I'm sorry I can't answer your question as to what trends I think will soon be outdated, but I just wanted to say that if you like a certain style, does it really matter if it's in style or not? I never liked vessel sinks and wouldn't dream of having them when they were all the rage. In fact, my husband and I chose a brass shower surround for our new house last year which was considered extremely outdated, but we like it. Having said that, I will say that I did hear that glass mosaic tiles are making their way out. I'm not sure of that, however.

I love the look of glass tiles, but I think I'd worry about those dating the most. With your color scheme and the Craftsman/Victorian house, have you thought about these Trikeenan tiles? I'm thinking of going with them for our bath (not the Victorian...a different series). Their tiles have absolutely beautiful depth of color.

Here is a link that might be useful: Trikeenan Victorian Garden Arts & Crafts tile

Oh, and I meant to say but I hit "enter" prematurely, that if it's glass tiles that make your heart sing, choose them. I agree with barnette84 that you should pick what you love.

i think glass mosaic will go out of style. I've never liked it. Subway tiles are timeless and so is marble. Hex tiles, diamonds, diamonds with dots, and 1" round penny tiles were all typical of the period. Try browsing some of the pictures on american restoration tile's site for inspiration with unglazed square and hex tiles.

Just my opinion, but I think the Oil Rubbed Bronze fixtures won't stand the test of time and will go out of favor before long. And, while I love them, I'd guess the glass tiles will go out of style at some point too.

I'll jump on the band-wagon and say, with the others, that you should do what you love!

We live in a 1913 home and we did old fashioned looking brass fixtures in the downstairs bath 10 years ago and are doing them again this year upstairs, even though I'm sure they are "out of style". In 1913 they probably would have been nickle or something in our modest home, but we think the brass looks nice (Delta Victorian), and we love it.

The best thing to do for longevity is to use colors and materials that are consistent with the style and age of your house. This doesn't mean a slavish duplication of a 1920 bath in a 1920 house, but something that acknowledges it. You can never go wrong with white tile and fixtures, and the addition of color in less durable items such as paint, towels etc.

A vanity faucet, light fixtures, towel bars are relatively easy to change so if you want to do something a bit more topical or trendy, those would be the places I would do that with fixtures.

katie,

I've been designing and building since the 1900s, that's what a hundred years? So I've seen a few fads come and go. ; )

What I try to get people to do is to make an honest assessment of the core motivation for choosing the style, the colors, and the materials that go into their houses.

When "fad design" most often fails is when things are chosen simply to impress the neighbors. To show that you have the latest and greatest. It's a common motivation, and there's not necessarily anything wrong with it. But if that is the motivation, then it can lead to things that don't necessarily fit the owners taste, or things being put into play that don't fit the style of the house.

"Impressing the neighbor's" isn't always a recipe for design dissatisfaction. Things that are currently in vogue might well be design trends that you personally like, or that actually fit the style of your house.

Of everything brought up so far, I think vessel sinks are probably the most susceptible to being considered "trendy".

Most materials can be made to work. Certain colors, however, can trump a material choice and take a material that could be timeless and make it a fad. Same with a style.

In the above photo, I with the exception of the beadboard panels on the tub apron, that bathroom would have looked fine fifty years ago, 25 year ago, or today. It's fairly tasteful, it's subtle, nothing pops out at you. The beadboard panels could tell you it's craftsman or victorian, but replacing the beadboard panels with raised panels could send you off on another style tangent.

Chandeliers are okay, again, it's a matter of being bling-like which stands out, or being subtle, which can blend in. So even though chandeliers might not be in style or in vogue, a subtle one could work whereas an in-your-face one might scream out at you.

In the photo below, the room in the bottom left of the collage is probably the most specific or stylized, that can make it seem dated. The shape of the mirror frames, the shape of the panels on the doors, the flush-mounted ceiling fan, the floor tile pattern and size...it's might not have broad appeal. The design is also confusing to a certain extent, because the mirror frames and the shape of the panels on the hutch say one thing while the design of the cabinetry on the right wall says anther. They don't blend, they conflict. The room seems confusing and I'd want it changed.

The green room just to its right in the collage? To me it's less specific. The colors are more subtle, more soothing, the cabinetry is stylish and appealing. Maybe a little more savvy. The room seems more cohesive, to me it would appeal to a wider range of people over a longer period of time.

{{gwi:1400538}}

Just my opinions, and skewed towards my personal preferences.

Consider that you're living in the house now. You want the bathroom to appeal to you, if this is your forever house, make the bathroom "yours" no matter what the desgn gods say. It's your bathroom. Make it yours.

If you are considering selling in a few years, then someone buying your house would most likely expect to see a Victorian or Craftsman bathroom inside of that Victorian or Craftsman house. You might want to respect the house a bit more, but you can still incorporate your desires into the overall design. Make the bones of the bath "Victorian", make the "flesh" katie. If you were to sell then just give the bathroom a Victorian facelift.

There are always ways to stay true to yourself, or stay true towards the aesthetic of the house, while embracing today's design trends.

Realize that some things are sort of "forever", maybe the tile, maybe the cabinets, etc. The things that are hard to change. Some things are temporary and easily changed: Artwork on the walls, hanging mirrors, paint colors, actual accessories like towel baskets, or the accessory colors, like towels colors.

So there are ways to have a sort of short-term fling with a design trend without having to outright marry it.

But if you do embrace an outright fad, make sure you're doing it for you and not for the neighbors.

Still caring for my pet rock,
Mongo

I do love the various white tile looks that go with the Victorian style, but I put white 2x2 tile with white grout in the downstairs bathroom and I obsessively clean the tile and scrub the grout. It's awful, but I can't stop myself! I just shouldn't have white things in my house! Haha.
Would grey grout look ok? I LOVE octagon and dot, but I'm afraid grey grout will look like white grout that got dirty.

In response to the "do what you love" sentiments: I don't really know what I love yet! But I'll be sure to follow my heart once I figure that out. :)

Mongo! Thank you for the in-depth analysis! Your info helps me to pick what appeals to me from each of the photos. I'll be sure to pick your brain again as my bathroom plan evolves.

I have white octagon and dot with grey grout on the floor of my only bathroom and its great. It is a distinct uniform grey and looks intentional, not dirty.

White on white can look a bit cold and stark. You can sometimes lose the detail or pattern in the tile, it can look a bit sterile.

White with silver or light gray grout can actually look cleaner than white on white. The gray grout can set off the tile pattern, making it a point of interest. The gray can set off the white, making it appear whiter.

And since white grout will eventually dirty to gray (hah!), think of all the angst and cleaning you're avoiding by starting with gray in the first place!

I'm going to think of all of you next time I'm kneeling on the floor with my special cleaning tooth brush. :-P

Just to point out that I well remember the article that's the source for your example on the lower left in the bottom set of photos, mongo. It was a builders 80s bath and the goal was to bring it up to date (this would be several years ago) without spending a lot of money or removing/changing out fixtures (other than faucets). For what they spent, I think they did a nice job. Total bill was something like $700. For that much money, you can afford to be trendy and get outdated, given that they did nothing (like tile) that's hard to redo later. The owner collects mirrors. which is why there are so many.

I think everyone is right here- do what you like but respecting the house is always a good idea.

I have white tile with grey grout and love it. All the subway tile has white grout but grey on the floor hex. Also, Sealing the grout with good quality sealer every few years helps the grout stay clean and keeps water from seeping in. And if you have old style tile, it's frequently matte or unglazed, it will collect dirt too. Sealer is really important.

There are so many beautiful tiles from that period, sticking with white allows you so many options. Then the walls can be painted deep jewel tones or bead board can be painted, etc. The antique stuff looks modern when done a certain way.

I think glass tile and vessel sinks are going the way of the dodo. Along with stainless steel everything. Things in moderation rarely look dated, it's the overly styled things (think 70's wallpaper) that look despicable a few decades later.

Old design lives on forever, just needs some touches to make it interesting again. Our kitchen and bathroom has tile from 1929, so thankful no one got rid of it!!! Even though sometimes I curse it when i'm scrubbing it with the old toothbrush, it's SO pretty and unique.

Craftsman and Victorial looks are very popular right now, so IMO, it's a great time to do your bath in a style that's consistent with your home's bones and likely to age gracefully.

Even though it's appropriate, I would avoid the 'white beadboard, Cararra marble and subways' look -- precisely because it is so popular. But there are many variations on that look that should stand the test of time. As others have said: hex tile, pennyrounds, basketweave. Beadboard is certainly not off limits, but I'd look to historical sources rather than new bathrooms to see how it was used in the past.

My 1947 bathroom has basketweave tile on the floor, which I cannot afford to replace, at least not in marble.

I think glass tile will be dated, but I like it anyway. Colors tend to be extremely trendy. For awhile everyone was painting their living room red and now people are trying to get rid of it.

I know pink and black bathrooms were once the height of style, but who wants one now?

I agree that you should get what you want. At least things like paint, light fixtures, faucets, etc can easily be replaced in the future. Tile -- not so much.

throwing in my two cents here...the photo that mongoct posted is a lovely bathroom, but IMO, is not timeless. It is very Pottery Barn/Restoration Hardware inspired. The way to date a room the quickest is to do what everyone else is doing. So, IMO, white subway tile is going to be very dated soon because so many people have used that look. Better to go with something a little more unusual like a mix of square and subway tile, or, penny rounds tile, if you want a timeless look. You can't go wrong with white or ivory cabinets, white sinks, standard looking sinks, etc. I echo what everyone else said as well, that using a style that is in accordance with the house is the best way to create a timeless look in your home.

It can be challenging to identify what is "classic" because we are so bombarded with images of what is current and trendy. One thing I like to do is watch old movies and look for visual cues as to what would still look current today. You can get some great ideas this way...

Good luck!

I will tell you how I handled a recent bathroom. The original bath was from 1965, the house is from 1840. There may have been a turn of the century full bath in the house, it is unclear...so the bath could be anything, since no such thing existed in 1840.

I used subway tile which is popular now, and probably would have been in the turn of the century bath in a slightly different form. I used octagon and dot tile which has been around for over half a century. The vanity blends with the doors in the house, which are Greek Revival. Kohler has been making the faucets I used since about 1960. The tub is basic white, the lighting is consistent with the first electric lighing the house wouldve had, and the Toto toilet is clearly modern.

So, stylistically little details are all over the place even though its a white tile bathroom. Its a little confusing as to when it was done. Its not a reproduction of the first bathroom that may have been in the house, its not a 2010 high style bath either: the subway tile and toilet are very current, but the other elements are a little less hard to pinpoint.

While I see what people are saying about people using white subway tile and it being "trendy" now. I think that's not the case, it's come back around multiple times in the last 100 years. It's classic. They've been using it since the 1800's. If you look at Architectural Graphic Standards, the Classic Edition from 1932, i believe, it has tons of subway tile variations. This is the architect's bible. Keep in mind, at that point subway tile had been around at least 50 years. i know of installations from the 1880's or even earlier. It's OLD and it's been in wide use for more than 100 years. There's a reason the original subway tile is still installed in London and New York, it lasts forever and looks great.

In that respect, it's very timeless. The colors are what come and go. White grey, and black are pretty classic, although white is more forgiving, in my opinion. More options with white.

I think the comment about looking at old movies is a good one. It's a great way to get pop culture references from the past, but keep in mind, most Production designers and Art Directors are trying to make their mark- that may mean it may be off the wall. Sometimes we adhere slavishly to detail, other times we try to make things as interesting (read: not historically accurate) as possible.

Enjoy yourself but think of 10 or 20 years down the line- you can always repaint your walls, changing tile is far more expensive. I personally think colored grout really dates things- that green grout everyone wanted in the 90's looks HORRIBLE.

andreadeg,

I didn't think either of katie's photos that I linked to were truly "timeless". I was simply trying to point out that as they are, when comparing one to the other, in my opinion one had more staying power than the other.

"One thing I like to do is watch old movies and look for visual cues as to what would still look current today. You can get some great ideas this way... "

Great idea. I use old magazines or decorating books from the library. Anything 20-30 years old and up will work.

Welll....glass mosaic has been around much longer than subway tiles, if you want to get historical about it :) BUT low-quality chinese glass mosaic bought on a net and just installed like field tile will be over for a while. I would submit that TRUE mosaic, mosaic created by hand, is timeless--just the subject matter or kind of decorative line is what indicates a time reference.

Andreadeg, you've given me the perfect excuse to lay around and have an Audrey Hepburn movie marathon. I'd like my bathroom to be as timeless as her style. :-P

Here's another flooring question: is there anyway to used reclaimed hardwood and treat it so that it is suitable for a bathroom?

Alright, so the vessel sink, the green glass mosaic tiles, and the pump faucet are off my list.

Still in the running: bronze fixtures, a furniture-style vanity, and the leafy green and cocoa brown color scheme

Still need to research: flooring options that won't feed my cleaning addiction, the chandelier, and MY TUB! You've all been so helpful here, so would you care to give your opinion on my bathtub? (link below)

Also, I'd appreciate if anyone could post some photos of bathrooms you think are timeless. Show me the equivalent of the little black dress. :)

Thanks for educating me!

Here is a link that might be useful: Should I keep my bathtub?

One of the things that you have to analyze in determining what has longevity and what becomes --the d word--is how many times that particular thing has been through the cycle.

The "modern" bathroom is a relatively new thing, so some fixtures, finishes and colors have only been through the cycle once--and some things have been perennial, but rare in every era.

White tubs and tile have never been out of the picture fully, although they were not popular from the 40s-70s., but many pastel colors have been through the cycle only once. Yellow has actually been through the cycle several times (once as harvest gold). I have been in houses of several vintages that have black toilets and sinks--never popular, but probably never out of production either.

The clawfoot or freestanding tub has probably been through the cycle three times now--the original time, when people started keeping them or reinstalling them, and now with the newer pedestal forms.

Marble and ceramic tile have been perennial, but small format glass tile and more rustic tiles such as travertine are really in their first cycle, at least in terms of common usage.

I think the items that will be wildly unpopular with the next generation will be various forms of vessel sinks, glass mosaic tiles, and rustic stone, bronze finishes---Not because there is anything the matter with them, but simply as a reaction to the newest (fads,trends,whatever) of this era that they want to reject in the next.

Certain materials that are trendy now will become classic or at least a reasonable choice, while some will end up in the "what were they thinking?" category...and this is not always easy to predict.

Again, I think it is the Combination of certain things that will tell age, rather than the specific item itself.

I know what you mean about Audrey Hepburn. I was watching Breakfast at Tiffany's the other day; she wears a stunning A-line black dress with a huge black hat with a white bow on the hat. It's a stunning outfit, AND, timeless. If I saw someone wearing that dress today (okay, with Audrey's figure) it would still look great today. And I think those of us that really want timeless looks in our houses strive for that kind of timelessness in design. I don't have the money or energy to reinvent the hardsurfaces in my house every 10 years. Mabye every 20 or 30:-), so I really have to shoot for timeless looks.

As for the other items you brought up: hardwood floors, bronze fixtures, a furniture-style vanity, and the leafy green and cocoa brown color scheme. I'll give you my own personal take on timelessness of these items but, there are those that will disagree with me.

hardwood floors in a bathroom- I LOVE the hardwood floors in a bathroom. We have hardwoods in our powder room and family room bathroom (red oak), and they look terrific, no damange whatsoever and the house was built in 1984. Some folks will say that hardwood doesn't belong in the bathroom due to possible water damage. My view is that unlike tile, hardwood can be refinished, and hardwood floors are timeless. It's hard to find a tile that is timeless. In our current remodel we decided to do a curbless shower, which means, we can walk in and out of the shower dripping wet, and we sometimes do. I therefore decided to not use hardwood for my latest remodel. I'll be redoing both the other bathrooms in the house, and keeping the hardwood in those rooms.

bronze fixtures...they will probably become dated, but, it depends on their context. If you do white tile and bronze fixtures, the fixtures will really pop and in context become more dated, IMO.

Furniture style vanity: I'm not sure that this will become dated. It may. For this item, if you really love look, it may be worth the gamble:-)

Green and cocoa scheme- This could become dated if you use green and cocoa color tile, grout, countertops all in this color range. IMO light neutrals will stay timeless longer than dark neutrals. That may be my own personal bias coming in though.

Best of luck, and please let us know what you decide. When I was going through the materials selection process I remember thinking "I wish the material options were black in color, or white in color". I was overwhelmed by the number of choices in material, while trying to keep in mind what was right for my house, for the neighboring bedroom, etc. it's a challenge for sure!

I'll post pictures of our bathroom remodel soon. Our bathroom is not quite done, but getting there! I really strived for something timeless and there are a few things in the bathroom that I think are not timeless. Sigh. I did my best:-)

and who can forget Holly Golightly's little black alligator shoes?

I'm hoping andreadeg will get this because I want to see the pic of her bathroom. I'm planning a curbless shower and have some questions: door or no door? wall material? is it chilly in there? I really, REALLY want a curbless shower but contractors give me issues.

I'm doing curbless showers in my downstairs because of handicap issues; then my grandpa with his wheelchair can roll right in and get his shower. :-) I would fight for it, if I were you. There's a rubber (or whatever the material is) curb that can be put down with silicone. It keeps water in without impeding the entrance.

Chrome (and maybe polished nickel) faucets and white fixtures are timeless. But even with those finishes, the styles we like now will probably look dated in the future. Don't do a bathroom with all trendy stuff (which shows a lack of imagination anyway!). If you have one or two 2011-looking things it won't necessarily make the whole bathroom look hopelessly dated later.

Personally I think vessel sinks are impractical. The water splashes out of them easily. Just my opinion so don't yell at me if any of you have them but that is what I have experienced in other's homes. Also I don't like dark finishes on hardware because I'm not sure its clean. I know I must be starting to sound neurotic. Otherwise I think neutrals or nature colors will hold up well as opposed to strong primary colors. I went with white and grey in one bathroom and neutrals in the other with brushed nickel hardware but this is also what I wanted yet at the very back of my mind I had resale in mind.

Palimpsest, good to know about the rustic tile in their first cycle.
So, it sounds like that will be outdated soon?

I love the green glass subways posted above. I would think those are a easy to clean? My main concern is easy maintience, and of course would hate to get something that will be outdated overnight.

I thought I had a bathroom design picked out..
http://picasaweb.google.com/edwardrroonney/BathroomRemodel#

But now Im again second guessing myself because it has glass/emperador mosaic.. And a contemporary large field tiles.

I keep going back to subways. Maybe I should just remain there.

I totally agree with whoever posted this:

"I think the items that will be wildly unpopular with the next generation will be various forms of vessel sinks, glass mosaic tiles, and rustic stone, bronze finishes---Not because there is anything the matter with them, but simply as a reaction to the newest (fads,trends,whatever) of this era that they want to reject in the next."

And I would add subway tiles and non-neutral color schemes.

I find I keep seeing friends' recently remodeled bathrooms and kitchens full of subway tiles, the new glass tile, granite countertops, travertine, rustic tile and I am just sick of seeing the same thing all the time. I liked them at first but so many people are doing the same thing it's beginning to turn my stomach.

So I have a cottage house at the beach and I love contemporary. I am doing quartz counters (cement color) in kitchen on one side, then in a nod to cottage style, marble on the other side (and now I'm sick of marble too since everyone is doing it). I feel I have to give a nod to cottage.

I'm considering doing my 3 bathroom vanities in concrete countertops with integrated sinks. My concrete guy will put a subtle sprinkling of abalone shell into the counter since I live near the beach. But I am worried that this look too will be dated before long.

I wanted hardwood floors in my bathrooms but was worried. I found wonderful tile that looks like wood, some distressed, some not that I will be using. Really, I cannot tell it isn't wood except it's colder on the feet. It comes in planks like wood.

Hollie

I too think the bright glass tile mosaics and vessel sinks may lose their luster. And penny rounds will likely go away again... I tend to think that the really big tiles, unless they are classics will not stand the test of time. (ps I used both of the latter two in my basement recently)
I think that anything that is too modern will last only another 5 years of so and then take a while to come back around... sort of like you could barely pay people to take away danish modern furniture when I was growing up and it is every where now.

I also have been worried about the subway tile being fadish... but I can't find any other tile that seems to be neutral enough without being overwhelming.

There are certain things that I think ultimately just make for a bad investment ... anything that is too bright in color becomes too much of a personal thing and our tastes change over time, no question. But perhaps I have been too traumatized by my 1930s pink, green and yellow 4x4 tile bathrooms...

Hi Hollie,
Would love to see your "wood" tile if you have photos.