A bathroom was once a functional place in which to wash. Now, perhaps more than any other room, it embodies modern lifestyle aspirations. The theory is that we are all so busy and stressed that home is now primarily an indulgent retreat where we recharge our batteries before heading out once more into the fray. In the sales literature of smart bathroom manufacturers, a bathroom is a “sanctuary” or a “haven”. Home makeover shows, the rise of the hotel aesthetic and the obsession with spas have remodelled the humble domestic bathroom.

Practical matching plastic suites just don't cut it any more in the bathroom world. Homebase's bestselling bathroom accessories are not shower curtains and mirrored cabinets but spa baths and wet-rooms (where the whole room is waterproofed so that there is no need for a shower screen). “Customers want to create the ambience of luxuriating in the bathroom of an expensive boutique hotel,” says John Richards, senior bathroom buyer for Homebase .

The hotel influence is felt in top-end new developments, where double “his and hers” sinks are now commonplace, so that husband and wife need not jostle for tooth-brushing space. And anyone who has been alarmed to find a freestanding bath at the end of their hotel bed will note with concern that Bathrooms International (020-7838 7788), a high-end purveyor of all things bathroom, installs baths in domestic bedrooms regularly. “Baths in the bedroom has become a key trend, with homeowners looking for showpieces that provide the wow factor,” says Cheryl Gurner, creative director at Bathrooms International.

Broadly speaking, there are two main looks for 2008. One, which has been gathering pace for a while, is a sort of minimalist eco-spa aesthetic - all wooden units, natural stone sinks, dimly lit alcoves, small geometric piles of white or black towels, orchids and pointless trays of pebbles. “The bathroom is increasingly moving from a merely functional room to a luxurious spa haven,” says Melinda Hill, of the bathroom company Ripples (0870 7501626). “Baths are taking on a much more opulent feel in a wide variety of finishes, including hand-carved natural stone and natural wood.” An extravagant example is the new Papillon Bath from Bathrooms International, which is hand-carved from Carrara marble, black granite or limestone, weighs 800kg (1,763lb) - it can be used only on the ground floor - and costs from £38,697.

If minimalism and natural materials bore you to tears, you will embrace the other new look, which has taken its lead from last year's Baroque trend in bedrooms and wallpaper and animal prints on the catwalk. “Patterned tiles and mosaics are emulating the damask and floral wallpapers that are popular at the moment,” Melinda Hill says. One example is the new range of damasked New Glory bathroom tiles and basins launched this month by Villeroy & Boch (020-8871 4028): the square Memento washbasin costs from £424.18 and the matching tiles come in black anthracite, bordeaux, cream and white and cost from £77.51 per sq m.

And for all the Dolce & Gabbana fans out there, Bisazza (bisazza.com), the flamboyant Italian mosaic specialist, has launched a new range of animal-print mosaics to brighten up the dull British bathroom. Patterns include Leopardo New, Crocodile, Rettile (snakeskin) and Zebra, and prices start at £244 per sq m.

Common to all cutting-edge bathrooms, decorative or minimalist, are floating units: lavatories and sinks that jut from the wall without a base on the ground, free-standing taps, baths and shower units unfettered by wall fittings, such as the WSF1300 freestanding power shower from Matki (01454 322888, £3,995); also, fancy shower heads, such as Bathrooms International's Sky Shower (£2,855) - a tropical rain-effect shower head built into your ceiling; and, finally, technology: underfloor heating, waterproof plasma screens and sound systems powered by infrared. The modern bathroom is a retreat indeed - throw in a takeaway menu and a bed and you need never leave.

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