New research from Harvey Water Softeners has revealed the top bathroom interior design trends on social media. The top 50 posts from over 3.3 million images across five hashtags were analysed to see which interior design features appeared frequently in each individual post. The data also revealed how many likes each design feature could get in an average post. 

The top 20 bathroom design trends, in order of frequency in top posts, were found to be the following: 

1. Pure white tiles (2,870 likes)
2. Dual sinks/his and her sinks (3,107)
3. Devils Ivy hanging plant (2,029)
4. Freestanding oval bath (2,138)
5. Geometric tiles (4,668)
6. Circular mirrors (2,565)
7. Rainfall showers (2,547)
8. Gold taps (2,951)
9. Black taps (2,361)
10. In-shower recessed shelves (2,336)
11. Silver taps (1,548)
12. Boho rugs (3,638)
13. Marble sink basin (3,125)
14. Woven baskets (2,841)
15. Floating sinks (2,369)
16. Gold-framed mirrors (3,205)
17. Rustic pine shelves (1,838)
18. Black-framed mirrors (2,023)
19. Black shower door (3,190)
20. Black towel rail (1,244) 

Martin Hurworth, MD at Harvey Water Softeners who commissioned the research had this to say about the design trends: “Bathrooms are a huge investment and whether we want them looking perfect for visitors in real life, or those viewing our home through apps like Instagram, it’s important we keep them spotless. With the trend of black bathroom suites growing year on year, we know how irritating white limescale buildup can be for homeowners. Having a water softener removes this problem by eliminating the minerals which cause limescale, saving all of us time and money. Pipes will be free from limescale, too, meaning you don’t have to spend as much on fixing problems on top of a full refit, which could cost anywhere from £10,000 upwards! All Instagram trends from the geometric tiles, golden taps, oval baths and rainfall showers will benefit from soft water, even if it’s something as simple as keeping that deluxe black-framed shower door streak-free for longer.”

Naomi Nunn, interior designer from soak.com further discussed why homeowners are loving these Instagrammable features: “More and more people are embracing colour in the bathroom, so I’m a bit surprised that white tiles are so prominent on Instagram. It is no surprise however that Devils Ivy is so popular as people are finding various new ways to embrace nature into their daily lives. Freestanding baths are also very coveted, they are really a wishlist or luxury item and with space being at a premium, companies are introducing more compact versions allowing more people to embrace this dream at home. 

For those that aren’t set on colourful bathrooms, the black trend just won’t stop! And I’m not surprised, it’s stunning and a really simple way to refresh a bathroom. Changing the metalwork to black and keeping your white suite looks great with greys and woods and that ever-popular greenery too! With this trend, we’ve started to see more and more people say goodbye to the “norm” chrome taps and embrace black taps in the last few years, so it’s no surprise it’s continued to be popular on Instagram.”