The bathroom is a vital space in your family’s home, but it’s more than that – it’s also one of the key rooms that can be a deciding factor for potential buyers so an upgrade not only makes your life more comfortable and luxurious, it also adds significant value to your home.

“It’s no secret that keeping a home up to date can make it more lucrative and help to sell it quicker when the time comes, but not all upgrades are equal,” says Cobus Odendaal, CEO of Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty in Johannesburg and Randburg.

“When home buyers come and view your home, they will scrutinise the bathroom more closely than any other room, so if you want to capture their attention, this is the space you should focus on.

“Most buyers love the allure of a fresh, attractive bathroom that reminds them of luxury hotels and, most importantly, buyers want to envision themselves enjoying this luxury every day in their new home.”

Whether you’re looking to make a minor upgrade or a complete overhaul, Odendaal suggests the following options and trends:

Introduce nature

Biophilia is a bathroom interior design trend that will continue to grow because they not only add a touch of greenery to the décor, they improving air quality.

However, bear in mind that not all plants enjoy high humidity and bathrooms often don’t have much natural light so not all plants are suitable. The best options include orchids, ferns, bamboo, begonias, Chinese evergreen and gardenias.

Spa-like features

A growing number of people want their bathrooms to feel like a spa retreat, so if your budget runs to it, this is a winning upgrade.

Consider luxurious finishes like elaborate mosaic-tiled shower pans, euro-style shower doors with thicker glass, minimal framing and attractive hardware that includes shower heads that offer a soothing downpour rather than a trickle.

Compact storage spaces

The bathroom is one room that seldom has enough storage space and cabinet tops are usually crammed and easily become untidy. Consider installing floating shelves and swapping out the existing vanity for one that has larger cabinets.

Wood accents are back

Natural materials and warmer tones and accents are making a comeback. Whether you opt for full wood panelling and wooden cabinets or merely accessorise your existing decor with wood elements, you’ll be bang on trend.

Feature walls

Bathrooms are no longer restricted to sterile all-white walls or monotone colour schemes. A statement wall with a colourful mural or dramatic mosaic tile patterning will add a ‘wow’ factor and ensure your bathroom is attractively unique.

Mixing textures

We’ve seen minimalist and monolithic tones in bathrooms for a number of years now, but this is changing so use your creative flair and opt for a fun balance of wood, glass, metal, ceramic and whatever else catches your eye and imagination, and give your bathroom a whole new aesthetic.

Wet Rooms and walk-in showers

Traditional small shower cubicles are giving way to considerably larger and more spacious enclosures to allow for a more luxurious experience. Add a built-in bench for convenience.

Mixing old and new

These days, people are clear about what they like and want to create genuinely distinctive rooms and the bathroom is no exception. Consider a traditional bath with a sleek and modern faucet or period faucets with a contemporary sink.

Bathrooms of the Future

The smart home trend has grown exponentially in recent years and this now includes the bathroom. Features include toilet seat warmers, automatic lid openers, adjustable air dryers, built-in deodorisers and automatic sinks. Another increasingly common trend is the built-in blue tooth speaker system which you can sing along to in the shower.

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