June 3, 2019

Today’s homeowners have higher expectations for their bathrooms than ever before. High-functioning and organized are givens, but the main goal for the majority of bathroom renovations is to create a relaxing and luxurious space in which the owners can find refuge.

For our recent May/June Trends piece, KBB talked with four designers about what clients are asking for, what materials are trending and how to best deliver the dream bath.

What Clients Ask For
“While every design is different, all projects have a common theme: Homeowners are asking for a beautiful, spa-like bathroom that is easy to maintain. From hidden medicine cabinets that clear clutter off the countertops to self-cleaning, no-touch flush toilets, today’s bathroom products are being designed to make our daily lives easier.”

– Michelle Fee, Change Your Bathroom, Atlanta

““Consumers are asking for a space that is calming, clean and useful, including features like in-drawer electrical outlets and ceramic liners for keeping hair tools at the ready.”

– Brittany Zwickl, Studio Life.Style, Hollywood, Calif.

“Our customers want to make the space feel as large as possible, really address storage needs and maximize function. Zero-threshold showers are also a dominant request.”

– Christopher Grubb, Arch-Interiors Design Group, Beverly Hills, Calif.

“We are seeing a trend toward steam showers and showers big enough for two but not over-sized. If we are installing a tub, they do not have jets of any type. We are designing most showers for living in place – either threshold-less or minimal thresholds.”

–     Robin Rigby Fisher, Robin Rigby Fisher Design, Portland, Ore.

“The bathroom mirror is getting a serious upgrade, and a new one I found is Strasser Woodenworks’ new Hi-tech Bluetooth Mirror. The mirrors feature Bluetooth capabilities for connecting to smartphones and tablets, along with built-in lighting and defogging capabilities.” – Christopher Grubb, Arch-Interiors Design Group

Trending Products and Materials
“Steam spa, waterproof speakers and chromatherapy – all with the touch of a button – are popular. Curbless showers with a hidden drain system are also trending; being able to make the shower an easy-to-clean space goes along with making the bathroom ergonomic.”

– Fee, Change Your Bathroom

“Dark–painted finishes, floor–to–ceiling tile, freestanding tubs and integrated stone sinks are top trends for bathroom and showers. Moroccan tiles, tadelakt plaster surfacing and marble (always!) are trending materials for bathrooms.”

– Shannon Wollack, Studio Life.Style

“Systems that lend themselves to wellness are very popular, as well as open-space showers that really inspire wellness and invite you to breathe. As for finishes, it’s all about black. It’s the tone all manufacturers say is the growth finish.”

– Grubb, Arch-Interiors Design Group

“Large-format porcelain as the main tile, with a smaller accent tile is trending. I have also seen a lot of pretty and interesting decorative lighting.”

– Fisher, Robin Rigby Fisher Design

Going Eco-Friendly
“Sustainability is of the utmost importance when it comes to building, especially in a bathroom. In all of our designs, we want to ensure that the highest-quality products are used and to verify that all the materials are not emitting harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Indoor environment quality has a significant impact on one’s overall wellbeing.”

– Fee, Change Your Bathroom

“Sustainability influences the materials used in bathrooms, so that it has an organic feel to it. This definitely applies to the products consumers decide to fill his or her bathroom with.”

– Wollack, Studio Life.Style

“We definitely share with clients the eco-friendly features in materials, but with California Green codes, meeting code automatically makes sustainability part of the design.”

– Grubb, Arch-Interiors Group

“I would like sustainability to be a larger part. However, we have not designed a room in the past three years that did not use only LED lighting. I love that toilets are now using no more than 1.25 gallons of water to flush, and steam showers use less than two gallons of water for a 20-minute shower.”

– Fisher, Robin Rigby Fisher Design 

“I love that toilets are now using no more than 1.25 gallons of water to flush – we typically use Toto’s Aquia 4 dual flush that now uses 1.0/.8 gallons of water per flush.” – Robin Rigby Fisher, Robin Rigby Fisher

Tips for Success
“Be sure to balance the room and ensure that the spacial arrangement of the bathroom allows for the client to flow through their routine without unnecessary, wasted energy. Secondly, allow as much natural light into the bathroom as possible. Lastly, when necessary, utilize in-wall cabinetry in applications where space is limited. Medicine cabinets and other in-wall cabinets are designed at about 4 inches deep and just wide enough to fit between the existing studs in the wall without infringing on the existing bathroom floor plan. Even a small bathroom can flow and feel comfortable when storage is abundant.”

– Fee, Change Your Bathroom

“Using furniture in a bathroom space always transforms the way in which you use the space. Try fabricating a custom vanity from an antique cabinet or creating a seating/lounge area with a chaise or cozy chair and lamp.”

– Wollack, Studio Life.Style

“Use natural wood – people yearn for a connection to nature whenever possible, and using a natural wood supports that effort visually. Eye-level lighting with sconces on dimmers is also important. You get the beauty of the fixture, but more importantly, light at your face for applying makeup or shaving. With the dimmer, you also control the level of lighting, which affects your mood.”

– Grubb, Arch-Interiors Design Group

“Ease of use and comfort are highly important. Integrated music and lighting scenes controlled by voice, as well as in-floor heating, can fit the bill.”

– Fisher, Robin Rigby Fisher Design

“A really neat tech-enabled product is the CleanCabinet – it’s a medicine cabinet that is built into your space (they also offer decorative ways to disguise the cabinet) that has a smart UV light that sanitizes your toothbrush and other toiletries! It’s Wi-Fi enabled and can be programmed to sanitize on a schedule.” – Michelle Fee, Change Your Bathroom

What’s Next
“Style-wise we will see exotic woods and inlayed cabinet faces along with intricate woodwork with ornate, geometrical, engraved detailing on cabinetry.”

– Fee, Change Your Bathroom

“I think we will see an increase in the bathroom/dressing room/closet combo – one big ‘getting ready’ space.”

– Zwickl, Studio Life.Style

“Color is coming. AT KBIS, one highlight was seeing a lot more color in tile, vanity cabinetry and even fixtures. Some had a very slight nod to the 80s; this lends itself to that trend but in a sophisticated way.”

– Grubb, Arch-Interiors Design Group

“More technology like mirrors with TVs is next. On my wish list are more toilets that are appropriate height – most companies only make toilets that are universal height, which is too tall for most people under 5-ft. 6-in.”

– Fisher, Robin Rigby Fisher Design