Crossing over from the kitchen, Shaker furniture has now made an impact in the bathroom space, borrowing door frontals and finishes

Roseberry painted timber furniture, from Utopia Bathrooms, is available in a choice of eight finishes. It is shown here in Rose Quartz and London Grey.

Where once the go-to furniture choice for the bathroom was high gloss white, flat fronted units, now there has been an emergence of a more classical style.

Not the period fashions of old but a new, refined styling, creating a hybrid mix of period elements with contemporary features and a combination of modular and freestanding units.

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Head of marketing at Utopia Bathrooms Helen Clark commented: “A very strong retro trend has emerged over the last few years.

“Whether it is described as classic, vintage or heritage, our passion for reinvention or upcycling design is huge.”

Updated Shaker

It has seen the emergence of mid-Century styling and Art Deco influences, but at the very heart of this trend has been the Shaker.

Knightsbridge furniture, from Mereway Bathrooms, is a freestanding collection, available in Sky Blue Matt and Light Grey Matt.

Sales director for HiB Ash Chilver explains why: “Shaker-styled furniture offers customers a touch of classical detail but without completely detaching from modern styling choices.”

In fact, such has been the interest, furniture manufacturers are expanding their choice of Shaker ranges.

Managing director of Mereway Bathrooms Michelle Nokes says: “There has been a rise in popularity of the smooth Shaker and the slimline Shaker, which we are adding to our collection later this year.”

Contemporary bathroom furniture manufacturer Ambiance Bain has also introduced a Shaker door, as marketing manager Karen Jervis adds: “Shaker door furniture has been launched by many manufacturers including ourselves.”

She adds: “Shaker-style doors, but with a more contemporary feel, seem to be what manufacturers are aiming to produce.”

In fact, BC Designs, which has recently launched its first bathroom furniture collection, has a firm focus on Shaker styling.

Its marketing manager Sally Cutchie explains: “Our new collection of furniture is classic in its style with its Shaker doors, but it has a modern feel with the use of angled edges (not just straight) and also modern handles in a range of brushed metal finishes.”

Colour personalisation

Just like the kitchen, Shaker furniture in the bathroom has injected colour, with a choice of painted finishes, meeting the consumer trend for personalisation.

In BC Designs‘s first ever collection of bathroom furniture, is this 1000mm vanity unit with Shaker doors and angled edges.

Sally Cutchie of BC Designs continues: “Bathroom design has always followed kitchen design…just look at how popular Shaker kitchens have become in the last couple of years.

“It isn’t just the style but also colour choices as darker colours have become popular, with a focus on blues and greens.”

It also helps marry classical styles with a more contemporary aesthetic, states managing director of the IBC Group Graham Bucktrout.

He says: “Colour is helping balance opposing style trends, welcoming traditional heritage style blues and greens upon more modern furniture designs that is then matured by introducing antique finished hardware and period-style materials like marble and stone.”

In fact, Utopia Bathrooms recently expanded the colours of its Roseberry Collection with green, plus a pink finish.

Helen Clark continues: “There are eight stunning painted finishes in the Roseberry palette including new Rose Quartz and Emerald Green, on-trend colours which appeal particularly to a younger customer demographic, keen to experiment with luxury finishes and design.

Long-lasting style

But while decors and perhaps even unit styles may change, as the name suggests, classical furniture will always find favour in the British bathroom.

The Provence furniture collection, from Ambiance Bain, features a curved corner door and is shown here in a Safari finish.

Not only does it suit an array of properties but in times of uncertainty, consumers seek comfort in their environment which is reflected in the longevity of their interior design choices.

Sales and marketing director at RAK Ceramics, Ben Bryden also adds: “I think we have to factor in the move from town to country that we’ve been witnessing over the last 18 months or so.

“With take-up of country-style and period-style properties being particularly strong since the pandemic, as homeowners enjoy the freedom of being able to work from anywhere, it’s possible that this will influence sales of classical bathroom designs for a little while yet.”

And while creative director of Imperial Bathrooms James Stevenson says the light touch ‘vintage’ feel of classical bathroom furniture is on trend, he believes it’s a choice that’s here to stay.

Stevenson points out the combination of traditional and modern offers a broad appeal and is a “huge asset” for retailers.

He concludes: “Products that are universally popular and that can stand the test of time form a central and essential part of any retailer’s portfolio.

“For this reason, I predict that we will see demand for these types of designs continuing to grow for some time to come.”