Béton Brut is a French phrase that directly translates to “raw concrete”. It is an artistic architectural expression of concrete. Coined by Le Corbusier, a Swiss-French architect, this term birthed the Brutalist design aesthetic that has gained massive popularity in recent years.
Concrete is a beloved building material due to its durability, budget-friendliness, and sleek modern aesthetic. It can withstand a lot of wear and tear, making it perfect for functional spaces like bathrooms.
The bathroom is the perfect place to introduce Brutalism into your home and dip your toes into Béton Brut designing. Are you ready to fall in love with concrete? Read on for some stunning concrete bathroom design ideas you can use in your home today.
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Built-in Concrete Vanities
When working with concrete, you have a lot of design flexibility. Concrete built-in furniture is simple and eye-catching, creating a focal point for your bathroom without costing the earth.
A built-in concrete bathroom vanity is a great addition to your bathroom. Concrete bathroom countertops look chic and stylish and they are incredibly low maintenance.
You can extend your vanity across an entire wall, place it in a corner, or have it stand freely in the center of a wall. Add shelves or drawers to increase storage options and break up the large expanse of concrete.
To keep the space neat and uncluttered, install cabinet doors. Wood is a great material to add warmth to the bathroom, but you can also opt for copper cabinet doors for a unique and colourful effect.
A Sunken Bath
A sunken bath is the height of luxury. Upgrade an eye-catching concrete bathtub by sinking it into a matching concrete floor. The result is seamless, stately, and completely luxurious.
Different bathtub shapes lend themselves to different aesthetics and vibes in your space. A sharp-angled rectangular bathtub creates a modern, industrial aesthetic. A softly curved oval bathtub softens the harshness of concrete and creates an inviting, organic space.
Whatever bathtub shape you go for, sinking it into the floor is a great way to upgrade your bathroom from ‘okay’ to ‘incredible’.
Blended Bath
If a sunken bath isn’t your speed, you can still get the blended feeling by bringing the concrete up from the floor to coat the bath. The bath seamlessly blends into the floor with curves of concrete, creating a bold and eye-catching statement.
Bringing the floor up to the edges of your bathtub also gives you the opportunity to increase the surface area on one side of your bath to hold shower gels and hair products. When it’s custom-built, you get to decide the priorities!
Concrete Tiling
For superior texture and interest, use concrete look porcelain tiles instead of poured concrete. With moody tones and muted colours, concrete tiles are an easy way to transform your home into a modern minimalistic haven.
Use different coloured grout to add depth to your bathroom design and emphasize the angular concrete tiles. Make sure to correctly seal your grout to ensure the colour lasts.
Raw-Edge Wooden Shelving
To break up an all-concrete bathroom and warm up the space, add raw-edge wooden shelving to your bathroom. Raw-edge wood plays off the rough nature of concrete, creating a space that is both industrial and organic.
You can use raw-edge wooden shelving in an alcove to store towels and bathroom essentials, as regular wall shelves for decor or products, or even as the vanity countertop your bathroom sink rests upon. Your quality bathware has never looked better!
Colourful Concrete
Brutalism isn’t limited to an all-grey palette. Concrete manufacturers can add pigment to the concrete mix before it’s poured, resulting in rich, fade-resistant colours that suit your personal interior design style.
Concrete tones are always minimal and muted, allowing other aspects of your bathroom design to shine through. The following colours are popular concrete tones you could use in your Brutalist bathroom:
- White for brightness and subtlety
- Light Gray for intrigue and industrialism
- Warm Gray for a moody but inviting atmosphere
- Taupe for warmth and richness
- Deep Brown for cosy comfort
- Brick Red for a vibrant and bold bathroom
- Black to add mystery and drama
- Light Cobalt Blue for fun and freshness
- Slate Green for an earthy and organic atmosphere
- Plum Pink for femininity and playfulness
And so much more! With the technology you have available today, the sky’s the limit when designing your dream Brutalist bathroom.
Soft and Organic Edges
Concrete makes it easy for you to experiment with unique lines in your bathroom’s design. You can play around with soft corners instead of harsh right-angles to create a gentle aesthetic that contrasts the harsh, industrial appearance of raw concrete.
Organic curves at the top of your shower walls, an arched alcove for shelving, or built-in benches are all achievable with concrete.
Concrete Lighting
Some of the most important parts of any interior space are the finishing touches. Statement lighting is a great way to finish off a space and add life to an otherwise serious bathroom.
Concrete light fixtures are becoming increasingly popular for their unique shapes and organic silhouettes. You can opt for pendant lights in the center of your bathroom that have floaty, fabric-like shades, or wall sconces on either side of your mirror with solid concrete mounts attaching them to the wall.
Complete Your Dream Concrete Bathroom with Oscar & Co Tiles and Bathware
Now that you’ve seen a glimpse of the many possibilities of a concrete bathroom, are you ready to get started?
Bring the Béton Brut aesthetic to life with tiles and bathware from Oscar & Co Tiles and Bathware. With years of experience serving the homeowners of Melbourne, Balwyn, Richmond, and surrounding areas, we know exactly how to bring your vision to life.
Contact us if you have any questions about our tiles or bathware, or visit our showroom at 167-171 Whitehorse Rd Deepdene. We can’t wait to see you.
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