Coming Clean: The 2014 Bathroom Trend Report
Author:Lindsey ShookWe shared the lowdown on the top kitchen redesigns of 2013, and we’re thrilled to provide even more home renovation insight, this time on the most popular bathroom styles of the year. Houzz surveyed 7,500 homeowners in the midst of, or planning, a bathroom renovation to upgrade fixtures and features. The votes have been tallied, and it looks like design-savvy homeowners are nixing the tub, opting for more sink space, and choosing frameless glass showers – though they are a bit wishy-washy on the subject of “throne” privacy.
CLEAR SOLUTIONS
Rub-a-dub-dub, how do you feel about nixing the tub? More than four in ten homeowners are opting for just a shower in their master and forgoing a tub altogether. What happened to that fantasy of having an entire evening to yourself and doing nothing more than lather up in bubbles and gab to a friend via a landline? (Movies fail to explain how that phone never falls in.) Perhaps it’s our busy-bee lifestyle; we want our cleaning rituals to be fast and efficient; does anyone have time for leisurely baths anymore?
Unsurprisingly, the clean lines and modern feel of glass showers are the top choice for master baths. Easier to maintain and striking to look at, these beauties are found in 54% of homes. You’ll only see shower curtains in about 10% of masters.
The bottom line: Looks like homeowners are up-ing the class with frameless glass! We’re all for this sophisticated shower look. (See opening image.)
MASTER(BATH) OF THE HOUSE
Homeowners were more apt to renovate their master bath (60%) as opposed to another full bath (30%) or smaller powder room (5%). After all, you invest so much time in the morning prepping for your day (showering, hair drying, and make-up applying take up ample time alone!), why not run through your morning routine in a gorgeous, well-constructed area that fits your hectic pre-office-arrival lifestyle?
The bottom line: Access to multiple outlets are way at the top of our priority list; make the main bathroom meet all of your getting-ready needs. Photo via A Ranch-Style Home Transformed Into a Modern Vision of Simplicity.
PRIVACY ISSUES
Homeowners are split on the issue of privacy when it comes to the toilet. Are you and your significant other cool with just waltzing in whenever you need something from the bathroom while the other is, erm, occupied? 52% of couples – mostly skewing older – won’t have an exposed toilet. The younger generation tends to be more free-wheelin’; their efficiency to get in and out of the bathroom is more important than having privacy in the loo.
The bottom line: If you’re rushing around in the morning, and just need to style your bangs before they dry all wonky (you know what I mean), but your significant other is taking their sweet time on the throne, do you want to be able to grab a blow dryer super fast, even though your hubby is indecent? That’s a talk you’ll have to have. Photo via A Lofty Design for a Bachelor Pad.
COUPLE OF SINKS
When surveyed about their remodeling plans, respondants said that, pre-reno, 35% of them had double sinks in their master bath. After their remodel, 55% of them will have installed a double sink.
The bottom line: No one likes fighting over counter space. Now you’ll never have to play the whose-toothbrush-is-whose game again. Photo via house tour Colorful, Cheerful, and Clever in San Francisco.
FRESHEN UP
While you will rarely see wallpaper in master baths nowadays, these wall wonders are very popular in powder rooms. These rooms tend to be a bit more “cutesy,” sporting charming pedestal sinks and vintage cabinets to store perfumes and other essentials.
The bottom line: Cute gets a boot from the master, but the powder room has plenty of space to play. Photo via house tour Century-Old Home Rebounds With Character.
Do homeowners splurge on silver? Is light the answer to all couple squabbles? What are the biggest bathroom woes? Uncover these questions and more over on the full 2014 Houzz Winter Bathroom Trends Report.
