Exhibitions, pictures from magazines, photos of interiors on the Internet, fashion trends are one thing. But what do Russians actually choose to decorate their bathrooms? Are trends used in real practice or do they remain at the level of designers' conversations? Novate.ru offers to understand this issue in more detail.
1. For finishing the bathroom, not only tiles are used
If earlier bathrooms were finished with tiles from start to finish, now Russians prefer to combine them harmoniously with other materials. Moisture-resistant paint and even wallpaper are very popular. A few years ago, apartment owners were afraid that this was not practical, because mold could appear or the wallpaper could come off. But now on the market you can easily find high-quality moisture-resistant materials that are not inferior to tiles in durability, but at the same time look much more aesthetically pleasing. Designer Ksenia Nemova says that Russians have ceased to perceive bathrooms as a room in tiles. They are happy to experiment, complementing the interior with quartz, vinyl and other materials.
2. The factory shower stall was replaced with a partition
Given the small size of the bathrooms, it is not surprising that apartment owners prefer to install showers instead of a bath. However, they already look a little different than five to ten years ago. If earlier the shower looked more like a solarium, now customers are asking designers to make a visually light partition so that it “dissolves” in space and does not clutter up the interior. As for the massive pallet, which created the bulky effect, then it is changed to a version that barely rises above the floor. The same applies to other interior items: instead of a floor-standing toilet, a suspended toilet is installed, all communications are hidden, washing machines are masked by furniture. Everything is done to make the bathroom look light, spacious, but at the same time retain its functionality.
3. Instead of a regular bath - a separate
If the area of the room allows, customers ask the designers not for an ordinary bathtub, installed near the wall and covered with tiles, but for a freestanding one. Such an interior solution seemed impractical for a long time and was more suitable for a foreign housing stock than for a Russian one. However, as time goes on, trends and tastes change, and clients become more daring and try what they previously feared like fire.
4. Instead of a tile border - accent walls
Panels with dolphins, landscapes, floral ornaments used to be considered classics of the genre when it came to Russian bathrooms. However, now they have faded into the background - bright mosaics are no longer used for decorative borders, giving way to accent walls made of contrasting material.
Expert opinion: Designer Elena Kulzhik says ready-made sets, which consist of background tiles and decor, are unlikely to return to Russian interiors. Their presence indicates that the owner of the apartment is afraid to take risks, he does not have his own vision of how his bathroom should be decorated. The best design solution is a mix of tiles and wallpaper, mosaics and painting, but in a restrained color scheme.
5. Tiles - unusual
When choosing tiles, customers choose original solutions that were rarely present in the interior of the bathroom before. Among them are tiles imitating wood, metal, concrete with a volumetric texture. The attitude towards the format has also changed. Hexagons, option 60x60 marbled, are no longer relevant. According to designer Natalia Ozerova, Russians want something new and different.
6. Love for natural materials and shades
Each room in an apartment should be comfortable, and the bathroom should also relax and provide visual comfort. To solve this problem, customers prefer to use natural shades and finishing materials. The most relevant are marble and granite (less often they prefer porcelain stoneware, which imitates natural materials. And onyx takes the first place in the wish list. It is beautiful, unusual and looks great in the interior.
As for the shades, everything is in line with fashion trends. In the top, customers have a natural, laconic, restrained color scheme. But bright tiles, accessories, furniture are gradually fading into the background, although sometimes they are used as an accent.
By the way, Russians' dislike for black remains unchanged when it comes to bathroom design. And this is quite understandable, because black, firstly, visually reduces the room (in the case of tiny bathtubs, this is unacceptable), and secondly, it is absolutely impractical. On such a tile, drops and stains from water are very noticeable, which spoils the aesthetics of the room and forces you to take up the rag much more often than you would like.
7. Comfort and functionality
There is a category of people for whom it is very important that the room looks beautiful and luxurious. Therefore, complex forms of plumbing and furniture, showers with steam, massive corner baths, pretentious decoration and other elements in the style of "expensive and rich" are used. It is possible that such a decision is intended to demonstrate the high status of the owner, however, the question of whether he will use all the functions of the selected plumbing, for example, remains open.
Fortunately, such requirements are voiced by the minimum number of customers. According to designers, most people still strive for convenience and functionality. So, “smart” plumbing equipment is gaining popularity, for example, a silent toilet, a hygienic shower. An equally important point is a well-thought-out storage system - no one wants bath accessories, various jars and bottles to be in sight and create visual noise.
8. Creative lighting
Spotlights built into a stretch ceiling are not all that Russians are striving for. They want more sophisticated and varied lighting scenarios that make the bathroom the perfect place to relax. For many, this room is a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the outside world: both an office employee, a sales assistant, and a mother on maternity leave need full rest and reassurance. Architect and designer Natalya Shchetinina says that decorative sconces near the mirror are a thing of the past. Now apartment owners dream of professional lighting, like in a beauty salon.
9. A separate utility block appears in the bathroom
If the area of the bathroom is large, customers ask the designers to divide it into two parts: for the implementation of water procedures and for household tasks. This is because the bathroom, in addition to its functional significance, has also acquired aesthetic value. People no longer want to take a bath and cling to their eyes, for example, at the washing machine. Therefore, if it is possible to hide the laundry basket, household chemicals, washing and drying machines behind a separate door, they will definitely use it.
When decorating a bathroom, try to avoid 8 unsuccessful solutions in the interior of the bathroom, from which only problems