Soaked in luxury: Bathrooms take centre stage in modern home design

Bathrooms are no longer just ordinary, small spaces in a home. They're taking centre stage and becoming sanctuaries of quiet luxury and comfort

In her book, The Luxury Bathroom: Extraordinary Spaces from the Simple to the Extravagant, author Samantha Nestor calls the bathroom the “new design frontier.” To her, it’s not just a functional space but a room that is “visually intense, highly inspirational and compelling in an extraordinary way.”

 

Step inside the homes of celebrities — virtually or otherwise — and you’ll quickly relate to Nestor’s perspective. Reality TV star and art patron Shalini Passi, for instance, treats her bathrooms as an extension of her art collection. Think mosaic walls, sculpture-inspired bathtubs, vintage chandeliers, rare archival prints, and even a video installation by contemporary artist Shilpa Gupta.

 

The idea of the bathroom as a luxury space is continuing to evolve, becoming more meditative, calming, and joy-inducing. The space allocated to bathrooms is growing, and so is the scale of investment. Homeowners now spend upwards of ₹2 crore on designer fittings that include jacuzzis, steam and sauna rooms, and showerheads that mimic natural rain or release soothing mist. 

 

 “For one of our projects in North Goa, the owners wanted a spacious, tropical-inspired, luxurious bathroom,” says Meetu Akali, founder of Studio Momo, an architecture and design firm based in Goa. “So I designed a master bathroom as big as the bedroom.” This indulgent space featured a generous shower area, ‘his’ and ‘her’ sinks, antique chandeliers, personalised murals, a walk-in wardrobe, reclaimed vintage floor tiles, and even bespoke scents diffused throughout. At the centre of it all? A built-in, earth-toned bathtub in rustic polished concrete — designed as a true “sanctuary of relaxation”. 

Studio Momo’s built-in earth-toned bathtub in rustic polished concrete: Price on request

 

The bathroom, say designers, is no longer a forgotten corner — it’s a showpiece. Functionality now pairs with indulgence. From smart showers that mimic weather patterns to temperature-controlled toilet seats with built-in deodorisers, heated floors, tech-integrated showers and tubs, automated aromatherapy systems and water-saving sensors, the focus is on creating spaces that are intuitive, immersive, and effortlessly luxurious. Even bathtubs are being reimagined as sculptural art pieces.

 

Luxury today is less about expensive materials and more about crafting an environment that offers peace, comfort, and quiet sophistication, says Pooja Shah, principal architect at the Company of Design, a Gujarat-based architecture firm. “The bathroom is where light, texture, and context come together to create those rare moments of solitude we all seek.” In many of Shah’s projects, the outdoors becomes part of the bathroom, with lush greenery flowing into the design narrative.

 

One such project is a sprawling farmhouse near the Kaveri river in Chikhli, Gujarat. “Set in a natural, rustic environment, the design echoes the charm of a bygone era,” Shah says. “The bathrooms were built using raw, rugged natural stones that blended seamlessly with the surroundings.”

 

These bathrooms rival, if not surpass, those in five-star — and even seven-star — hotels.

 

Luxe & lavish

 

Sicis bathtubs: Art meets opulence. The Audrey, a mosaic shoe-shaped tub, is a timeless icon. Royal, bold, and never predictable

₹20 lakh onwards 

 

Grohe Cubeo collection: Smart water-saving tech — such as faucets and sink — wrapped in sleek, sculptural design

₹18,000-41,000 

 

Kohler Numi 2.0:  Advanced smart toilet; syncs with Alexa, your phone, and mood lighting. Comes with heated seats technology, dual flush system, ambient lighting, motion sensors

₹20 lakh onwards  

 

Hansgrohe Raindance & Axor: Rain, mist, massage — your shower, your spa. The Axor handshower, made with recycled PET, is lighter, sleeker, and sustainably designed. Comes in various colours, textures, and finishes, including black, bronze and shades of gold 

Raindance: ₹2.5 lakh onwards 

Axor: ₹90,000 onwards 

 

fcml basins: Understated, but made from materials used in spacecrafts. Clean lines, smooth finishes, and built to impress

₹80,000 onwards