Bathroom trends 2026, from the bathrooms that won this year's awards

Words by the Bathroom Edit editor · Updated on 3 October 2026 · 2 min read

Trend lists are usually guesses. This one is read from the bathrooms that actually won Australia's design awards this year, and what their judges praised.

In 2026 the winning Australian bathrooms used warm, tactile finishes: fluted and stained timber, microcement with handmade zellige tile, soft curves, deep Art Deco colour and natural light from above.

The pictures on this page are our own illustrations of each trend, not the award-winning bathrooms. The awards' own pages, linked under Sources, show the real rooms.

1. Fluted timber, stained warm

Illustration: a bathroom with a fluted timber vanity stained pecan brown, a stone top and warm brass tapware — Illustration · not a real project

Spec board

VanityFluted timber, pecan stain
TopHoned stone
TapwareWarm brass
WallsWarm plaster
MoodCalm, tactile

The KBDi 2026 Australian Bathroom Designer of the Year, Robyn Coté of Inspired Interiors by Robyn Coté, won with a bathroom whose "pecan-stained timber fluting" connects it to the bedroom next door, the judges said.

2. Microcement and zellige together

Illustration: close-up of a bathroom wall clad in small handmade glossy white zellige tiles with uneven wavy surfaces and slightly irregular edges catching the light, above a microcement vanity with a handmade cream ceramic basin and a warm brass wall tap — Illustration · not a real project

Spec board

WallsIrregular zellige
SurfacesMicrocement
BasinHandmade ceramic
TapwareWarm brass
FeelSoft, cocooning

A state winner, Emily Bere of Musa Studio, combined microcement and irregular zellige tiles with a handcrafted basin, and the HIA's 2026 Australian Bathroom Design winner, Studio Minosa, used microcement with large-format porcelain in a Brunswick ensuite. More on the material: microcement bathrooms.

3. Curves

Illustration: a bathroom with a curved arch shower opening, rounded stone vanity edges and soft curved mirror — Illustration · not a real project

The HIA judges praised Studio Minosa's curves "that soften the space"; the 2025 KBDi national winner, Bav Kizilkaya of A1 Design Studio, used "curved elements" and sculptural forms.

4. Art Deco colour

Illustration: a bathroom with deep green glossy mosaic tiles in the shower and a bespoke marble vanity, Art Deco revival — Illustration · not a real project

Spec board

ShowerDeep green mosaic
VanityBespoke, curved
StoneMarble
DetailElegant curves
EraArt Deco revival

Tania Nikolitsis of Tanik Design won her state with an Art Deco revival that honours the original bathroom, ending in a "breathtaking deep-green mosaic shower".

5. Light from above

Illustration: a light-filled master ensuite under a skylight with sculpted stone basins and brushed gold tapware — Illustration · not a real project

Kizilkaya's winning 2025 ensuite was finished with "a generous skylight", and Studio Minosa's ensuite hid storage behind lift-up mirrors so the benches stay clear.

What is going out

The winners avoided cold, all-grey bathrooms and busy grout: the common thread is warmth, texture and fewer, larger surfaces.

Common questions

What are the bathroom trends for 2026 in Australia?

Fluted and stained timber, microcement with handmade tiles, curves, Art Deco colour and skylights, judging by this year's award-winning bathrooms.

What bathroom trends are going out of style?

Cold all-grey schemes and busy small tiles with heavy grout lines are giving way to warmer, more tactile and seamless finishes.

Sources

Checked 3 October 2026.