52 Contemporary Bathroom Ideas Designers Love (and You Will Too)

A contemporary bathroom utilizes a variety of elements to create a thoroughly of-the-moment space. Clean lines, graphic tile patterns, a mix of angles and curves, and sleek surfaces can all come into play.

While many elements within a contemporary bath will skew more trend-focused, it’s important to create an element of timelessness, even while working with these currently trending design details.

Incorporating other eras or aesthetics, bringing in natural materials, or even simply playing to your personal preferences can create a contemporary bath that only gets better with age.

Here are some bathroom design ideas that we heard straight from designers.

Give Your Shower an Upgrade

One of the most impactful ways to create a contemporary bathroom is to modernize the shower. This standout option gives us tons of inspiration to choose from: sleek black fixtures, a wall-to-wall glass installation, and iridescent tile that are anything but neutral.

Contrasting Colors

The quickest way to overhaul your bath with a new contemporary look? Experiment with colors. This super clean aesthetic can create both a contemporary and luxurious feel in one fell swoop, particularly with the addition of gold-toned hardware.

Make the Vanity a Focal Point

While tiling the entire bathroom can quickly become an expensive endeavor, tiling one area can create an elegant focal point. Think about how lighting, wall-mounted fixtures, and a modern sink can add to the overall look.

Combine Many Contemporary Elements

This bathroom plays with so many contemporary design options, we need them all: clean lines, marble and light wood, a floating vanity, and some tub-side necessities. If you want to go all-in on the modern look, this is the inspiration you need.

Hang a Graphic Wallpaper

Modernize your bathroom with the addition of graphic, impactful wallpaper. This black-and-white motif pairs perfectly with the more neutral, earthy vanity and sink, creating some nice contrast.

Consider the Materials

Go for unexpected materials to give your contemporary bathroom some individuality. A concrete tub paired with natural materials and textures keeps the look rustic, but you can also make a statement by combining contradictory elements like an elegant chandelier or shiny fixtures.

Bring In Fun Lighting

Who said chandeliers are only for your entryway? Modernize your bathroom by swapping out the lighting to something luxe. We love this woven option featured above this tub.

Maximize the Space

Contemporary style can be particularly appealing in small baths where the minimal aesthetic can make the most of a small footprint. A built-in towel bar on the shower door, nearly all-white color scheme, and brass accents keep the space sleek and stylish.

Don't Shy Away From Color

When we think of contemporary bathrooms, we probably picture all-white, sleek interiors. But, a modern twist on the traditional bathroom can certainly include a punch of color, like this cool bathroom filled with blue tiling.

Skip the Color

An all-white bathroom doesn’t have boring. Angular elements, shiny fixtures and finishes, and a simple floral splash thanks to a potted orchid is all this space needs to shine.

Play with Patterns

Even a minimal color scheme can still deliver major interest, especially when it’s used to artfully create a pattern-filled space. Stripes, angles, curves, and more create a cohesive look when they all utilize the same palette. The result is a cool and contemporary space that’s as sleek as it is luxurious.

Float Your Vanity

A raised vanity immediately makes us picture a luxe, contemporary hotel in a big city. Why not bring that feeling home in your own bathroom?

Let the Light In

While contemporary baths can work with or without natural light, there’s something about a skylight that can lend a beautiful cast on a space. To keep the bathroom from feeling too austere, consider calling on natural wood tones.

Go for Saturated Colors

Saturated colors can create a cocoon-like feel in just about anywhere, but especially in a bathroom. Paired with white porcelain elements like a freestanding tub, vessel sink, and crisp countertop can create a fresh and clean look.

Mix and Match

When thinking about design elements you want to incorporate in your contemporary bathroom, anything goes. Varying colors, mixed materials, and a combination of angles and curves can create an interesting space that feels utterly personalized.

Make It a Wet Room

One bathroom trend that has been taking the design world by storm recently is none other than the wet room. The open effect creates a wide-open feel with minimal sightline obstructions.

The one thing to keep in mind is moisture. Consider materials and finishes that can stand up to excessive splashes and high humidity levels.

Select a Floating Vanity

A floating vanity can not only maximize space efficiently without creating a heavy feel, but it can also lend a decidedly contemporary feel. Pair a mix of closed drawers and open shelving for a space that celebrates both form and function.

Go Natural

Subtle natural elements can create warmth, but feel free to give it a more literal edge. A stone seat in the large shower and stone tile wall creates a beautiful juxtaposition to the rest of the sleek, modern bathroom.

Add a Splash of Wallpaper

If your space starts to feel too somber, adding wallpaper can be a quick and cost-effective way to up the personality and color. You don’t even need to swath an entire wall—just a strip can provide all the interest your contemporary bath needs.

Go for Gold

Upgrading hardware is a great way to add a contemporary look to your bathroom, and gold is an on-trend, chic option sure to add some visual interest.

Get Creative with Tile

In this bath, the tile walls are the same size but oriented differently. To give a contrasting look to the room, the flooring’s lighter tile is carried up in a hexagonal shape.

Consider the Fixtures

While the walls, floors, paint colors, patterns, and more can all add to the contemporary aesthetic, a simple fixture update can have an immediate impact. Even if you decide to go more traditional, contemporary cabinet pulls and faucet fxitures can add just enough interest to complete the space.

Play to Your Preferences

A contemporary bathroom doesn’t have to be all clean lines and minimalism. Here contemporary and traditional aesthetics collide to create a contemporary bathroom that’s not at all expected.

Design Tip

To create a bathroom you love to be in, be sure to play to your preferences rather than simply selecting materials that you think will cater to a certain aesthetic.

Soften It Up

When styling a contemporary space, it runs the risk of feeling too sterile if the details are neglected. In this all-white bath, a simple wicker basket stand and vase of flowers adds just the right amount of warmth.

Make a Splash with Flooring

Who says it always has to be about looking up? Give your bath a punch of color with a flooring choice that makes a statement. Small tiles in shades of blue create a pool-like feel.

Select a Backlit Mirror

A backlit mirror can create a spotlight-like effect on a gorgeous tiled wall. Pendant lights in varying styles, a vessel sink, and a wood countertop creates the perfect blend, skewing the lines between aesthetics and styles.

Mix Warm and Cool

While stone tile and countertops can bring a cool effect, adding wood tones to the mix introduces just the right amount of warmth. Black fixtures tie both of the natural finishes together.

Tile the Walls

Take it to the walls for the ultimate contemporary play. Just remember to add a bit of warmth, whether with luxurious linens, soft lighting, or a wood elements.

Highlight the Tub

A simple paint job can give your bathroom a focal point or highlight a favorite element. A sleek and modern stand-alone tub gets the royal treatment when set off before a deep green wall.

Go Small Scale

Sometimes the smaller the tile, the greater the impact. Tiny little rows of square tiles in a vibrant green creates a clean (and interesting) backdrop for a deep soaking tub.

Play With Black Details

To blend materials in a cohesive way, framing them with black details (whether knobs, shower framing, or visible plumbing fixtures) can help create a well-thought-out space. Before settling on your materials, be sure to see how they all look together before you commit.

Go Gilded

Add a little sparkle in the form of brass fixtures. A thin brass frame around the mirror and sleek drawer pulls further the look in an unobtrusive way.

Go for Cozy Comfort

A modern farmhouse aesthetic can create a warm and inviting bath. From Edison bulbs to custom cabinetry and diagonal flooring, cozy comfort is paired with contemporary elements to provide an inviting space.

Combine the Shower and Tub

To create a wet room that encompasses both a shower and a tub, you’ll likely have to commit a large portion of your bathroom’s square footage—but, once you do, you’ll never look back.

Give the Shower a Level Entry

A frameless shower, or shower wall comprised of a simple glass panel, can go a long way. But, to really drive the look home, consider making the shower entry flush with the rest of the bath’s flooring.

Play with Traditional Elements

Even traditional materials like a subway tile and marble can get a subtle contemporary bend with the right details. Undermount sinks, blue cabinetry, and a backsplash that extends a little farther up the wall then expected create a unique and creative look with a modern edge.

Keep It Cool

Cool gray and white tones can be used in a way that still feels inviting. When working with a toned-down palette, think about how the elements within the space can create a warm feel. Here, natural textured shades and a lighting fixture do just that.

Play with Tile Orientation

Giving your tile an unexpected orientation can provide a fresh and transformative look. Going for a herringbone pattern, laying subway tile vertically, or even giving your flooring or backsplash a diagonal lean can add a unique contemporary nod.

Go Big with Color

Nature-inspired shades of blue and green have been taking the design world by storm over the past few years, but it’s always best to select colors that you naturally gravitate toward to avoid design fatigue down the road. No matter your color preference, going big with a tile shower in a shiny finish and adding a maximalist nod with a small dose of a large-scale pattern within the same color palette can provide pizzazz to spare.

Embrace the Less Is More Mentality

While there’s a time and place for maximalism, the same can be said for a more minimalist aesthetic. Here a simple vanity is set off with a hexagonal flooring that adds just enough interest to elevate the space.

Tile Everything

Nothing creates quite a clean, crisp look as tile—everywhere. One thing you’ll want to make sure you do though is select your tile with painstaking detail. If you’re going to surround yourself with it, you’ll want to make sure it strikes just the right note.

Also keep in mind that cleaner, larger-scale tiles without dominant patterns will help keep the space from feeling busy.

Give It a Natural Nod

Even in a space that’s overwhelmingly contemporary, giving a natural nod can help create warmth and balance in the space. Here a vanity in a natural wood tone does just that.

Skip the Sconces

If you’re looking for a way to lend a subtle contemporary look to your bathroom, consider skipping bolder light choices like sconces, chandeliers, or the like. Going for recessed or backlit lighting can create a more minimal look while still maintaining the space’s functionality.

Get Creative with Tile

While giving your tile a fresh perspective with a herringbone pattern can be all the interest a space needs, consider how you can really drive it home by combining the same tile styles in various colors and various orientations. This works especially well in a bath that is otherwise subdued as it can keep the patterns and color plays from feeling cacophonous.

Keep It All Out in the Open

Exposed plumbing, clear glass bulb pendants, a towel ladder instead of a linen closet, and rustic finishes create a contemporary bath with an edge. While this stylish bath skips a lot of the storage options many of us expect with a primary bath, it can make for a fun powder or guest bath concept.

Give It Life

Mixing tones, finishes, and materials can create a warm and inviting space, but there’s something about adding live plants to the mix that can really drive it home. Whether hanging over the tub, sitting on a ledge, or tucked within a vase on the vanity, greenery and florals are a quick way to give a fresh nod in any space.

Play to Your Preferences

If money is no object, go all out with honeycomb tile in a favorite color, a top-light across the backsplash to give it real glamour, and fixtures and finishes that might just skew more trendy night club than primary bath. When you’re creating your dream bath there are no rules.

Clean It Up

One common thread you’re likely to find in many contemporary baths is a thoroughly clean look. That might mean sleek tile, a singular color palette, or simply a more minimalist aesthetic. Here it takes the form of crisp marble surfaces and an angular shower, all set off by white walls and plenty of natural light.

Steep the Space in Elegance

As we’ve learned, a contemporary bath is all about playing to your interests and design preferences. Here a mix of farmhouse details (hello, shiplap walls and wood paneled ceiling) paired with more traditional elements like a tray ceiling, beaded chandelier, and furniture-like vanity create a truly unique—and utterly dreamy—bathroom.

Create Sleek Surfaces

Smooth white countertops get a dose of warmth with brass hardware. When working with minimal spaces, be sure to consider how you can add warmth and texture in a subtle way within the space. Here, some tucked away greenery achieves just that.

Make It Metallic

Mixed metals and luxurious tiling come to play for an art deco look with a completely contemporary feel. Consider how you can create separate spaces within the bath using subtle tile transitions. For example, selecting a smaller scale version of the flooring tile for use in the shower.

Wrap It In Warmth

Wood tones and surfaces can sometimes be a secondary element, but here the natural look takes center stage. A mix of finishes and stains creates depth and interest while ensuring the space is fully saturated with warmth.

Read the original article on The Spruce.