With the New Year upon us, various people will have got their crystal balls out to tell us what 2025 has in store, especially in their particular areas of interest and expertise. This is especially true when it comes to matters of fashion and design.
From clothing to interior décor, the experts will all have their predictions about what is to come, although this might come with a health warning, as they are often at variance with each other. Nonetheless, as some things always do emerge as clear trends, it is fair to say that many will get their predictions right.
For anyone designing commercial toilets and washrooms, it may seem that this is a remote subject. But is it? Do such washrooms have to be nothing more than functional places, to be used swiftly and then forgotten about as people switch their focus to the business of the day in the office beyond?
Why Good Design Matters In Commercial Washrooms
Some may think this way about commercial washrooms. But if these are being used by people at the executive level, or by visitors who may hold high positions, mere basic functionality may not be desirable. You don’t have to design something for royalty, but you (or, if you are an architect, your client) may want something beyond the ordinary.
If you are looking to take something from domestic bathroom trends and incorporate them into commercial washrooms, it is important to be realistic. There may be some styles that are rather niche and appeal to certain audiences, while others will be more mainstream.
Furthermore, there is always the consideration that 2025’s fashion may be dead by 2026. That may not matter so much with clothes, but it does when designing any interiors, commercial or otherwise, as they need to last for several years without looking dated or irrelevant a year or two down the line.
What Will 2025 Have In Store?
According to Which? Magazine, there are several practical and simple bathroom trends that are likely to be in vogue in 2025. The ‘luxury spa’ look is one of these, which won’t work unless the business actually is a spa. The use of mood lighting may also be a bit much for an office, though maybe not a nightclub.
If you want something more suited to an office environment, a chrome design may be seen as stylish for years to come, as it is not overstated or garish. The same may be said of an avocado green colour scheme. The other tip was that there will be a major emphasis on eco-friendly elements like grey water recycling and energy-saving devices.
Homebuilding Magazine has a longer list of styles it expects to thrive in 2025 – 11 in all – although, like Which?, it highlighted the fact that chrome is back in vogue, alongside other metallic styles like nickel and steel. It also agreed on the popularity of avocado.
Other elements may be somewhat superfluous. The idea of “bucolic influences for a nature-inspired bathroom trend” can be safely kept for the home, as may fancy onyx bathroom tiles and the “pattern drenching trend”. The latter, along with the declaration that burgundy is the ‘colour of 2025’, can also be overlooked. After all, something else will be the colour of 2026.
Why Luxury Cannot Be Excessive In Commercial Settings
In such cases, the décor is based on the notion that a bathroom should be a place to linger and luxuriate, which may be true at home, but not in a commercial setting, especially one that will also include toilet cubicles and, for men, urinals. It will not be a place anyone stays in for long unless they are indisposed in some way.
This fact constrains the extent to which a washroom in a commercial setting can be a canvas for artistic and luxury touches. However, something neat, smart and stylish, such as chrome or avocado décor, can always create a good impression.
This may be especially true if this is concentrated on executive toilets, which may be designed to impress high-level visitors and clients, but there is still much that can be done to help contribute to a good working environment for the staff as a whole.
The conclusion to be drawn, therefore, is that while there are major differences between a domestic bathroom and a washroom in a commercial setting, there is still some value to be had in having some style and design quality.
Of course, this extends to making sure the fixtures and fittings are of a high standard and everything is in good order, but if the building is a new one or the décor is being given a makeover, a bit of design quality alongside product quality will be appreciated by all those who use the washroom.
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