Words: Francesca Seden

Wellness-led, spa-style bathing continues to dominate trends in this sector, with luxurious, freestanding options most popular among consumers.

For those who don’t have the space for a large, freestanding tub, smaller footprint options are becoming increasingly prevalent, along with clever alternatives which give the illusion of a freestanding bath such as the back-to-wall or corner options offered by Duravit, “which curve away from the wall as if they were freestanding”, UK managing director, Martin Carroll says.

On a similar note, Bathroom Brands head of design, Jorge Hernandez, says “a single-ended bath positioned in the corner works well for a smaller space.”

A sumptuous aesthetic which promotes serenity is often a cornerstone of a spa bathroom, and for Bathroom Brands, organic, flowing nature-inspired forms offer the right amount of elegance and luxury.

Meanwhile, natural, sustainable and recyclable materials are also popular, both for their calming, neutral look and for their sustainable properties. 

Neolith’s sintered stone is growing in popularity, “for its elegance, durability and ease of maintenance”, according to senior sales manager, Ross Stewart, and could also form part of a wider “stone-drenched” scheme. Tactility and texture also plays a role here, as do other textured finishes such as the fluted finish by Bathrooms to Love at PJH (pictured bottom right).

Natural stone, such as the volcanic limestone used to craft the tubs offered by Victoria + Albert also has other properties, such as insultation and heat-retention. This means users can take a warm soak for longer without needing to top up, saving both water and energy.

For BC Designs, its copper boat bath, which now comes in a range of painted colours, is a strong seller. National sales manager, Adam Smith, says that this is because of its recyclability. “This makes the extra cost worth it for some homeowners,” he says. Also worth a mention is Bette’s glazed steel options, which are also fully recyclable and very hardwearing.

But while some brands are embracing nature in form and material, others are continuing to embrace technology to create their own proprietary composite materials, such as Acquabella’s Akron and Dolotek.

Hot and cold

A few of our contributors this month also mentioned cold-water bathing, which is a big wellness trend currently. BC Designs’ Smith notes how some customers are choosing to purchase tubs to live outside, while House of Rohl’s head of communications and marketing, Nigel Palmer, says the trend has “fuelled demand for deeper, soaking-style baths”.

A final outlier mentioned when it comes to the spa bathroom trend is for whirlpool, or hydrotherapy baths like those offered by Duravit and noted by Acquabella. Although Duravit’s Carroll says these spa tubs are popular, they can be a hard sell for retailers as homeowners can be put off by the maintenance involved, which is likely why they are not as popular as they once were.

Plus, these tubs are trickier to sell because they have features that need demonstration to justify a higher price tag. That said, all baths, because of the amount of valuable floorspace they occupy, can be tricky to display. So, what selling tools are manufacturers offering to help, where demonstration is impractical?

We’ll come back to these questions shortly, as to not waste that natural segue, and to move briefly onto brassware, which is obviously an essential component of bathing. Abode’s product manager, David Boddy notes a rise in demand for warm metallic finishes, with brass emerging as “the most desirable material in 2025”.

“Bridging the gap between traditional and contemporary interior styles, brass has an ability to be paired with almost any material, such as marble and porcelain, through to concrete and wood.” He adds that these finishes “evoke old school glamour in attractive contemporary forms”.

Another of our contributors to touch on brassware this month, is House of Rohl, and Nigel Palmer notes that as well as brass being popular, gold and nickel are too. “Nickel, with its warmer champagne colour is a sophisticated alternative for those preferring a silver finish,” he believes.

Cleaning up

Brands recognise that it isn’t always possible for retailers to display lots of tubs and so will offer plenty of samples and even the chance for customers to visit their own HQs or showrooms to look at a wider range of options. 

Samples which show different finishes in multiple colours can give consumers a reasonable idea about what they’re getting. Acquabella is one brand that prides itself on its “customised approach”, offering physical marketing materials, and sample folders for retailers. Plus, its design team will assist its retailers with layout, to help maximise space.

BC Designs, meanwhile, offers samples of all its materials, and will happily invite interested customers to its warehouse in Colchester if the retailer’s client really wants to see a bath before committing. 

In addition to these more tactile experiences, some manufacturers offer virtual or VR experiences to show consumers how the product might look in their space. Duravit’s 3D bathroom planner “can help work creatively within the confines of the infrastructure and room layouts to come up with a cost-effective solution,” says UK MD Martin Caroll.

Bathrooms to Love by PJH offers a similar service, and has rolled out augmented reality links across the majority of its Bathrooms to Love collection.

“The technology also enhances the customer’s buying journey and experience, potentially leading to more sales,” says product manager Tanna Molyneux.

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, BC Designs’ Adam Smith says that while there is no denying the whole of the KBB sector has had, at various stages last year, a tough time, “we are hopeful that 2025 will be better. 

“A lot has been made about getting Britain building with an aspirational target. This should translate through to the KBB sector as every home needs kitchens and bathrooms – changing planning laws will also make it easier to extend your home. 

“Sustainable bathing will become more popular as well – the buy-right-buy-once approach to renovations is key here as this reduces waste. Self-care and wellness are becoming more important to everyday life, so we expect sales of baths to be strong across 2025.”

The retailer take…

Are some baths easier to sell than others? What tubs are hot, or not? And how do retailers think manufacturers could improve their offering?

Broadly in line with trends we’ve mentioned, freestanding tubs are at the top of consumers’ wish lists, but retailers were keen to point out that although this might be the “insta-inspired” or boutique hotel-inspired dream, large freestanding tubs might not be practical for every customer.

Justine Bullock, director at The Tap End based in Pontyclun, Wales, says she will advise against a large freestanding bath if she feels it’s wrong for the customer, as they might “want a freestanding bath for the look and the opulence, rather than any other reason”.

She will recommend steel enamel tubs over acrylic, and notes the recyclability factor, explaining that some customers have reused a steel enamel tub, “as they look brand new 15 years down the line!”. Baths with painted exteriors also apparently sell well for the Tap End.

Both Bullock and Ripples Lindfield designer Carrie Berney explain how they are rarely asked about whirlpool baths or those with water jets, due to the maintenance factor. Copper baths are also a harder sell, Barney says, “as they require a different kind of maintenance”. However, she adds that copper tubs “are really worth it for the right design-minded customer”.

“It’s all about educating the client so they’re aware of any impracticalities,” she continues, “whilst feeding their imagination with beautifully rendered images showing how impactful a statement piece can be.”

Johnny Bacigalupo, founder and managing director of Edinburgh-based Napier Interiors, notes that while the selection of product will always depend on the space and environment in which the bath will go, his clients are always looking for the quality of recognised brands, and want to know what factory they’ve come from.

In terms of selling, he displays “a variety of freestanding baths” to offer inspiration and then the client can see the options within 3D design software and/or via the virtual reality design experience.

He says that manufacturers must ensure they offer good quality and well-presented samples of colours and finishes to accompany that VR experience, but The Tap End’s Bullock notes how sample sizes should be larger, whether it be composite, steel enamel, or acrylic, “so that when you’re putting together a scheme and don’t have the product in store, you have something larger than a postage stamp to show the customer!”