Frontline Bathrooms' Hayley Bowman on wood grain's rise in popularity

Frontline Bathrooms' design manager Hayley Bowman has seen a noticeable shift towards wood grain finishes – she reveals why, and how to maximise them in a design.

Over recent years bathroom design has favoured those who love a more minimalist style – think sleek units and glossy finishes. We’re now moving into a more biophilic era, which incorporates organic shapes and earthy tones. Oak fits into this aesthetic perfectly and has become the most requested finish across our furniture ranges since January 2024.

At the same time, the advances in digital printing and embossing have come on in leaps and bounds. This has improved the quality of oak veneers hugely. It ensures that any wood grain on laminate looks increasingly realistic, to the point where you can hardly tell it’s not the real thing. This has made ‘oak-effect’ products assessible to a much wider audience as solid oak is hugely expensive. Our Senso range includes a 1 drawer wall-hung vanity and WC unit and is a great example of this.

A wood grain finish adds warmth and texture to a bathroom scheme, and our oak furniture is perfect for those wanting a more grounded look, but in a modern style. Oak is so versatile and can be incorporated into vanities, shelving, tiles and flooring.

The Eleven range is streamlined and contemporary with the oak finish available in 2 worktop sizes 600mm and 800mm with matching wall-hung vanities also in 600mm and 800mm.

If you want to take it further and add oak to your client's walls then consider our 100 waterproof slat SplashPro panels range – they’re ideal for an all-encompassing look and perfect for those yearning after a wood cabin style or cottagecore bathroom, or simply use them for the shower enclosure as they are fully waterproof. They are available in washed oak, smoked oak and natural oak. We’ve also added to our Aquawall acoustic range that now includes 4 oak finishes.

A different finish means different brassware and hardware options. Oak lends itself to a softer more muted palette so look for finishes like brushed brass or something with a matt finish instead. The former pairs beautifully with an oak finish as both have a warmth to them that creates a more sophisticated and welcoming look.

With this huge rise in oak we predict that wood grain in bathrooms has an enduring appeal and that homeowners will look towards other shades and textures to add more depth to their bathroom schemes. As such, we’ve recently added a darker walnut to our stunning Indico range as we move into dark and rich colour palettes. One thing is for sure – wood in general is here to stay in bathroom design.