2013 Bathroom Design Trends
The 2013 Surfaces Annual Floor Coverings Show, International Builders Show (IBS) and World Market in Las Vegas ended last week and Brandy Marsh, Area Floors CEO was there to see first hand the latest design innovations for 2013. According to Brandy a major theme throughout the show was reinvention of the old classics. Recognizing that the economy and environment continue to shape most product offerings, there was a renewed interest in recycling, reusing and re-purposing The show had over 300 different building industry categories with over 900 exhibitors showcasing their latest products all of them giving a nod to sustainability. Simplicity in design resonated across all of the exhibits including bathrooms with spa-like atmospheres through the use of natural light, reclaimed bleached wood and minimal clutter. This year’s bathroom designs have a new emphasis on functionality and less on gaudy opulence and heavy colors. The crystal chandeliers and roman architecture of past bathroom styles has been replaced with white Carrara Marble— on walls, back-splashes, counter tops… white just about anywhere. Also popular were the classic wood-grains such as Ash and Teak re-purposed by painting them white, biscuit or another neutral color maintaining an open breezy feeling of spaciousness even in the smallest of bathrooms. This open feeling is further accomplished by eliminating extra walls and adding transparent glass enclosures similar to what we saw in the bathrooms of the Overlook home of the 2012 Parade of Homes.
Contrasting with the glass walls, white floors and natural light were hot pops of matte color used along with metallics in a variety of fixtures and other items creating an eclectic sophistication. The most popular color for these hot spots was the 2013 Color Of The Year: Emerald. The pristine white makes a perfect backdrop for the glimmering green gemstone found in nature and when brought inside brings a crisp freshness with it. Mosaic tiles, back-splashes, window treatments, area rugs even lighting fixtures, are just a few of the ways to bring this years jewel color into your re-energized bathroom. Brandy commented “using glass walls, white flooring, natural stone and metallic accents is not new to Area Floors. The Pacific Northwest has always had a love for bringing the outdoors in. We learned long ago that the reflective nature of metallics and glass helped keep the winter grey away.”