If your bathroom is in dire need of an update, where better to look for inspiration than around the world? Bathrooms express a staggering range of cultural ideas and preferences about design philosophy, comfort, and privacy. So get your boarding passes ready and pay close attention to the ‘fasten seatbelt’ sign, we’re about to take off on a non-stop tour of some of the most fascinating, relaxing, and otherwise most intricately-designed bathrooms in the world.
Japan
The Japanese aren’t just the undisputed kings of toilet design; the pioneers of feng shui are also among the world’s best in architecture and interior design. Their bathrooms are often divided into two: one room is a designated cleaning space, designed for water and steam, while the other is just for a toilet and sink.
In Japan, locals wash and rinse while standing or sitting on a stool, before soaking in a hot bath. Meanwhile, the intuitively designed floor drain collects all water in the room, preventing puddles or leaks from spreading to other areas of the house.
The small, separate toilet room takes a more minimalist approach, consisting only of the most advanced toilet you’ve ever seen and a considerably less impressive sink. But if you want to truly embrace Japanese culture by purchasing a Japanese toilet, expect to splash out at least £500 for high-tech models with a bidet, heated seat, and built-in air freshener, with the highest range products reaching £5000, but the level of comfort is unmatched.
Balinese Indoor – Outdoor Garden Bathrooms
Depending on your location, this option could be a non-starter. Still, its inclusion is worthwhile nonetheless, as Balinese bathrooms are among the most romantic and sensory bathroom experiences in the world. They’re undoubtedly suited to warmer climates and embrace themes of nature and spirituality, incorporating open-air spaces and prominently featuring plants and stones.
The shower area is exposed to the sky or a garden, allowing users to clean in the open air, beneath the sun or in the warm rain. Balinese bathrooms make bathing a natural experience, so if you’re feeling inspired, blend air-purifying plants and other botanicals with varieties of pebbles to achieve the right ambience.
American Hotel-Style Bathroom
The Americans love a supersize. So it’s unsurprising that they maximise the space in the bathroom’s vanity area. They typically include a large mirror, acres of counter space and storage under the sink, plus a designated alcove for the bath and shower.
This layout heavily emphasises grooming as the room’s primary purpose. If applying makeup, grooming, and/or hair styling are a massive part of your daily routine, this kind of bathroom might be best for you.
To best replicate the room, focus on high-quality materials for your counter space, sink, bath, and shower, and ensure you have ample storage for all your grooming and skincare products. Furthermore, keep the colour palette neutral or monochrome to lean into a more minimalist aesthetic, which will make the space feel glamorous, yet easy to maintain.
Scandinavian Wet Room with Sauna
If you’re looking to transform your bathroom into your very own home spa, then who better to look to than the Scandinavians? Their ‘wet room’ approach follows minimalist design cues, with light wood or a matte stone finish, a simple bench, heated floors and a glass partition, separating the toilet and shower areas. On top of that, yes – some even attached a small sauna.
Scandinavians very much embrace an ‘anything can get wet’ mentality, prioritising comfort and warmth, with elements of hot-cold therapy as users move from a cold shower into the sauna, and potentially to a frosty-aired balcony after that.
Korean Ondol Bathrooms
In their ondol bathroom layouts, Koreans combine a wet room with the ondol-heated flooring system. Their homes (especially those in densely populated cities) favour efficient design, which bleeds through every aspect of their bathroom design.
Their sinks often hang from the wall, while the mirror almost always doubles as a modest medicine cabinet. The warm tiles underfoot might seem like a luxury, but they’re also designed to hasten drying and minimise the risk of mould, all while keeping cold feet warm during the winter months.
The toilet and shower are equally utilitarian, sharing the same space as the sink, often without even a glass screen separating them.
Final Thoughts
Your bathroom is one of the most essential rooms in your home: besides your everyday use, it will also be on full display to all guests who visit, so it will likely frame their impressions of your home altogether.
But because they’re so important, Bathroom renovations are much more disruptive to daily life than, say, a home office conversion, and can often prove to be more expensive and time-consuming. So don’t rush into it! Take note of how other cultures design their bathrooms and consider if any of them might be a perfect match for your own corner of the world. And you never know, maybe your home was missing that sauna all along.
Author Bio:
As a part-time carpenter and former estates specialist, Damien Woods is driven to share fresh, insightful home-improvement ideas that spark inspiration. When he’s not guiding clients through conservatory conversions across the UK, he’s writing practical, design-savvy articles to help others transform their homes with confidence.
