Bring in Cool, Calm Concrete Into the Bathroom
If concrete has been catching your eye in bathrooms but you're not sure how best to use it in yours, read on
Joanna Tovia
11 February 2017
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More
No longer reserved for industrial or ultra-contemporary homes and additions, concrete is seducing more of us by the day and convincing us to put this hard-working material to use in and outside the home. Kitchens have been showing off concrete in smart and sophisticated ways for some time, but bathrooms are quickly catching up – and it’s hard not to be impressed with the results. These inspiring bathrooms will help you decide how far to go with concrete – will you use just a little or a lot?
On the countertop
A concrete vanity countertop is all a bathroom needs to rise to the top of the style stakes no matter what the design of your bathroom. This bathroom manages to mix traditional (the mirrors), with contemporary (vanity, tapware and flooring) and industrial (countertop), and does so with confidence. The take-away? Don’t be a slave to a particular style.
Tip: If you’re thinking about selling any time soon, rest assured that potential buyers will lay their eyes on that concrete countertop first, and be suitably impressed.
A concrete vanity countertop is all a bathroom needs to rise to the top of the style stakes no matter what the design of your bathroom. This bathroom manages to mix traditional (the mirrors), with contemporary (vanity, tapware and flooring) and industrial (countertop), and does so with confidence. The take-away? Don’t be a slave to a particular style.
Tip: If you’re thinking about selling any time soon, rest assured that potential buyers will lay their eyes on that concrete countertop first, and be suitably impressed.
As for kitchen countertops, concrete vanity countertops are typically made with glass-reinforced concrete to reduce the weight and provide the internal structure concrete needs without resorting to steel reinforcement used in traditional concrete applications (walls, floor slabs). Known as GFRC, or glass fibre reinforced concrete, it can be moulded into just about any shape you like.
For basins and baths
Bringing concrete into the bathroom needn’t involve features that are custom-made or poured on site. Companies such as Wood Melbourne hand-make concrete basins and taps for use in settings like this. Paired with timber, concrete comes into its own.
Bringing concrete into the bathroom needn’t involve features that are custom-made or poured on site. Companies such as Wood Melbourne hand-make concrete basins and taps for use in settings like this. Paired with timber, concrete comes into its own.
Concrete bathtubs can be custom built to fit neatly into your bathroom, no matter what its layout or dimensions.
Dare to Bare Those Exposed Cement Walls?
Dare to Bare Those Exposed Cement Walls?
Basins can, of course, be moulded seamlessly into the countertop – that’s the beauty of concrete.
Tip: While the texture and patina of concrete is appealing, it is also porous in nature. Without penetrative sealing, concrete basins can stain and look unsightly over time. To keep the seal in tact, use a pH-neutral cleaner and avoid abrasive scrubbing.
Tip: While the texture and patina of concrete is appealing, it is also porous in nature. Without penetrative sealing, concrete basins can stain and look unsightly over time. To keep the seal in tact, use a pH-neutral cleaner and avoid abrasive scrubbing.
On the walls
Just as timber-look tiles are becoming more popular, so are tiles that give you the look of concrete. They come pre-sealed and are as simple as other tiles to install. You can go for tiles with a raw, prefabricated effect …
Just as timber-look tiles are becoming more popular, so are tiles that give you the look of concrete. They come pre-sealed and are as simple as other tiles to install. You can go for tiles with a raw, prefabricated effect …
… or something smooth and contemporary. Texture can be added where you want it with the help of small-format tiles like the Mosaico Rodano Acero tiles laid on the wall to the left in this bathroom.
On the floor
If you have polished concrete floors in much of the rest of your house, extending the same material into your bathroom can make for a seamless effect. Concrete floors are easy to clean and, when there are no cabinets sitting on the floor as in this bathroom, running a mop over it is a breeze.
If you have polished concrete floors in much of the rest of your house, extending the same material into your bathroom can make for a seamless effect. Concrete floors are easy to clean and, when there are no cabinets sitting on the floor as in this bathroom, running a mop over it is a breeze.
Encaustic cement tiles add character and warmth to a bathroom because of their texture – visually and beneath the feet – and pattern.
Tip: Encaustic tiles need to be resealed about once a year, but porcelain encaustic-look tiles are now available that have the same artisan style and feel, without the need for maintenance.
Tip: Encaustic tiles need to be resealed about once a year, but porcelain encaustic-look tiles are now available that have the same artisan style and feel, without the need for maintenance.
With a little colour
If all this grey, white and timber has you thinking concrete isn’t really you, think again. There’s no need to limit yourself to this common palette if bright splashes of colour are more your thing.
If all this grey, white and timber has you thinking concrete isn’t really you, think again. There’s no need to limit yourself to this common palette if bright splashes of colour are more your thing.
Concrete wall tiles, 20 millimetres thick, give this bathroom its raw edge, but adjustable mood lighting can add colour or warmth for times when it feels stark or cold.
This stylish bathroom also features a waterproof in-wall TV so you can watch a movie while you’re soaking in the tub. Does life get any better?
Read more:
Bring Home the Beauty of Marble
9 Extraordinary Basin Designs
Tell us:What do you think of concrete in the bathroom? Share your views in the Comments.
Read more:
Bring Home the Beauty of Marble
9 Extraordinary Basin Designs
Tell us:What do you think of concrete in the bathroom? Share your views in the Comments.
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waterproof in-wall TV... let that sink in for a bit...
We agree. Concrete is a great material for bathrooms, especially tubs!