This past year saw home take on a new meaning for almost everyone. Dining rooms became WFH offices, living rooms became the hip spot for Saturday night cocktails shared over Zoom, and bathrooms became a prime destination for retreat and relaxation. In order to gain some insight into what the experts see coming down the pipeline for home spaces this next year, I tapped several design pros to give me the lowdown on what will be trending in bathroom design over the next 365 days and beyond. Spoiler alert: It’s gonna be good, especially for self-care.
Modern rules the day
Out with the old—and old-fashioned—and in with the new. Among the folks who are renovating their bathrooms this year, the vast majority (88%) wanted a complete overhaul, stylewise. Rather than traditional or farmhouse looks, homeowners leaned toward modern, transitional, and contemporary decor in their new baths.
Marble and color are big
Homeowners can’t get enough chic marble for their new bathroom floors, walls, and inside the shower. (The installation of marble shower flooring is up from 13% last year to 17% in 2021.) And color in the loo is leaning oceanic, with blue vanities being chosen at double the rate in 2021 (8% now, versus just 4% in 2020).
Not to be outdone, wooden cabinetry, which offers texture and much-needed warmth in the bathroom, is also trending big-time with 14% of folks choosing vanities with medium wood tones (up from 12% in 2020) and 8% going for lighter wood shades, up from 6% in 2020.
Soaking tubs are tops
Nothing says spathroom like a gorgeous, deep soaker to sink into anytime you like. And even if bathers use more water than those running the shower, homeowners still report unwinding in a soaking tub (61%) more often than in a long, hot shower (54%).
And premium features related to tubs are definitely a must, per the report, as folks are shopping long and hard for soakers, tubs for two (romantic!), and silent whirlpool baths. On the other hand, shower upgrades are also trending—think rainfall heads, dual showers, and body sprayers.
High-tech toilets are trending
Want to be on trend in your loo? Make like the Euros do. Washing one’s nether regions with a bidet in the bathroom is a great way to curb toilet paper runs. According to the Houzz survey, homeowners are asking for all kinds of toilet technology, with more than a third (36%) renovating their loos to include a variety of automated conveniences.
Bidets are indeed the most popular tech perk (20%), followed by toilets that self-clean, heated seats for those chilly mornings, overflow protection, and built-in lights to prevent trips and falls in the dark.
Nature rocks in the loo
Incorporating plants at home was huge during the COVID-19 pandemic—and the trend continues right into the bathroom. Greenery was up 5 percentage points, and a full third, or 32%, of homeowners report adding plants to their bathrooms post-renovation.
The reason? Pretty ferns and stately bamboo are just the ticket for those seeking to achieve a calming environment and cleaner air.