7 Bathroom Trends to Give a Try in 2022, Recommended by 4 Experts

AD It Yourself7 Bathroom Trends to Give a Try in 2022, Recommended by 4 ExpertsCreate the porcelain palace you wish to see in the world

By Sydney Hirsch

January 14, 2022

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The full display of Toilet Paper Holders at the 2021 edition of Marta + Plant Paper's 'Under/Over (East)' exhibition curated by Emmanuel Olunkwa in New York, NY.Photo: Sean Davidson

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New year, new bathroom. My 2022 mantra is a slightly different take on Paige Michalchuk from Degrassi’s famous line: “New year, new look, new Paige.” For all the time that I regularly spend drooling over interior inspo, my own personal porcelain palace has left way too much to be desired. Exhausted by the ugly tiling and bland color scheme, amongst many other things, I resolved that my bathroom deserved a little facelift in the coming new year. One problem was where to begin—should I apply checkerboard-style flooring? A midcentury vanity mirror? Extra shelving for my extensive skincare collection? Ahead of getting in over my head with DIY projects, I decided to consult some of the foremost bathroom experts I know to ask how they see our lavatories shaping up for 2022.

Minimalist color play

That involves removing any clutter and concentrating on a color scheme that evokes relaxation. Consider using an organizer for your serums, face washes, and razors to keep them out of sight and within reach.

“​​We are drawn to bathrooms that are conducive to complete calm, that are minimal and pared back. They are free of unnecessary objects or furniture that create distraction. Spaces that use a layering approach with a singular color but in varying tones throughout the room to ensure dimension and depth.”—Anna Fahey, cofounder of Baina

Eco-friendly toilet paper

We’ve gotten to know toilet paper pretty well these past few years. Since we’ve collectively spent more time at home, we’ve had time to reconsider the options we’ve so easily reached for in the past. The new year means we’ll be more conscious of the environment and more likely to look at this necessity in a new way.

“We think you’ll see more and more people embrace bleach-free toilet paper in the bathroom. Bright white toilet paper has long been thought of as a sign of quality, but that’s beginning to change. The chemicals that go into conventionally made toilet paper—bleach and formaldehyde among them—poison our waterways and irritate our bodies. As people begin to grasp this, bright white toilet paper will begin to read like an unnatural, intrusive presence in the bathroom—a space that has itself become much more organic and thoughtful than in the past.”—Lee Reitelman, cofounder of PlantPaper

Vintage-inspired fixtures

Bathrooms are only as good as their accessories, and seemingly big changes may be easier to DIY than you’d think. If you have it in your budget, this may be the year to upgrade your hardware or lighting.

“I clearly love tile and wallpaper, but I really believe that the fixtures—sinks, toilets, bathtubs—are the foundation of a bathroom space. If you have an amazing set of vintage fixtures as your base, it’s really easy to make an amazing bathroom design. I recently visited a friend’s home, and she had a vintage 1950s American Standard wall-hung sink with the chrome legs. It was a beast, built like a tank. It was the only thing I noticed in the room, not because the rest of the bathroom was mediocre, it was just that the sink was that beautiful.”—The creator behind @vintagebathroomlove

“My bathroom has a really cool vintage Murano sconce I scored on Etsy. It’s the main light source, and sadly emits as much light as a single candle, but it looks so gorgeous.”—Susan Alexandra

Statement towels

From chess boards, to race cars, to overalls, it seems as though the check pattern is here to stay. Black and white is always classic, but exploring new color schemes will warm up your bathroom interior (and you, after getting out of the tub).

“Towels are a simplistic way to switch the aesthetic or feeling. We’ve seen a lot of bright and playful colors and patterns coming through in the textile space, but in 2022 we’ll explore deeper tones, grounded in the unisex, like moss green and tobacco brown, which are quietly accented by complementary shades such as butter, ivory, and noir.”—Anna Fahey, cofounder of Baina

Art Deco lines

Now that we’re well into the 2020s, the lush lines and sharp curves of the 1920s and ’30s are back with a vengeance. Don’t be intimidated, though—there are plenty of ways to impart an Art Deco vibe in your bathroom.

“In the past, fixtures were these amazingly well-designed pieces of art: Art Deco and Streamline Moderne lines and a whole rainbow of colors. Somewhere along the way, these items were relegated to more utilitarian design and only one color option. At the very least give us some color offerings besides just white and bisque. I’m seriously hoping [brands] sense this trend change and get on board.”—@vintagebathroomlove

Peaceful tiling

Beautiful bathroom tiling has gotten more and more prominent this decade, and we’ve yet to reach a crescendo. In 2022, tiling is all about your personality. Cool blues or sage greens, hexagonal or square, today’s bathroom tiling is all about expressing your idea of calm.

“As far as hardware is concerned, we gravitate toward brushed metals or muted tones, so as not to disrupt the serenity. Tiles are gently incorporated into the landscape, to accent, but not shout, with low-contrast grout to seamlessly sit within the space.”—Anna Fahey, cofounder of Baina

A sanctuary of cleanliness

You may feel like you’re on top of the other people in your household, or maybe you just need a pristine place to escape from the outside world. The bathroom is quickly becoming that refuge, and designers are imparting a squeaky-clean Scandinavian sensibility.

“You’ll increasingly see people relating to the bathroom as a kind of sanctuary. Thanks in part to COVID, the home for many of us is no longer the refuge it once was. We work from home, and we work in almost every room, at every time of day. The bathroom provides—or can provide—a place of solitude, a little hideaway from the rest of reality. Treating it that way, and furnishing it accordingly—with beautiful candles, books, towels, even toilet paper roll holders—can turn a perfunctory space into something much more.”—Lee Reitelman, cofounder of PlantPaper

“Cleanliness should be the ultimate vibe of any bathroom space. Using surfaces and materials that are easy to clean and that look sanitary is my goal. I think this is why I’m drawn to tile so much; it’s traditionally been associated with sanitation and cleanliness.”—@vintagebathroomlove

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