5 Traditional Bathroom Features That Are Making a Comeback in 2026 — And How to Get Them Right for "Timelessness, Elegance, and Character"

So often, our understanding of what makes something a trend typically revolves around a central theme of 'newness'. Something that is in some way innovative, fresh, and distinctly different from what has come before it. The newest bathroom trend, however, is turning that understanding on its head.

Instead of searching for modernity, designers seem to be embracing tradition, looking towards features that are rooted in history. This bathroom trend is all about looking to the past, and adapting those designs for the modern day, a reflection of our growing desire for interiors that feel 'lived in.'

"Traditional styles offer a sense of timelessness, elegance, and character that many contemporary interiors can sometimes lack," explains Louise Ashdown, head of design at West One Bathrooms.

We want our homes to tell a story, and this isn't just limited to the living room and kitchen anymore. "In a time where homes are increasingly seen as personal sanctuaries, traditional design helps create bathrooms that feel layered, comforting, and full of character, rather than purely functional," says Louise.

So, if that sounds appealing to you, here are some of our favorite traditional features to include in your bathroom design.

1. Checkerboard Flooring

Nothing says grandeur quite like a pristine marble checkerboard-tiled floor. A trademark feature in palatial homes across Europe, this style of flooring has been in use since antiquity, with early examples found in Ancient Egyptian tombs. It rose in popularity in the Renaissance era, though, and was considered a symbol of wealth and sophistication, no doubt thanks to its ancient roots.

Nowadays, we're seeing a renewed love for this classic design, updated though, to suit our modern ideals. While our predecessors favored a stark black and white design, modern interpretations have seen a move towards softer, more subdued colorways.

"Checkerboard flooring has made a strong comeback, but with a modern twist; using softer, more muted color palettes, varied natural stones, and alternative tile sizes," comments Louise.

And it's not just the materials we're playing around with, as Louise explains, "Rather than being confined to the floor, this pattern is now appearing on walls, in shower enclosures, and even as statement vanity splashbacks."

This update on a classic maintains all of its grand, palatial appeal, while playing into our modern desire for more textured, complex materials and softer, earthy color palettes.

2. Stone Tubs

"Rather than ornate or decorative tubs, the traditional statement piece today is the classic marble bathtub, particularly sculptural designs like the Centuria freestanding marble tub by Waterworks," says interior designer Kimberly Oxford.

A step up from a regular freestanding tub, these more dramatic, sculptural designs turn your bath into the focal point of your bathroom, reminiscent of how more traditional, historic bathrooms would have been constructed.

"Referencing historic bathing traditions, these tubs feel architectural and grounding rather than ornamental," says Kimberly, and this effect is only heightened by the striking marble finish. "Carved from stone, they become the focal point of the room through material integrity and scale, not embellishment."

The benefit of using such a statement-making feature in your bathroom is that you can take a more relaxed approach with the rest of the design. As Kimberly explains, "Rich marbles feel most elevated when paired with simplified cabinetry, minimal hardware, and a restrained palette." Let the tub rise to the foreground by creating a more subdued, neutral background for it to exist within.

3. Exposed Fixtures

There are two contrasting camps when it comes to choosing your bathroom fixtures. While one side is obsessed with investing in all the newest advancements in bathroom tech, with smart toilets and AI showers becoming increasingly commonplace, the other takes the opposite approach, favoring instead more traditional, even seemingly old-fashioned fixtures.

It's a trend Louise, too, has been noticing, and is perhaps best expressed through the rising desire for exposed cisterns, "particularly in the style of classic Thomas Crapper designs," says Louise.

Keeley Sutcliffe, from BC Designs, echoes this point, saying, "One traditional bathroom feature we expect to see far more of in UK homes in 2026 is the high-level cistern with a pull-chain flush. For many years, bathrooms have prioritised concealment, with everything hidden behind panels or boxed in, but there is now a clear shift towards designs that feel more expressive and architecturally grounded."

These water tanks have, in a matter of years, transformed from an undesirable, outdated bathroom feature into something people are actively seeking to highlight in their homes.

"These are increasingly being specified in bespoke colors, allowing homeowners and interior designers to introduce personality and individuality while still referencing heritage aesthetics," says Louise.

But it's not just the toilet cisterns that are receiving this renewed attention. "Traditional taps, high-level toilets, and decorative pipework in metallic finishes such as aged brass, nickel, and unlacquered brass are also gaining popularity, adding to the sense of authenticity and craftsmanship," says Louise.

These historical features bring a sense of history to a space, looking particularly at home in period properties, where these features seamlessly blend with any existing, original architecture, too.

4. Architectural Detailing

Bringing traditional, architectural details into your bathroom is an easy way to make your space feel more considered and intentional, and it's an approach that people will be increasingly keen to adopt.

Interior designer Claire Thompson agrees, saying, "I think we are going to see more and more trim work and mouldings continue to appear in bathrooms — whether it's wood accents or tile and natural stone accents, I think we will see a big uptick in that being more of a feature."

Features like crown moulding and wall panelling bring so much depth to your space, offering a sense of history that elevates the finish of your bathroom, and keeps it from feeling like a place of pure functionality.

And this can be further emphasized through styling, Claire recommends, "artwork that is framed in vintage frames, and bringing in oushak rugs and maybe even an antique ottoman with wood accents," for an added layer of softness and warmth in your space.

5. Ornate Furniture Details

In modern bathroom design, so much of the emphasis is placed on being as sleek and minimalist as possible. This trend, however, is quite the opposite. Instead of wall-mounted vanities and built-in, slick-looking bathroom storage, we're seeing people embrace more traditional, ornate pieces of furniture within these rooms.

"We are seeing a return to furniture-style vanities, inset cabinetry, framed mirrors, unlacquered brass and polished nickel finishes, and classic architectural detailing," agrees Kimberly. These pieces bring a more homely, welcoming look to your bathrooms, moving them away from a space of pure function and into a room to be lived in.

Explaining this shift, Kimberly says, "The renewed interest in traditional design is rooted in a desire for longevity and authenticity. After years of trend-driven interiors, homeowners are craving spaces that feel grounded and enduring. Traditional bathrooms answer that desire by prioritizing craftsmanship, material honesty, and forms that have stood the test of time."

It's not just our bathrooms that are receiving the traditional treatment; these traditional kitchen features are also becoming increasingly popular, and we can see why.