February 17, 2026, 9:21 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Bathrooms are becoming more personal, and certain styles are outdated. If you’re planning to update your bathroom in 2026, it’s time to say goodbye to some popular but outdated trends from recent years. Instead of high gloss, gray, or marble, the focus is now on naturalness, character, and atmosphere. myHOMEBOOK reveals what’s no longer in style for bathrooms in 2026.
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The End of the Gray Tile Era
Gray in all its shades was considered modern for a long time. But in 2026, it’s no longer in style for bathrooms, and the concrete look is out. The cool color palette now seems sterile and interchangeable. Instead, warm tones like sand, cream, terracotta, or muted greens are preferred. These create a sense of coziness and reflect the desire for more naturalness.
Goodbye High-Gloss Tiles and Sterile Tile Walls
White, glossy tiles were long seen as the epitome of modern bathroom design. Today, however, they mainly appear impersonal and sterile. The trend toward naturalness and coziness has displaced the clinical look. Instead of smooth, reflective surfaces, matte, slightly textured materials are now in demand. Currently popular are microcement, lime plaster, or fine stoneware with a stone look, which give the room natural depth.
Even in color choices, people are moving away from pure white. Warm sand tones, gentle greige, earthy shades, and off-whites create a calmer, more homely atmosphere and appear anything but cold and sterile. Combined with wood, linen, or brass, a harmonious overall picture emerges that resembles a boutique hotel more than a hospital.
The End of Small Tile Mirrors
Anyone who has ever cleaned grout between tiny (mosaic) tiles knows: beautiful and practical are different things. The trend toward large-format tiles and surfaces with minimal grout has good reasons. They appear calmer, more modern, and are especially easy to maintain–an aspect not to be underestimated. XXL tiles in natural stone look or large-scale terrazzo replace the once small tiles. If you still want to use mosaic to set accents–which is currently trending–opt for accent walls. To keep maintenance low, such accent walls are recommended in areas that don’t come into frequent contact with water, like the sink or shower area.
Seamless plastering techniques like Tadelakt or microcement are also on the rise. They give the room a luxurious, almost sculptural appearance and make particularly small bathrooms appear more spacious.
Marble Look Loses Its Shine
Marble was the epitome of luxury, but its imitation in ceramic and plastic increasingly appears artificial. The trend is moving away from fake materials toward authentic surfaces. Travertine, limestone, or slate impress with natural feel and imperfect structures, a deliberate break from the flawless marble look of recent years.
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Too “Loud” Tiles
We’re saying goodbye to overloaded patterns, high-contrast tile arrangements, or surfaces with wildly mixed colors in 2026. Dominant tiles are increasingly seen as design risks. They visually wear out quickly and appear overloaded. Currently, the focus is back on more subtle, high-quality materials, using wall colors or decorative lights instead to set accents and create excitement.
Open Towel Racks
A beautiful, open shelf with folded towels may be visually appealing, but few households manage to keep it tidy long-term. Therefore, hidden storage is now more valuable than open spaces. Single or double-door cabinets, panel doors, integrated storage behind mirrors, or backs with drawers are increasingly in demand, as many appreciate functional order and elegance at the same time.