By Tammy Lane, Interior Design Partner at Flair

13/10/2026

Bathrooms are gradually moving away from their clinical side. Looking towards 2027, I expect we’ll continue to lean towards warmer metals, particularly bronze and brushed brass, alongside softer, more natural materials that make the room feel connected to the rest of the home. This isn't about following a particular look. When we talk about bathroom trends at Lane Interiors, we're more interested in the direction design is taking and what that might mean for someone planning a new bathroom. The bathroom is becoming a space where comfort and atmosphere matter alongside practicality. We want it to feel good to use every morning, but also somewhere that feels calm at the end of the day. That shift is bringing warmer materials, softer lighting, tactile stone, timber, natural textures and better consideration of acoustics into the conversation. Together, they create a more residential take on the spa-at-home experience, without requiring a bathroom to look like a hotel spa.

Warm metals bring a softer feel

Warm metal is one of the clearest changes we are seeing. Brushed brass brings a muted golden warmth, while country bronze has greater depth and architectural weight. Both sit naturally alongside travertine, limestone, timber and earthy greens. For some time, polished nickel has been a familiar choice in contemporary bathrooms. Its cool, reflective finish gives a very clean and precise feel. But there is now a growing appetite for something softer. Brushed brass and bronze have warmth and texture, and they tend to sit more naturally with the materials we're bringing into the rest of the home. This doesn't mean nickel disappears. It remains a versatile and timeless option, particularly for more pared-back schemes. But for anyone choosing a bathroom in 2027, warmer metal is likely to feel increasingly familiar. At Lane Interiors, we see this direction reflected in Flair's ETO, ILI and AYO collections. ETO combines minimalist 8mm glass with brushed brass and brushed bronze, while ILI offers restrained profiles in brushed brass across multiple configurations. AYO expands the palette with brushed brass and country bronze alongside brushed and matt nickel, including fluted-glass options.

Shower spaces feel more open and considered

The shower is becoming an increasingly important part of how a bathroom feels. Rather than treating the enclosure as a purely practical element, there is more consideration around how glass, framing and proportion work with the room as a whole. Slim profiles and generous areas of glass help a shower feel open without becoming visually dominant. The less interrupted the sightline, the calmer the room can feel. Fluted glass is another direction worth watching. It offers a little more privacy while bringing texture and movement to the enclosure. Light catches its vertical pattern beautifully, particularly when paired with brushed brass or bronze. For homeowners, this can be a relatively simple way to introduce character without committing to a very strong colour or decorative finish. A well-chosen shower enclosure can become part of the room's architecture rather than something that simply sits within it.

Travertine, limestone and earthy stone bring warmth

Natural stone and stone-inspired finishes are also moving towards a softer, more grounded palette. Travertine is particularly well suited to this direction. Its natural pores, gentle variation and warm mineral tones give a room texture without demanding attention. It works across floors, walls, shower areas and vanity surfaces, and looks just as comfortable alongside timber as it does with brushed metal. Limestone offers a quieter alternative. Its soft, matte appearance can make a bathroom feel calm and architectural, particularly in warm cream, sand and mushroom tones. We're also seeing more interest in related earthy materials: warm-toned porcelain, subtle terrazzo, tumbled finishes and ceramics with natural variation. Gemstone shower trays are another option for introducing texture to a shower enclosure, adding subtle depth and character while complementing the natural, understated feel of the space. The common thread is that surfaces are becoming less about perfect uniformity and more about how they feel together. For someone designing a new bathroom, that might mean choosing one natural-looking stone as the foundation and allowing the other materials to sit quietly around it. There is no need for every surface to make a statement.

Timber and natural textures make the bathroom feel more at home

Timber has a similar effect. Even a relatively small amount can change the character of a bathroom. A warm oak or walnut vanity, open shelving or a simple timber stool introduces grain and softness against the harder surfaces of stone, ceramic and glass. It makes the room feel less like a collection of bathroom products and more like part of the home. The balance is important. One well-designed timber vanity can be enough. There is no need to clad every surface in wood. Natural textures can do the same job in smaller ways. Woven baskets, linen, textured towels and handmade ceramics introduce subtle variations that make a room feel more comfortable and lived-in.

Lighting becomes part of the atmosphere

Lighting is another area where bathrooms are becoming softer. Rather than relying entirely on bright overhead lighting, we're leaning towards layers of illumination. A good mirror light might provide the practical light needed in the morning, while wall lights, concealed lighting beneath a vanity or a softly lit niche can create a gentler atmosphere in the evening. Warmer colour temperatures work particularly well with the materials we're seeing more of. They bring out the richness of bronze, the golden tones of brass, the grain of timber and the variation within natural stone. There is also more scope for decorative lighting in bathrooms. A well-chosen wall light can feel much more like something you'd select for a bedroom or hallway than a traditional bathroom fitting, helping the room feel connected to the wider interior.

Comfort extends to sound

Acoustics are easy to overlook when planning a bathroom, but they can have a surprisingly big effect on how the room feels. Bathrooms naturally contain a lot of hard, reflective surfaces. Glass, ceramic and stone can amplify the sound of running water, footsteps and extractor fans. Introducing timber, textiles and textured surfaces helps soften that experience. It doesn't need to become a technical exercise. Simply thinking about the balance of materials can make a room feel quieter and more comfortable. This is part of the broader move towards bathrooms that engage more of the senses. The materials we touch, the way light falls across a surface and the sound of the room all contribute to whether a space feels restorative.

A bathroom that feels part of the home

For 2027, the direction I see is towards bathrooms that feel warmer, calmer and more connected to the spaces around them. Bronze and brushed brass are an important part of that change, offering an alternative to the cooler precision of polished nickel. Around them, we're seeing a natural progression towards travertine and limestone, warmer tiles, timber, softer lighting and more tactile finishes. None of these choices needs to be treated as a rule. The best bathroom is still the one that works for the people using it. But if you're planning a new bathroom for 2027, these are the materials and details I would lean towards: finishes that feel good in the hand, colours that are easy to live with and a combination of textures that becomes more interesting over time. The overall direction is a quieter one. Less about creating a bathroom that looks immediately "on trend", and more about creating somewhere that feels warm, comfortable and right for the individual homeowners. There is also more scope for decorative lighting in bathrooms. A well-chosen wall light can feel much more like something you'd select for a bedroom or hallway than a traditional bathroom fitting, helping the room feel connected to the wider interior.

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