The Surprise Element Your Bathroom Renovation is Missing

Last year, Original Style predicted ‘Texture Play’ as a big trend. Based on texture pairing of rough with smooth and matt with gloss, this trend provides an atmospheric look and sensory experience that draws the eye and encourages touch.

Bathrooms have always been a bit stark and sterile, haven’t they? Perhaps it’s all the slick, shiny, reflective surfaces and the dominance of white that often prevails in the bathroom. It can lead to bathrooms feeling a bit cold and lifeless and this is not what you want when planning a bathroom renovation. Yes, you want your bathroom to look good and be functional, but it also needs to make you feel good. After all, isn’t that the reason why people go to spas?

5 Ways to Add Texture in the Bathroom

There is one simple thing your bathroom renovation may be missing and if you add this element your bathroom will feel cosier and more welcoming and provide you with an enhanced sense of wellbeing. That change is to use texture in the bathroom. Let’s look at a few ways we can do this.

Incorporate Tactile Materials

Corka is an ultra-green, super-tough, easy-to-fit cork flooring from The Colour Flooring Company. It comes in a range of six beautiful finishes.

Bathrooms are the sensory retreat of our homes so it stands to reason that they should be designed for sensory wellbeing. One way to do this is to incorporate tactile materials. Materials such as cork, natural wood, natural stone, concrete and exposed brick all provide a more sensory experience in the bathroom. Materials that are pleasant to touch engage the senses and provide the perfect contrast to the smooth surfaces of the sanitaryware. Tactile materials are a simple way to use texture in the bathroom.

Waffle radiator in Brenton Green, designed by Piero Lissoni for Antrax IT.

Choose Textured Bathroom Tiles

Textured wall tiles add depth and visual interest to the bathroom and make for a much more sensory experience. The selection seen here is from CTD Tiles

Tiles are a staple material when it comes to bathroom design and they offer another opportunity to use texture in the bathroom. Wall tiles with a 3D effect add depth and dimension to the room and provide another layer of visual interest. The subtle effect created from using textured tiles, even in a monochrome setting, is very effective. Sculptural or embossed tiles add an organic touch and a spa-like feel to the bathroom.

Play with Pattern

Playing with pattern can add texture to a bathroom as well as depth. The Amazonia Collection from CTD Architectural Tiles and the Poitiers Green tiles from CTD Tiles are both great examples of this.

Playing around with tile patterns can also be a great way to use texture in the bathroom. Instead of installing tiles in a typical horizontal grid or in offset brickwork formation, instead, consider choosing a pattern that is a little more complex. Herringbone is a great choice for the bathroom and has become very popular in recent years. For something a little more adventurous and usual, why not try basketweave or brick weave?

To really make a statement with texture, opt for tiles that have texture or patterns printed onto them. These botanical tiles really do add depth and are longing to be touched and caressed. The large-format hexagon tiles of the Amazonia range really stand out.

Create your own Jungle

Plants are an easy and inexpensive way to add texture to the bathroom. Images from Dobbies

By far the cheapest and easiest way to use texture in the bathroom is by bringing in plants. Greenery adds an organic and textural quality to your bathroom renovation. Obviously, the more plants you add, the bigger the impact and the more texture you get. Surface or floor space may be a little lacking in the bathroom, but with careful planning, you can hang plants from the ceiling or add high-level shelving to accommodate your plant gang.

Plants are an easy and inexpensive way to add texture to the bathroom. Bathroom image from Dobbies, hanging seagrass baskets from Oliver Bonas

Bring in Textured Bathroom Accessories

Bathroom accessories are a great way to use texture in the bathroom. The Harlequin Maritime Blue Storage Jars from Ella James have a lovely textured surface and the multitude of finishes on these accessories from Very create a more tactile experience.

Accessories are another simple and inexpensive way of including texture in the bathroom. Anything from fluffy towels, wooden bathmats, and terracotta plant pots, to seagrass hanging baskets, will add a more sensory experience to the bathroom. The goal is to add as many different textures and materials as possible.

---

So there you have it. Five great ways to add texture to your bathroom and create a more multi-sensory bathing experience that enhances wellbeing. What do you think?