Design in splashes of vibrant colour: a bright bathroom for free thinkers

In colour theory, “chroma” represents the purity of a colour’s hue.Accordingly, the purest colours are the spectral colours, which have maximum saturation – thekind of colours children love drawing and painting with.Family and preschool bathrooms vary this vibrant look to create a pleasant atmosphere that appeals to the respective target group.

Right now, bright colours are being very deliberately used as a design element for lifestyle bathrooms.This approach means turning traditional visual habits upside down and working with several very dominant colours.Colour gradients?Forget it! Instead, bold colours and contrasts are used to make a clear statement that advocates more optimism in life.And while the bright bathroom might look playful, it’s definitely not naive.Instead, it represents an act of defiance in the face of miserable prospects, the kind of “when-if-not-now” attitude that’s emerging in creative circles and expressing itself in the form of unaccustomed and totally uninhibited combinations of colours and patterns – especially in the fashion world.But trendy and original colours will make themselves felt in the bathroom too – andin this trend, it’s primary colours that set the agenda.Besides intense shades of red, yellow, green and blue, that also includes options like warm orange, mysterious violet and smart amber yellow.

Bathrooms like paintings: avant-garde statements in pure colour

It’s pure chance that the new appetite for colour contrasts happens to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus movement.Even so, this parallel shows that there’s a tradition of restricting the palette to primary colours and using them for architecture and product design among the avant garde.Today such circles seem to have grown tired of minimalistic uniformity in white or black and of thematically overloaded colour harmonies based on Scandinavian naturalness, millennial pink or earth colours with an ethno touch.Instead, they are taking their inspiration from Bauhaus colours or Mondrian’s paintings, breaking the primary colours down into modern variations and using them in bold combinations of block colours set against neutral backgrounds– red in front of a green-tiled backsplash, yellow in front of a dark grey wall, stainless steel on lime green floor tiles and white ceramic on a deep blue table.

Design for everyone – the brightly coloured family bathroom

All sorts of things people need for their personal hygiene and grooming routines accumulate in the bathroom – especially when it’s used by the whole family. Colour can help by serving as an intuitive organising factor,and the bright colours add a modern touch to the bathroom as well.Colours tend to have meaning for people because they’re often linked with memories.Fresh, modern colours tell new bathroom stories, and families aren’t the only ones who stand to benefit from a bright, colourful lookpaired with sanitaryware that speaks a straightforward and functional design language.Design for everyone is the motto here.

Colour mosaics for furniture, walls and floors

It’s also possible to create the modern impression of a bright, varied mix by choosing furniture finishes consisting of small, mosaic-like pieces.The eye puts the little puzzle pieces together and perceives an intriguing but harmonious overall effect.That’s why mosaic tiles are still a popular choice for decorating bathrooms – although as an eye-catcher they should be reserved for one main wall or the floor,where they can also perform the function of marking out a particular zone such as the area around the toilet.

Embracing colour – bright bathrooms lift the spirits

The avant garde doesn’t have the monopoly on this bold new approach to colour – bright design concepts also have their fans in the mainstream, among people who welcome the departure from the clean look.In this segment, it’s personal preferences and fashionable styles that decide on the colour combination,which should exude optimism and ensure individuality.However, caution is called for when it comes to upbeat combinations: it’s a thin line between inspired and kitschy.And not all reds are equal: colour samples are a great help when it comes to choosing the right shades.A bold colour can accentuate an important piece of sanitaryware and turn it into the eye-catcher of the new bathroom design.And nowadays bathtubs and shower trays can even be ordered in customised shades.Using white or on-trend grey as the basic colour creates the perfect background for showing off an individual palette to perfection.Blue, red and yellow are positive colours that help get the day off to a dynamic start – and look all the more vibrant when contrasted with black.

The ISH 2019 will already be showing bathrooms in provocative colours – from ceramic washbasins in loud shades all the way to transparent bathroom furniture in blue and green: a top bathroom trend.