There is an enduring perception that a luxury bathroom finish has to inherently involve natural stone or full height tiling, and that panel systems are primarily a budget or second home solution. This is not true. Modern panel ranges, particularly at the premium end, can successfully form part of the design of a luxury bathroom as long as they’re chosen and fitted with the same degree of care as any other material.
This article aims to explore how panels are being used to provide a genuinely upmarket bathroom experience, and what separates a luxury panelled finish from a basic one.
What Gives a Panel Installation its Luxurious Edge
The finish of the panel is undoubtedly important, but it’s often the details around the panel that define how it contributes to the aesthetics of a luxury bathroom finish. A premium stone-effect panel fitted visibly with uneven joints and mismatched trims will never look high end, despite the quality of the surface pattern. The detailing at the edges of panels, the placement of seams, the choice of trim, and the finish at corners and edges, are all factors that define the separation between a luxury and average panel Installation.
The placement of seams is likely to be one of the most important points in defining how premium any panelled finish looks; a truly premium panelled finish will have panels arranged in such a way that seams are in the least noticeable places within the room, often tucked away in corners or behind other features rather than running straight up the middle of a feature wall. This requires a bit more consideration at the measuring stage, but it’s this careful positioning that gives a finished bathroom the look of a seamless feature wall, rather than just an obvious panelled design.
Large Format Marble and Stone Effects
At the premium end of the market, marble and stone effects have become genuinely convincing as panel finishes thanks to their realistic patterns and carefully rendered veining, which can be seen even from close quarters. Used over a whole wall, across a large format, with minimal or no visible seams this offers just the same look of a high end natural stone finish, which without the ongoing maintenance required by stone and tiling.
Grey and white veined marble effects tend to work best in larger bathrooms and en-suites with generous sources of natural light, where the pattern can be fully appreciated. Deeper, darker stone effects, near-black with subtle veining, look particularly good as a feature wall behind a freestanding bath, in tandem with fitted brass or matt black fittings.
The key to making this work in a luxury context lies in the pattern of the panel itself. Where wider than one panel needs to be used, the alignment of pattern between adjacent panels should be checked, since a misaligned panel pattern will immediately undermine the premium nature of the finish, regardless of the quality of the panel finish.
Matt Finishes as a Statement of Intent
For a long while high gloss finishes were seen as the default “premium” option; however, in the context of a genuinely upmarket bathroom, matt finishes are seeing a rise in popularity due to the considered, modern aesthetic that they bring to a bathroom fit-out. A deep matt charcoal or stone grey panel finish has a sense of considered modernity that the sheen of a high gloss option rarely achieves, and photographs well in conjunction with the right lighting without the glare that glossy finishes can present.
Matt finishes are also likely to mask up water spotting and light limescale better than a glossy alternative, which is no less of a concern for a luxury bathroom than it would be within a family bathroom; a high end finish that shows the slightest amount of water spotting will cease to appear high end with alarming speed. Combined with underfloor heating and adequate extraction, a matt panel wall can retain its appearance over a longer period of time, with little visible maintenance.
Feature Walls and Contrast Panelling
One of the ways in which a luxury bathroom can make the most of a panel finish is by using these strategically, particularly against other finishes elsewhere, to create a feature wall, rather than applying one consistent panel finish right across the bathroom. A single wall, in a bold stone effect or dark panel effect, paired with simple matt panel or even painted walling in the rest of the bathroom is still a statement piece without the cost of a premium finish across the entire space.
This kind of design works particularly well behind a freestanding bath, or within a recess in a walk-in shower, where the feature wall has a natural perimeter, an alcove or a break in the wall plane; rather than a feature wall that blends into nothing else with nothing to mark its edge. This approach is one that draws inspiration from tiling, rather than panel systems, where a luxury finish is used only where it’s truly needed. Panels are likely to offer a far more seamless finish where a stone or marble pattern is chosen, without any interruption to the pattern caused by grouting.
When looking to achieve this kind of feature wall it’s worth considering how the panel installation fits in at the planning stages, rather than after an order has already been placed; a truly seamless feature wall will require planning of the panel layout at the point of order, since the width of the panels and the positioning of seams will be vital in achieving the intended effect. An article about install Multipanel panels provides a guide to fitting, including layout planning.
Combining Panels With Other Premium Materials
A luxury bathroom finish rarely uses just one type of material, and panel systems tend to work best shower panel system in this scenario when they’re combined considerately with other finishes, rather than applied across every surface in a room. Brushed brass and matt black fittings to pale stone effect panel or warm wood-look vanity units against colder grey marble panel finishes are all examples of design that utilise the combination of different finishes.
Underfloor heating and feature fittings such as lighting around a niche or mirror also contribute far more to a luxury bathroom appearance than the wall finish on its own. Panels can form the backdrop to these other features, rather than forming the core of a larger finish.
Practically Considered Aspects That Are No Less Important for a Premium Panel System
The choice of a premium finish doesn’t negate the importance of correct wall preparation and panel fitting techniques when fitting a Multipanel system, in fact, these considerations are likely to be even more important at the higher end of the market due to the cost implications of getting things wrong. A poorly fitted premium panel is a far greater loss than a budget alternative. The overall flatness of a wall is just as important in a premium panel installation as it would be in any other type of panel fitting.
It’s worth considering the flatness of a wall when considering a large seamless panel layout before committing to it, since minor unevenness that might be forgivable on a small panel will be far more noticeable across a large, uninterrupted stone effect panel. It’s also worth having the correct Multipanel installation tools on hand, particularly a high quality panel saw for accurate cuts around fittings, which is likely to be far more important for a premium finish where any chipping or ragged edges would show far more clearly against a convincing pattern of marble.
Where considering the use of a premium panel system to replace an existing tile wall in order to avoid the expense of a full removal, it’s worth looking at guidance on Multipanel over tiles UK suitability first; a luxury finish over a poor surface will still encounter the same issues as a budget panel over an inappropriate surface, it will just entail a far greater replacement cost. General guidance on Multipanel over tiles may also be useful if considering the merits of removing the existing surface first for a premium panel system.
Choosing the Right Panel Range for a Premium Finish
While not every panel system is designed with a premium finish in mind, it’s worth exploring options to make sure that a premium finish is being used against a backdrop of appropriate panel product. A guide to choosing a shower panel system outlines the practical trade-offs between ranges, and a general comparison of the attributes of what makes up the best shower panel system is a useful guide to narrowing down which manufacturers offer genuine premium finishes rather than just a higher priced alternative to a similar product. A guide to PVC shower panel walls covers a wider comparison of panels with other luxury wall finishes, including how they stack up against natural stone and tiling in terms of design and practicality.
Conclusion
A luxury bathroom that incorporates Multipanel panels requires the same considerations that apply to any other premium panel system installation; a convincing surface pattern, careful planning of seams and overall layout, and panel fitting standards that match the intended quality of a luxury finish. Large format panel finishes, carefully selected matt finishes and feature wall installations can provide the appearance of a premium natural stone, marble or tiling design without the ongoing maintenance. The finish is only as good as the preparation and fitting behind it, and as such the wall preparation and panel fitting is just as important at this level as it would be on any other panel installation.
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