What are the latest trends in bathroom accessories?

The “jewelry” of a bathroom, accessories like the towel bar, robe hook and paper holder, can tie a room together and make it look like new—if they’re selected with care.

Here are the latest trends:

 1. Matching metals. A bathroom room that mixes silver-tone faucets and gold-tone towel bars gives a “thrown-together” impression. Make your room look “put together” by matching all of the metal pieces in the room—from the showerhead to the shower door to the toothbrush holder to the mirror frame. Choose your faucet first, and then stick with a matching finish—color and sheen—for each accessory.

 2. Stick with silver. Shiny gold tones, called “polished brass” in bathroom-speak, are out of style. Silver tones, like chrome, nickel and even stainless steel, have enjoyed an enduring popularity for several years. Both polished and “brushed” versions are “in,” and likely will continue to be for the foreseeable future. They look clean and new, and they match any décor.

 3. Mind the minutia. Don’t stop with the most noticeable metal items in your bathroom while you’re matching and upgrading. Other items to include in your inventory: the hinges on the bathroom door; the door knob; the pulls on the cabinet doors; and even the tumbler that you drink from. These items typically don’t come in a manufacturer’s “suite” of accessories, but you can buy them a la carte in the same finishes from hardware or home stores.

 4. Beyond the basics. Manufacturers tend to stick with a “basic 8” when they make accessories: towel bars, paper holder, towel >ring, soap dish, toothbrush/tumbler holder, robe hook and shelf. But some have introduced matching toilet levers, toilet wand holders and mirror frames. You can even find coordinating tissue boxes, flower vases and candle holders from some high-end manufacturers.

 5. Over the top. If your interest in luxurious accessories goes beyond appearance, consider a few of the latest inventions for the well-appointed bathroom: an electric mat for behind the mirror that prevents it from fogging up when the room gets steamy; a refrigerated, mirrored cabinet that keeps your medicine and makeup from heating up or reacting to the humidity in the bathroom; or a warming rack or drawer that will heat up your towels in the time it takes you to shower.

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