Bathroom decor trends 2011

No room in the home gets as much tough love as the bathroom. Water splashes all over the tub and shower surround, sometimes all over the floor, too. Cosmetics and toothpaste sprinkle the sink. Yet we rely on this space beyond function; it can be a place to find some respite from everyday life. The bathroom is where we take a long shower before a challenging day, or soak in the tub after an exhausting one. So it's worth having a space that makes you smile. Here, Canadian designers tell us how to do just that with their top picks for bathroom trends of 2011.

Bathroom decor trends 2011
"Soothing, tranquil bathrooms continue to be on trend. To achieve this, you're looking at using a soothing colour palette and containing the clutter with streamlined vanities."
Lisa Canning, Lisa Canning Interiors, Toronto

"Warm grey neutrals with the addition of white will lend a spa-like experience."
Amy Kent and Ryan Martin, Croma Design, Toronto

Folk- and ethnic-inspired pattern will be big in the bathroom
"One trend I see being translated into bathrooms is the idea of 'folk' or using ethnic, global influences. I think we'll see this in trims on hand-sewn trim on towels, 'folkloric' accessories like birds and flowers, or using reclaimed wood furniture for vanities."
Lisa Canning

"Even though it makes me a bit nervous, because I grew up with a multicolour linen closet where not a single towel matched, we're seeing so much pattern in accessories and upholstered furniture, that it's made its way into our all-white bathrooms. So not just solid colours, but colourful pattern with embellishments like trim on towels."
Samantha Pynn, Contributing Design Editor, Style at Home; host and principal designer, Pure Design

"We'll see textural metallic floor and wall tiles that have a Russian influence."
The residential team of Sizeland Evans Interior Design, Calgary