2026 Bathroom Trends: Warm Metals, Calm Colour, Textured Furniture, and Smarter Tech

A practical look at the biggest bathroom trends for 2026, from brassware finishes and tile colours to fluted vanity furniture and features like Japanese shower toilets.

Bathrooms in 2026 are moving away from that ultra-clinical showroom look and leaning into something more liveable. Still modern, still clean, but with warmth, texture, and a bit more personality. The best designs aren’t built on “what’s new”, they’re built on what feels good to use every single day. Across the big names, the same themes keep popping up: calmer colour palettes, richer finishes, furniture that looks like furniture, and tech that genuinely improves comfort rather than being a gimmick.

Brassware colours: chrome steps back, warmer metals step forward

Chrome will always have a place, especially in harder-wearing family bathrooms and rental properties, but it’s no longer the automatic “premium” choice. In 2026, the standout bathrooms tend to use a finish that adds warmth and depth.

You’ll see a lot more of:

• Brushed bronze and brushed brass for that quiet luxury feel

• Brushed black chrome and titanium-style dark finishes when you want modern without going flat, dead matt

• Matt black, still popular, but now used with more restraint

  
  

Brands like hansgrohe, AXOR and KEUCO have all pushed hard on consistent colour ranges across showers, taps, wastes and accessories, which is what makes these finishes feel intentional rather than piecemeal. JTP is doing similar, with a big focus on brushed and PVD-style finishes that are designed to cope with real life, not just the photos.

Simple rule that keeps it looking sharp: pick one main metal finish, then stick to it across the touchpoints people notice most (basin tap, shower controls, bath filler, key accessories). That consistency is what makes it look “done”.

Tile and paint colours: soft colour returns, and texture does the heavy lifting

The colour story for 2026 is calmer, not boring. Think natural tones that work with daylight in the morning and softer lighting in the evening. Duravit has been vocal about pastels and gentle colour directions, and it fits with what you’re seeing everywhere from tile collections to furniture ranges.

The most common palette shifts are:

• Sage and muted greens (calm, works with black or bronze)

• Earthy tones, including terracotta used as an accent rather than a full room

• Soft blues, more “spa” than seaside

• Warm neutrals, sand, stone, mushroom, and layered off-whites

The bigger shift is texture. Flat, shiny, uniform surfaces are being replaced by finishes that look and feel more tactile:

• Ribbed and fluted tiles

• Handmade-look ceramics

• Satin and matt surfaces mixed together

• More “tile-drenching”, where walls and even niches are fully wrapped for a cocooned effect

If you want a bathroom to feel expensive without going over the top, texture is often the best place to spend your money.

Bathroom furniture finishes: fluted fronts, painted colours, and timber that feels grown up

Furniture is no longer just a box to hide the trap. It’s a design piece, and in 2026 it’s doing a lot of the visual work in the room.

Two finishes dominate:

• Fluted and textured fronts

• Furniture-like timbers and painted colours

Vanity Hall and Ambiance Bain both lean heavily into fluted styling, which is a big part of why it’s sticking around. It adds interest without shouting, and it works with loads of styles,

modern, transitional, even more classic schemes.

On the colour side, painted furniture is being used in smarter ways:

• Sage, muted blue, warm grey, and soft off-black are popular

• Rather than colour everywhere, the vanity becomes the “hero” and the rest stays calmer

Deuco’s approach, offering a wide range of matt, gloss, wood and stone-like finishes, mirrors the wider trend: people want choice, but they also want it to feel cohesive.

If you’re unsure, a safe 2026 combo is: warm neutral walls + textured vanity front + brushed bronze or brushed brass taps. It almost always works.

Smarter features: Japanese toilets, water-saving, and upgrades you notice daily

This is the year “smart bathroom” starts to mean something useful.

Japanese style shower toilets become a real consideration

GROHE’s Sensia Arena is a good example of what shoppers expect now: comfort washing functions, adjustable settings, warm air drying, and hygiene-focused features. The appeal isn’t just luxury, it’s comfort, cleanliness, and, for many homes, improved accessibility. A big reason these are growing in popularity is simple: once people try one, they get it.

Water-saving that doesn’t feel like a compromise

Efficiency is becoming a standard part of the brief, especially in UK renovations where performance still matters. Brands like GROHE have been pushing water and energy saving features for years, and in 2026 it’s less “eco marketing” and more “why wouldn’t you”.

Accessories finally match the room

KEUCO is a great example of the wider shift. Accessories, mirrors, lighting, and storage are being designed as part of the same finish story as the taps, not just added at the end in whatever was cheapest. That attention to detail is what separates a good bathroom from one that feels a bit thrown together.

Showers and enclosures: cleaner lines, more finish choice, better practicality

Walk-in showers and wet room looks are still strong, but the style is evolving. It’s less about an empty glass box, and more about comfort and usability: better lighting, smarter storage niches, easier cleaning, and finishes that match the rest of the room.

Brands like JTP and others have expanded finish choices beyond standard chrome, which makes it easier to keep the enclosure aligned with your brassware and accessories.

Three 2026 looks you can copy without overthinking it

The Soft Spa

Warm off-whites, stone tones, textured tiles, and brushed bronze or brass brassware. Add a fluted vanity and it instantly feels high-end.

The Sage and Black Modern

Sage walls or furniture with black, brushed black chrome, or dark titanium-style finishes. Keep tiles neutral and let one texture do the talking.

The Boutique Hotel

Deep colour as an accent (cloakroom is perfect), polished metallic details used sparingly, and one “daily luxury” upgrade like a shower toilet or a better shower system.

Want help pulling it together? Come and see the finishes in person

Trends are useful, but nothing beats seeing finishes side-by-side and getting a feel for how they work in real lighting. If you’re planning a new bathroom for 2026, pop into the showroom and we’ll help you narrow down the combinations that suit your space, budget, and how you actually live.

If you’d rather start with a plan, book a design consultation appointment and we’ll talk layout, storage, colours, and product choices, then pull together a scheme that feels cohesive from the first tile to the last accessory.

Visit us:

4 Star Street, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 7AA

We have our own free parking, tea and coffee awaiting and a lovely team to guide you through!