manager, Kaldewei UK. “Materials like steel enamel, which is 100% recyclable, lead the way, while independent certifications such as Cradle to Cradle set a new benchmark across material health, circularity, clean air, water stewardship and social fairness. Manufacturers adopting low-carbon steel and signing up to science-based targets show that environmental responsibility and commercial value go hand in hand.”
Kaldewei’s Luxstainability® ethos is the belief that luxury and sustainability can and do work in unison. Every product is crafted from steel enamel, is 100% recyclable, and more than 600 are Cradle to Cradle Certified® Silver. To demonstrate its philosphy Kaldewei spent the first half of 2026 on something akin to a modern Grand Tour, taking its steel enamel bathtubs across Europe’s leading design events and, setting out a clear position on where bathroom design is heading: toward colour, craft and genuine sustainability in equal measure.
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