August 31, 2022

Houzz Inc., a leading platform for home remodeling and design, including the all-in-one software solution for industry professionals, has released the 2022 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study. The survey of more than 2,500 respondents found that more than three-quarters of homeowners upgraded their vanity cabinets during primary bathroom renovations (76%). Homeowners are turning vanities into a focal point as one of the few areas of the bathroom to offer a splash of color, with 3 in 10 homeowners choosing wood, followed by gray, blue, black and green (30, 14, 7, 5 and 2%, respectively). People are investing in their vanities with 3 in 5 choosing custom or semi-custom options (61%).   

The national median spend for primary bathroom projects increased nearly 13% to $9,000, while higher budget projects (with the top 10% of project spend) saw a 17% jump to $35,000 or more among homeowners. Those doing “major” bathroom renovations, which include shower upgrades, spent three times more on their renovations than those undergoing minor renovations ($15,000 versus $5,000, respectively). Major remodels to bathrooms of 100 square feet or more cost double that of smaller bathrooms measuring less than 100 square feet ($20,000 and $10,000, respectively). More than 1 in 5 homeowners increase the size of their bathroom during renovations (21%) and 3 in 5 bathrooms are 100 square feet or more following renovations (60%).  

“Bathrooms have always been a top room to renovate, and we’re seeing that homeowners driven both by aesthetic desires and functional necessities are doubling down on their investment in these private sanctuaries,” said Marine Sargsyan, Houzz staff economist. “While the cost of products and materials has increased due to inflation and supply chain disruptions, renovation activity remains strong, propped up by high home equity and homeowners’ desire to stay put given limited housing supply.” 

Increased costs are often tied to projects with major changes such as upgrades to home systems (62%) which remain the most frequent enhancement in the bathroom, up 3 percentage points from last year. Top home system projects include ventilation upgrades (59%) and heating installations such as radiant heating and tankless water heaters (14 and 9%, respectively). More than 4 in 5 homeowners hired industry professionals for their renovations (85%), with general contractors being the most popular (48%). On the design side, 1 in 7 homeowners hired bathroom designers (13%).    

Additional trends from the study include:

Variety in Vanity Design: Among those upgrading their vanities, engineered quartz is the top choice as a countertop material (40%), followed by natural stones such as quartzite, marble and granite (19, 18 and 16%, respectively). Shaker dominates in door style (51%), up 7 percentage points from last year, followed by flat- and raised-panel doors (27 and 16%, respectively). Bar pulls are the most popular vanity door handles (61%), followed by knobs and finger pulls (32 and 9%). 

Transitional Style Takes a Leap: Considering that outdated style is the top trigger for  bathroom renovations (48%), it is not surprising that nearly 9 in 10 homeowners choose to change their bathroom’s style (87%). Transitional style has taken a more substantial lead (25%), followed by modern and contemporary (16% each). 

Solid Colors Abound: White continues its dominance in primary bathrooms across vanities, countertops and walls, though gray walls are popular among homeowners both outside and inside the shower (25 and 15%, respectively). One in 10 homeowners choose blue walls outside the shower. Upgraded bathroom elements are gravitating towards solid colors as multi-colored countertops and shower walls have decreased in popularity among homeowners, down 4 and 2 percentage points, respectively. 

Shower Updates Gain Steam: Consistently popular, shower upgrades are becoming increasingly common during bathroom renovations, up 2 percentage points over last year (84%). When removing a bathtub, nearly 4 in 5 homeowners enlarge the shower (78%), often making it at least 25% larger (40%). During the past year, more homeowners have relocated their showers following a bathtub removal (23%), an increase of 6 percentage points.

Seeing Green: Homeowners are increasingly adding greenery while renovating their bathrooms (35%), up 3 percentage points from last year. The overwhelming majority say it adds to the aesthetics of the room, while a smaller majority believe it creates a calming environment (88 and 64%, respectively). Practical benefits are also noted among renovating homeowners, including air purification, odor-fighting ability and antibacterial attributes (34, 7 and 7%, respectively). 

Flush with High-Tech Features: Nearly 2 in 5 homeowners add high-tech features to their toilets, with notable increases in bidets, self-cleaning elements, heated seats and built-in night lights (24, 17, 15 and 13%, respectively).  

You can download the full 2022 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study here.

*The “2022 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study” is a report of homeowners who are in the midst of, are planning or recently completed a bathroom renovation. The online survey was fielded to U.S. Houzz users in July 2022. n=2,570.