Bathroom Trends 2027: What's Next for Australian Bathrooms

Six trends stand out for Australian bathrooms in 2027:

• Greens, browns, burgundy and matte clay: richer, earthier colour replacing all-white and cool grey schemes.
• Feature wall tiles: patterned and textured tiles that make one wall the focal point.
• Large-format floor tiles and curbless showers: fewer grout lines and step-free showers.
• Sculptural basins and softer baths: basins with more character, and gentler bath shapes in freestanding, back-to-wall and corner styles.
• Fluted vanities and storage that works: textured vanity fronts with storage planned around real routines.
• Warm metallic toned tapware: brass, bronze and gold tones continuing to replace high-gloss chrome.

Some of these are practical improvements that will last, such as large-format floor tiles, curbless showers and better storage. Others are styling choices, such as colour, feature tiles and finishes. Knowing which is which helps you invest in the right places.

Australian designers say the long run of the all-white bathroom is over. In its place, bathrooms are moving towards richer, earthier colour: deep and soft greens, warm browns, and burgundy and other dark reds.

This palette is being driven by the tile and bathroom industry. At Cersaie, the international tile and bathroom fair in Bologna, greens and burgundy have featured prominently, alongside stone-look surfaces with dramatic green and burgundy veining. Italy's ceramic industry has highlighted burgundy as one of the colours bathroom design has embraced most strongly. Design commentators are seeing forest green, rich brown and deep red tones appear on shower walls, feature walls and vanity surrounds. In Australia, the Dulux Colour Forecast 2027 also points to softened greens, including the yellow-green Dulux Spring Fever.

How to use it. Use colour where it has the most impact: a green or burgundy feature wall, a timber or brown-toned vanity, or coloured tiles in the shower. Browse our green tiles. Pair these colours with warm metallic toned tapware, which suits greens, browns and burgundy particularly well.

Tiles are where many of 2027's biggest bathroom changes are happening.

Patterned and textured feature wall tiles - Feature wall tiles are one of the strongest trends heading into 2027. Flat, uniform surfaces are giving way to tiles with pattern, relief and texture:

• Textured and handmade-look tiles: glazed, imperfect surfaces such as Zellige-style tiles catch the light and add depth.
• 3D, relief and ribbed tiles: sculpted surfaces that create a focal point without needing bold colour. They work especially well behind a bath, in a shower or behind the vanity.
• Patterned tiles: geometric and decorative layouts that give one wall real character.

Browse our feature tiles, Zellige tiles, patterned tiles and Moroccan tiles.

Large-format floor tiles
Large-format floor tiles mean fewer grout lines, which makes a small bathroom feel bigger and cuts cleaning time, since grout is the part of a bathroom that ages worst. Large-format tiles are best suited to floors, because their size and weight make them less practical for walls. Pair large-format floor tiles with a feature wall tile for contrast. Browse our large tiles and floor tiles.

Curbless showers
Australian designers describe step-free, curbless showers as one of the few trends that improve a bathroom on every measure at once: easier access, a more open look and simpler cleaning. A curbless shower needs careful planning, because the floor must fall correctly to the drain and waterproofing must meet Australian Standard AS 3740. Our guides to walk-in showers and shower drainage explain the details.

Basins are becoming more expressive. International designers describe a "spa-inspired organic" direction, with carved stone-look basins and sculptural shapes adding character to an otherwise calm room. Look at our concrete basins and round basins. A statement basin works best above a simple vanity top, so the two don't compete.

Baths are softening in shape too. Designers are choosing gentler, shallower and smaller baths than the large tubs of recent years, which makes a bath easier to fit into a typical Australian bathroom. That softer shape now comes in several styles:

• Freestanding baths: the statement option for bathrooms with space around the bath.
• Back-to-wall baths: the freestanding look with a flat side against the wall, using less floor space.
• Corner baths: a softer-shaped bath that makes good use of a corner in a tighter room.

The final group of trends is about how the bathroom looks and works day to day.

Fluted vanities and storage that works - Fluted vanities continue as one of the defining bathroom looks heading into 2027. Fluting was still everywhere among the vanities on show in Italy this year. Its vertical texture adds depth and craftsmanship to a vanity, and it pairs naturally with textured feature tiles. Browse our fluted vanities.

Storage is back too. The stripped-back, storage-free bathroom is on the way out, because without storage everything ends up on the bench. Designers are planning storage around real routines, with deep drawers, wall cabinets and organised vanities. A wall-hung vanity keeps the floor visible while giving you drawer space, and a mirror cabinet adds hidden storage at eye level.

Warm metallic toned tapware - Warm metallic toned tapware, such as brushed brass, bronze and gold, continues to replace high-gloss chrome. These warm tones suit the greens, browns and burgundy of 2027 colour schemes. See our guide to tapware trends for 2027 for finishes and examples from Phoenix, Caroma, Meir and Nero.

The bathroom as a room - Bathrooms are increasingly styled like living spaces, with artwork, decorative lighting, timber and furniture-style vanities. Nero's Australian design outlook describes the bathroom as a wellbeing environment, where shower feel, tactile controls and lighting shape the daily experience. A larger mirror and softer lighting help create that feeling; our guide to using mirrors in small bathrooms shows how.

When you're ready to bring these trends into your bathroom, browse our feature tiles, fluted vanities and baths, or shop the look below.