Bathroom Renovation Trends Worth Knowing, Inside Tess & Jack’s Ensuite
Curved vanities, softer metals and LED mirrors. The bathroom trends shaping 2026, and how Tess & Jack used them to create an ensuite just for two.
The all-white bathroom that could belong to any house on the street has had a long run. What’s replacing it is warmer and more personal: timber tones, softer metals, curves where there used to be hard corners, and lighting you’d actually want to get ready in.
Tess and Jack know the shift well. For years they shared the main bathroom with their kids. Anyone who has done that knows how little of the room ends up feeling like yours. So when they built their ensuite, the brief was simple: a space that was just for the two of them.
The vanity, mirror, tapware and finishing touches all came from Early Settler, and the finished room is a good snapshot of where Australian bathrooms are heading. Below are the trends worth knowing, and what each one actually means when you’re the one choosing.
The vanity is now a piece of furniture
For a long time the vanity was the box the basin sat on. Now it’s usually the first thing you notice when you walk in, and it’s being designed that way: curved fronts, fluted detail, warm finishes, and more of them lifted off the floor.
Tess and Jack chose the Kyl Single Vanity. It has a rounded silhouette with fluting across the front and a honey brown lacquered finish. The fluting catches the light in a way a flat panel can’t. Because it’s wall hung, the floor runs underneath, which makes a smaller ensuite feel more open than it is.
It also comes with its basin included, built into the porcelain top, so the vanity and basin are one decision rather than two. The real win turned out to be the storage. Beyond the soft close drawer, the curved ends open up to shelving you wouldn’t guess was there.
“We went with the Kyl Single Vanity for our ensuite. I loved the curved, fluted timber straight away, and then when we realised the curved sides actually give you extra storage, it was such an easy choice.” - Tess
What this means when you’re choosing: a wall hung vanity puts the plumbing behind the wall and needs solid mounting. Bring your licensed plumber into the decision early, ideally before tiling is locked in, not the week the trades arrive.
At 900mm the single Kyl suits most ensuites. There’s a 1500mm double for main bathrooms where two people get ready at once. Browse the full range of wall hung vanities to compare widths and styles.
Softer metals, and one tapware family
Bright chrome is giving way to brushed finishes, and the move is less about fashion than feel.
- Brushed nickel reads cool and quiet.
- Brushed brass brings more warmth.
Both are muted rather than mirror-shiny, so they sit comfortably next to timber and stone tones.
The catch is consistency. Buy a mixer from one place, a shower head from another and a towel rail from a third, and you can end up with three slightly different versions of “brushed nickel” on the same wall. Choosing from a single tapware range avoids that.
Tess and Jack used the Finlay range in Brushed Nickel throughout:
- a wall-mounted mixer and spout at the basin
- a 400mm shower arm
- a 200mm shower head
“We chose the Finlay range in Brushed Nickel. I really loved the softer metal finish, and there were so many different options in the range, so it was easy to find something that worked perfectly with our top-mounted basin.” - Tess
What this means when you’re choosing: count every metal touchpoint in the room before you buy. That includes the basin mixer, spout, shower, robe hook and towel holder. Pick the finish once, then shop within it. Finlay comes in Brushed Nickel and Brushed Brass, and the Harper accessories come in matching finishes, so the whole room can line up. See the full bathroom tapware range.
Basins with a bit more personality
Basins are where you can have some fun. Next to the vanity and tapware, they’re one of the easier places to try something a little unexpected, and they don’t lock you into a look for the next twenty years. Above-counter basins in particular have become the go-to for anyone who wants the basin to read as a feature in its own right, rather than a hole cut into the bench. Shape, material, colour and texture all change the feel, so it’s worth looking at a few before you settle. Explore the Early Settler basin range.
Tess and Jack didn’t need to choose one separately, because the Kyl comes with its basin built in. That’s a little unusual. With most vanities, the basin is a separate purchase, which is exactly where you get to play. If a simple round white bowl appeals, our Orson Round Ceramic Basin is a good place to start, with its gloss white, generous and simple styling.
Four choices shape the result:
- Shape. A round bowl softens a room full of straight lines. Rectangles and squares feel more tailored and give you more usable space for the same footprint.
- Size. Leave yourself bench space either side. A basin that fills the whole top looks impressive in photos and becomes annoying by the end of the first week.
- Material. Gloss ceramic is bright, easy to wipe and hard to beat for everyday use. Solid surface and stone basins have a softer, matte look and feel more substantial.
- Colour. White is still the safe and popular choice. A coloured basin is one of the lower-risk ways to bring colour into a bathroom, because it’s far easier to change than tiles.
What this means when you’re choosing: if your vanity doesn’t come with a basin, start by choosing one that works with the vanity and the bench space around it. An above-counter basin raises the rim height, so a standard basin mixer will usually sit too low. You’ll need either a tall basin mixer or a wall-mounted spout. Check the spout reaches past the rim into the bowl before you commit.
Lighting that works at face level
A single downlight overhead puts shadows exactly where you don’t want them when you’re doing your makeup or shaving. That’s a big part of why LED mirrors have moved from hotel-bathroom luxury to something most renovators now expect.
For Tess, it was non-negotiable.
“I really wanted an LED mirror, especially for getting ready and doing my makeup. We chose the Bowen LED Mirror because it has three different light tones, plus a touchless sensor, which is such a handy little feature.” - Tess
The Bowen Round LED Vanity Mirror is backlit, with a sensor switch you don’t have to touch with wet hands. It also has a built-in demister, so it doesn’t fog up after a shower. The three tones each have a job:
- Warm: a calm evening
- Cool white: everyday use
- Daylight: checking makeup before you head out
At 90cm, the round mirror sits neatly over a 900mm vanity, and its curve repeats the Kyl’s.
What this means when you’re choosing: an LED mirror needs power at the wall. Plan it with your electrician while the walls are still open. Size the mirror to the vanity rather than the wall, and pick the shape to suit the room. Round and oval soften, while arches and rectangles feel more structured. Compare shapes in our LED bathroom mirrors.
The finishing layer
Hooks, holders and the small things on the bench are easy to leave until last. They do more work than their size suggests, because they carry the metal finish around the room and add the texture that stops a new bathroom feeling like a display.
Tess and Jack’s finishing layer:
- Harper pieces in Brushed Nickel: robe hook, hand towel holder and toilet brush holder, matching the Finlay tapware
- Harper extendable mirror beside the vanity, for close-up work
- Teak bathmat and bath caddy, bringing warmth against the metal
- Poppi shell dish and soap dispenser in Pearl, which add a softer, organic shape to the bench
What this means when you’re choosing: unlike the vanity, mirror or tapware, most of these pieces don’t need a trade to fit. That makes them the low-risk end of a renovation. Lock in the big decisions first, then choose these to finish the room, or to refresh it a few years from now. Browse towel rails, rings and hooks and the wider bathroom accessories range.
How it all came together
Look at Tess and Jack’s ensuite as a whole and the trends stop feeling like a checklist. The curve of the vanity is picked up by the mirror. The brushed nickel runs from the shower head to the robe hook. The teak warms up everything around it. It works because the vanity, mirror, tapware and accessories were chosen together, all from one place, rather than gathered from four different suppliers and hoped for the best.
“All the pieces are such high quality and the vanity is the perfect storage.” - Tess
And the verdict on the finished room?
“We’re honestly so happy with how it’s all come together. It feels exactly how we wanted it to, and we can’t wait for everyone to see the finished space. We’ll definitely be telling people our bathroom pieces are from Early Settler.” - Tess & Jack
If you’re planning a bathroom or ensuite of your own, you’ll find vanities, basins, tapware, mirrors and accessories in our bathroom range.
Inspiration
Related Articles
-
Discover Inspiring Home Life Tips & TrendsRead articleBathroom Renovation Trends Worth Knowing, Inside Tess & Jack’s Ensuite
Curved vanities, softer metals and LED mirrors. The bathroom trends shaping 2026, and how Tess & Jack used them to create an ensuite just for two.
-
Buying GuideLampsLampshadesRead articleWhat Size Lampshade Do I Need? A Simple Guide to Building Your Own Lamp
Not sure what size shade suits your lamp base? Here's how to measure, the simple proportions that work and a pairing guide to build your own lamp.
-
Discover Inspiring Home Life Tips & TrendsRead articleHow to Style Statement Furniture So One Piece Does the Work
Not every room needs more furniture. How to choose and style a statement piece, from bone inlay to coloured marble, so one piece carries the room.
-
BedroomChristmasDiningRead articleHosting Christmas at Home: The Furniture That Makes Room for Everyone
Start with two numbers: how many are eating and how many are staying. Here's the table, extra seats and guest bed to fit everyone this Christmas.
-
Discover Inspiring Home Life Tips & TrendsRead articleHow to Decorate Your Home for Christmas
Choose a Christmas look that suits your home, then carry it from the tree to the table. Styling ideas, table tips and our Heirloom and Mistletoe ranges.
-
Discover Inspiring Home Life Tips & TrendsRead articleHow to Choose a Ceiling Fan: Size, Height and Style
Work out the right ceiling fan size for your room, check your ceiling height and choose blades and finishes that suit your space. Shop the new range online.
-
outdoor furnitureStyle CuratorRead articleWhat outdoor living ideas is our Product Designer excited about this season?
Meet Monica, Product Designer and discover the colours, shapes and ideas inspiring our new Outdoor Collection.
-
Discover Inspiring Home Life Tips & TrendsRead articleWhat master bedroom ideas actually create a retreat?
Most master bedrooms in Australia and New Zealand do one job. They hold a bed and a doona nobody folds properly. That is not a retreat. A retreat has a mood. It has layers, a colour story that holds together, and furniture that earns its...
-
Discover Inspiring Home Life Tips & TrendsRead articleHow do you care for leather furniture to keep it looking its best?
Leather furniture has a reputation for ageing beautifully, but that doesn't happen by accident. Like timber, natural fibres and other premium materials, leather benefits from regular care. A simple maintenance routine can help preserve its appearance, maintain comfort and support the longevity of your furniture...




