The sleek, minimalist style of a contemporary bathroom features a streamlined, uncluttered look with an emphasis on textures, materials, lines, lighting, and cutting edge design. The overall color tone is generally neutral - whites, blacks, creams, earth tones and grays. Some people like to include a color highlight (such as painting a wall in an accent color) to make the room "pop" without disrupting the overall clean simplicity of the contemporary bathroom.
An important component of a contemporary bathroom is consistency of design. This is not where you want an eclectic look. So whatever materials appeal to you, everything should work together to create a sophisticated modern space.
Design #1-Brushed Metal
Metal is often used as one of the major components of a contemporary bathroom design, especially brushed metal. It's a popular material choice for people who want a strong, urban edge to the look of their bathroom. Metal can be used as an accent material for bathroom hooks, shelving and towel bars, or it can be used as a major theme for the sink, shower and bathtub. Popular metal for contemporary bathrooms include nickel, brushed steel, stainless steel and chrome. Many people who choose contemporary bathrooms like metal because it coordinates very easily with a wide range of other design elements.
Design #2-Fabrics and Textures
Fabric and texture can be used to attractively offset a contemporary bathroom design that features a lot of metal. Fabric and texture can also serve to soften noise levels in a metal bathroom. Material such as batik, linen, cotton velvet, raw cotton or waffle-textured cotton can be used for towels, bathroom rugs or shower curtains. Just be wary of patterns, particularly busy or intricate fabric patterns, because everything needs to harmonize with the overall look of sleek simplicity.
Design #3-Natural Stones
Natural stone is another popular material that lends itself to contemporary bathroom design, especially in large, oversized stone tiling for the floor that continues up the wall and the interior of the shower. Natural stone in muted earth tones such as gray, taupe and warm browns give the bathroom space the tranquil feel of a resort or spa.
A contemporary bathroom design with natural stone walls and oversized tiling can be offset by a bathroom suite with strong, clean shapes, and by installing sleek mirrors.
Design #4-Wall-Hung Appliances
If your bathroom walls have been checked for sufficient sturdiness and strength, you might consider choosing a wall hung sink basin/vessel and a wall hung toilet, which will enhance the modernist appearance of a contemporary bathroom. The wall-hung installation clears floor space and simplifies bathroom cleaning.
Design #5-Free Standing Bathtub
You might also want to consider a free-standing bathtub. Free-standing bathtubs are more commonly associated with the vintage bathroom look and familiar "claw foot" bath, but there are many streamlined, extremely contemporary free-standing bathtub designs available, and choosing the right one can create a striking, contemporary bathroom design element.
Design #6-Lighting
When it comes to bathroom lighting, recessed lighting, sleek sconces, and track lighting are logical lighting options for a look that both highlights and integrates well with contemporary design. Strip lighting over areas like the bathroom sink can serve as task lighting.
Some people like floor lamps in compatible materials such as brushed metal, or in a bold color such as turquoise. Others take a different approach and choose a pendant chandelier to highlight the spare and spacious-looking design of the rest of the bathroom space. Whatever your preference, the key idea to bear in mind is that lighting for the contemporary bathroom is an essential design element as well as a practical necessity.
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