Last year was unprecedented in so many ways, it almost seems premature to try to describe the changes we’ve undergone in the way our society functions. One thing that’s for sure: we all spent a lot more time at home, and that doesn’t seem to be set to change until much later in 2021.
Perhaps not for the first time, but at least with renewed vigor, we’ve all taken note of the functionality of our living spaces in new ways. Finding private space in our homes in which to work, relax, or “get in the zone” for whatever tasks we’re trying to accomplish took on a new level of importance as public indoor space became unavailable or impractical.
Some of the most difficult spaces to keep open in the course of a pandemic are spas, massage parlors and bathhouses. The places we go to get pampered and relax became off limits, bringing new significance to the way we design and appoint our bathrooms. It’s never been more important to be able to enjoy a quiet bath away from the hustle and bustle that might be going on in other parts of the house, and to have a visually appealing environment that calms the senses and helps us focus for a while on self-care and rejuvenation.
If there is one word that defines the emerging design trends of 2021, in the bathroom and the rest of the home, it is “soothing.” Home has always been our sanctuary, but for the last year we have had to look within it, to find the sanctuary within the sanctuary. Selecting spaces in the home for redesign in 2021 should focus on this goal more than any other.
A Bit of Nostalgia
Psychologists are recommending, during this time, that focusing on former pleasant times and past experiences can really help get us through until the time when we have more agency in our actions outside the home. To that end, a little bit of nostalgia in our design choices isn’t a bad idea.
Reclaimed wood and fixtures were rising in popularity even before Covid-19 upended our lives, but now more than ever finding an antique or reclaimed piece that speaks to you can be a good choice when appointing your home. There’s an added bonus here in that you’re saving materials from the landfill and avoiding the need for freshly manufactured goods, saving energy and unnecessary labor in the long term.
If antiques are hard to come by, or you’re worried about the maintenance or restoration that might be involved in repurposing a piece that may have outlived its lifetime of practical usage, Kohler offers a complete line of Antique™ bathroom accessories to give your new bathroom that comfortable feeling of bygone times. Kohler Antique™ accessories are designed to look like they might have come straight from the past, but functionally they are built to modern specifications and quality standards, assured to make efficient use of water and to last a lifetime.
Naturally-Inspired Colors and Tones
Gemma Riberti, head of interiors at WGSN Lifestyle & Interiors, was quoted in ADPro saying, “Color and texture will be key to comforting and reassuring. Warm to the eye as much as to the hand, palettes of organic, natural colors will be important to have a nourishing effect. The focus will be on nuances of greens, blues, and eary pigments such as terra-cotta.”
This trend in design is not surprising, as scientists who study human beings’ lived environments have determined that exposure to the color green, even with no other exposure to nature, has a calming, stabilizing effect on the limbic system. The more we can mimic nature in our homes, the happier it seems to make us when we’re in them.
Curves
In line with increasing comfort, designers are moving away from sharp corners and toward curvilinear, enveloping shapes. We might replace a shower with a Kohler Walk-In Bathtub, or one of Kohler’s new Stillness Bath tubs. Bringing rounder edges and more organic shapes into our bathrooms helps create a more relaxing atmosphere. Kohler’s LuxStone shower walls, which come in a variety of styles, are available with “natural stone” aesthetics, while installing quickly and providing a more durable surface than tile.
Home Forever Baths
Home Forever Baths is your premier dealer of Kohler fixtures and accessories in northern Illinois. Our expert installers, with hundreds of years of combined experience, can get your new bathroom completed in one or two days, in most cases. Call us today for a free consultation about what Home Forever Baths and Kohler products can do to make your next bathroom remodel your last!
