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Get the Best Return on Investment in your Bathroom in 2023
An updated bathroom is on every homeowner’s wish list, whether you’re thinking about selling your home in the near future or not. A contemporary bathroom is also high on a homebuyers wish list today. Next to kitchens, bathrooms can be expensive rooms to update.
Even if you just bought a home or have no plans to move, you may want to invest in the bathrooms for your own enjoyment. You’ll want to make wise choices to ensure a good return on your investment.
It’s always a good idea to check out the latest bathroom design and décor trends. Even if you have no plans for a renovation, there are lots of things you can make to update your bathroom on a budget.
We are demanding much more of our bathroom than we ever have in 2023. The need to get more out of every room in our home has been driven by the recent effects of the global pandemic. We are all at home much more than we’ve ever been. We are seeking all the creature comforts that we used to find at the spa, the gym or the salon. Bathrooms are becoming our private sanctuaries.
My search around local model homes, as well as my favorite websites, has brought me several sources of reliable information on bathroom trends. Elle Décor, HGTV, National Association of Home Builders, and Houzz, and, of course, Pinterest, are among my favorite resources. Angie’s List has some great information about bathroom design trends for the coming year, and it’s a useful resource to find local contractors.
Please note that this article contains affiliate links, read my full disclosure at the bottom of the page.
Six Bathroom Design Trends in 2023
You may have noticed over the last few years that minimalism is a consistent trend in design. As our lives have become more complicated, we look to our home spaces to be more relaxing and simplistic, less cluttered and fussy.
Home design and décor trends seem to follow certain “macro-trends” that stem from the way we live and work. As we have spent more time at home, we are demanding more from our bathrooms.
Take a look at five major lifestyle trends that drive today’s bathroom design.
A. Wellness is on our Minds
As our lives have become more stress-filled, people in our society seem to have focused more on the important things in life. The enjoyment of family and friends is important, and having meaningful experiences, as opposed to collecting a lot of stuff. We all long for our homes to reflect those values and become a place to recharge. A well-designed bathroom is certainly a great place to recharge from and prepare for a hectic day.
Wellness has been a significant trend for the kitchen and bath industry, as well as for real estate and new construction. Neighborhoods with wellness features are in demand by fitness-minded Millennials, health-conscious Boomers and the emerging, sustainability-oriented Generation Z.
The latest combination of tech and wellness is bursting on the scene in showrooms.
Bathroom Design Trend: Give Me the Spa Treatment at Home!
Homeowners value spa-inspired bathrooms today, even if they are small spa-like features or touches. You may have heard the term “self-care” expressed more often these days. A day at the spa is now something we would all like at home. Visit any model home and you’ll see features like rainfall showerheads, freestanding soaking tubs and custom body sprayers in the shower.
With the huge changes in our lives this year due to the Covid-19 virus and it’s effects, many are seeking the same comforts at home that we used to get at the local spa, gym or beauty salon.
Along with the need for Zen in a complicated world, bathrooms are becoming more streamlined, hiding hardware and pipes, for a cleaner look. Lines are simple, fixtures are less fussy.
In case you haven’t had a chance to get one of those trendy bowl-shaped sinks, many designers feel they are going out of style. People are opting for under-mounted sinks. Pedestal sinks and sinks with legs are becoming popular.
It looks like the whirlpool, jetted tubs are much less popular than they have been for the last two decades. A recent study by Remodeling Magazine showed that 69% of bathtubs purchased for renovations have been soaking tubs.
Design Trend: Natural Elements
Natural and organic materials like natural stone, concrete, timber, and timber veneers are increasing in popularity. Timber paneling reminiscent of the 70s sauna, but in an updated version, is making a quiet comeback. On-trend with the rest of the home, designers are bringing wicker, baskets, and natural materials into the bathroom to enhance the spa-like feel.
Nature-oriented bathrooms are becoming very popular and the look is relatively easy to achieve. To create a biophilic environment in the bathroom, you don’t have to add a vertical plant wall to your bathroom (although it would be awesome!). Most of us don’t have the room or light in our bathrooms to pull it off successfully. There are several easy additions you can make to bring nature in:
Add some potted plants to your bathroom, even if it’s one plant in a window. Plants will not only add visual beauty, but they also clean the air. According to the Spruce, 19 Best houseplants for your bathroom, these Eight plants are best:
- Aloe Vera – bonus: it’s good for sunburns and boo-boo’s.
- Bromeliads
- Cyclamen
- Bamboo – so easy!
- Dumb Cane
- Snake Plant – can fill a large space
- Spider Plants – easy to hang if you have no window sill
- Orchid – adds that exotic touch!
I have ordered live plants from Costa Farms on Amazon and have been pleased with the quality and with the price. Here is a great trio of air-cleaning plants, Peace Lily, Snake Plant and Pothos.
If your bathroom doesn’t have natural light, you might do well with plant varieties that don’t need much light, and just take them out to sunbathe once a week. The choices in fake plants are amazing with today’s designs…you can find a lot of faux plants on Amazon. I would certainly read the reviews, though.
Mixing faux plants with live plants can work really well and give you many options.
If your bathroom doesn’t have the space or light for live plants, you can add artwork or wallpaper to bring in a touch of plant life. As in many rooms in the house, statement walls are becoming popular in the bathroom. If you have such a wall, a plant-inspired wallpaper or some artwork would be dramatic and beautiful.
Add wood items to the bathroom. There are many choices of wood-grain accessories, including bamboo. The concrete/wood combination is very trendy now.
Natural stone looks fabulous in the bathroom. Even a pebble floor in the shower is a great touch. If you’re doing a bathroom remodel, consider stone countertops. Marble, though expensive is a classic that is always in style and looks fabulous in the right bathroom.
Design Trend: Integrated Design Includes Bathrooms
Modern bathroom design trends have been moving towards a bathroom that fits in with the décor in the rest of the home. The color combinations, architectural designs, and a blend of luxury and comfort are more personal and individual.
The good news is, you can create a spa-like relaxing bathroom in keeping with your own decorating tastes. Today’s homeowners are demanding more style choices, more elegance, and more choices in lighting and fixtures.
Personal style reigns in the bathroom. A lot of the old rules are out, so go ahead and hang a chandelier over the tub. A touch of elegance adds to the luxury feel. We’re also seeing artwork in the bathroom…you might as well have something to gaze upon as you luxuriate in your own home spa!
We’re seeing floating bathroom vanities in model homes and online. Visually they add space to the bathroom. They may seem to take away some storage space compared to the traditional vanity that reaches the floor. A smart storage system will solve that problem.
As open concept design has been popular for quite a while, it has spread to the bathroom. We’re seeing more open concept showers. The tub and shower combo is an upgrade in many model homes today. Look for that feature to become common in the next few years.
En Suite Bathrooms are the Norm
The en suite bathroom used to be relegated to the main bedroom, but now we’re often seeing secondary bedrooms with their own bathroom. An en suite bathroom is not only convenient, but it adds value to a home. If the terms aren’t familiar to you, here is an informative post with a thorough explanation of what an en suite bathroom entails.
With an en suite bathroom, you will enjoy the privilege of having your own shower and toilet accessible from within your own private room. Whereas, a private bath is having your own shower and toilet, but they are outside your room.
As it becomes more common to see multiple en suite bathrooms in today’s homes, they offer the opportunity to continue the decorating elements of the bedroom into the bathroom, making a more cohesive look throughout the home.
B. Form and Function Meet
Industrial Décor
As the design trends in the main living spaces of the home, the bathroom can easily be treated to industrial décor. Light fixtures, shower rods, exposed pipes, and re-purposed industrial pieces are at home in the bathroom. A variety of metals can mix comfortably with industrial design.
Bring on the Luxury
We are more in tune with the experience we have in our homes, how our rooms make us feel. More than before, people want to have a spa-like experience at home. Look for these features in the future:
- Expansive Walk-In showers, with various showerheads and spray systems.
- Multi-head showers are the epitome of luxury in a large shower.
- Door-less and curb-less showers are really hot. They are great for seniors.
- More frequently, people are opting out of a bathtub. Or, to save space, more stand-alone tubs are being purchased. In the past, free-standing tubs have been very expensive designer features, but as demand goes up, generally prices come down. Hopefully, this will be true for these gorgeous bathroom features.
- Thermostatic showers have been more popular, and steam showers have been added increasingly in bathroom renovations. For many years steam showers have been reported to have many health benefits. More people looking for a spa getaway at home are incorporating steam showers.
- For new homes, we’ll be seeing a fireplace in the bathroom for the ultimate luxury and comfort experience.
C. Technology at Work in the Bathroom
The increase in smart home products over the last few years is a well-known fact. According to the 2019 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study, demand for bathroom technologies has increased each year for several years. In 2018, one-quarter of renovations included smart assistants and almost 1 in 5 homeowners choose smart lighting options. Smart tech in the bathroom has moved from high-end to the mainstream.
Upgraded, high-tech faucets, LED lighting, and advanced electronics are in demand, but not just for the sake of the technology. Homeowners are looking for more control and convenience. You can create a custom showering experience more affordably.
Consider a Digital Showering System…with smart features like a warm-up mode, a timer, and a way to pause water flow. Showerheads with LED lighting is on the rise.
High tech toilets aren’t just luxuries anymore. Self-cleaning, self-deodorizing toilets are becoming mainstream. The smart toilet features include luxury conveniences such as hands-free flushing. Heated seats, motion-activated seats, and built-in night lights have become common. (no more middle-of-the-night surprises when someone left the lid up;)
Heated floors are common these days. It is actually more cost-effective than most methods of heating.
Dock your iPhone or MP3 player directly with your speaker-equipped, high-tech toilet so you can entertain yourself on the commode. While you’re not likely to invest $4,000 for a Kohler Numi toilet using this technology today, start looking for competitive models with lower prices as this technology becomes more available and in demand.
Catch up on news and weather while you brush your teeth. Television screens are being integrated into medicine cabinets and vanity mirrors. The cost is still at a premium: $2,200 to $2,400 price tag.
Plug your smartphone or MP3 player into your medicine cabinet so you won’t miss a call or song while getting ready for work or bed. A built-in jack keeps your unit charged (and away from wet countertops) and linked into a built-in speaker system.
D. Efficiency and Convenience
Technology crosses over to efficiency and convenience. Many of the smart home features we want in the bathroom add to an efficient and convenient experience for us as we get ready in the morning, or unwind at night. We can customize any feature today.
Remote control is becoming common in the bathroom…TV, stereo, windows, and window treatments are easily controlled. There are smartphone apps for everything.
For $300 for simple controllers to $3,500 or more for a complete luxury installation, programmable showers let you digitally set your preferred water temperature, volume, and even massage settings before you step in.
To achieve a personalized showering experience, you’ll need a 120-volt power source and a thermostatic valve and controller in addition to your standard showerhead or heads. Luxury models may include a steam system, a wi-fi source for music, multiple body spray outlets, a tankless water heater, and a secondary controller to start the system from another room.
Here are some more customization options you can drool over:
- steam options for the shower
- heated flooring and towel rods
- back-lighted mirrors with built-in tech like digital clocks and defogging
remote temperature control
It’s not just high-tech that’s bringing an “experience” to the bathroom. As the baby boomers plan to “age in place”, we’re seeing more master bath renovations to accommodate future needs.
E. Universal Design
Trends in universal design features add comfort, convenience, and safety. But that doesn’t mean your bathroom has to look institutional. Here are some universal design innovations that can fit into your bathroom remodeling plans:
Sleek, low-profile linear drains are ideal for creating safe, zero-threshold showers. Unlike standard round drain covers that are typically mounted near the front end of a shower, these long, straight drains can be installed in different locations to minimize the slope of the shower floor. One popular location is at the outside edge of the shower, creating a wheelchair-friendly curbless shower.
Many bathrooms renovators are ditching the tub for a high-end, curbless shower. More shower fixtures are offered in more finishes — including nearly invisible tile-in channel models that are largely covered by non-slip shower floor tile — are becoming the standard for upscale spaces. Accessible features such as seats and grab bars are common.
The accessible tub is no longer limited to the high-walled, narrow-door format that dominated the market in the last decade. Newer models, such as Kohler’s Elevance, employ rising panels in front that give more of a traditional tub look with easier entry and exit. Others use standard hinged, sealed doors, but are increasing door width by several inches for better accessibility and appearance.
Touch-free faucets are making now common in the bathroom. The prices have come down substantially from their first appearance, making them an affordable option for most budgets.
The rapidly-expanding selection of porcelain, glass, and ceramic tiles makes it easy to find slip-resistant, low-maintenance floors that don’t skimp on style. Expect to see faux wood, linen, and uniquely-textured looks for tiled bathroom floors and walls. The texture adds both visual impact and better traction for wet feet.
Design Trend: Conservation
In many areas around the country, water reserves are stressed. In response, regional governments are implementing conservation measures. As a result, there are likely to be new regulations that’ll affect your construction or remodeling plans. Here’s what to watch for:
Water-saving toilets are more in demand. The flush that used to be 7 gallons a decade ago is now 1.2 gallons. Consider a double-flush version, or any low-flow toilet coming on the market that meets your style preferences. You’ll find them at home improvement centers from $100 to luxury showroom models for thousands more.
The WaterSense label, launched in 2006 by the Environmental Protection Agency to promote water conservation by plumbing manufacturers and homeowners, is becoming as well-known as Energy Star.
Water-saving showerheads are the norm. Low-flow showerheads of today have beautiful designs, especially rain shower models. A typical showerhead will use anywhere between 5 to 8 gallons of water per minute, while a low-flow head lowers that to 2.5 gallons or less with the same amount of water pressure.
By adding air, not water to the mix, these shower heads put out strong water pressure. They’re available in every price range, from ultra-affordable standard heads to luxury rain showers.
Body sprayers are common in today’s fixtures. They save water and they satisfy the growing interest in a custom spa experience that is so popular.
Modern motion sensor faucets are increasingly available to homeowners. Most major bathroom fixture manufacturers have them.
Premium features are showing up commonly in toilets and showers. Among upgraded toilets, one-piece toilets are more and more common. The ease of care and cleaning have made this type of design very popular. These toilets fit in with the spa-like, zen appeal that is big.
Double-flush mechanisms are common as well. Price has come down as the demand has increased.
As the size of our showers increases, so does the demand for dual showers and specialty shower systems.
Generally, bathroom renovators are focusing on style and good lighting when they determine where their dollars go. Smart homeowners still put an emphasis on what will add to the resale value of their home.
Bathroom Colors for 2023
Colors seem to fall in and out of favor quickly these days. Every paint company comes out with the “color-of-the-year“…and every new year you’re out of style! The bathroom is a great place to try a new wall color. If you don’t like it, you can easily paint it again.
If you like to try new things, start with a powder room. You can make a dramatic statement in a small space with some flashy wallpaper and accessories.
Even though the bathroom seems like a great place to play with color, as a real estate agent, my advice is to stick to neutrals in the permanent pieces. It’s easy to change out curtains, towels, and accessories in a bathroom without committing long term to colors that might force you to update your bathroom in a couple of years.
Popular bathroom colors are trending towards the muted, neutral and warm tones, which add to the zen-like feel we’re often looking for in a spa experience. Gray is falling out of favor, being replaced with warmer earthy tones of greens and blues, as well as light to medium wood tones.
It is always wise to incorporate neutral colors in the permanent features, and decorate around them with colors that are trendy.
Bathroom Materials in 2023
While the style is becoming more minimalist and streamlined, many bathroom designers are balancing the clean lines with warmth, texture, and furniture. The bathroom is being treated as one of the “heart of the home” spaces, just like the kitchen. You’ll find wood, fabrics, art and wallpaper.
Mirrors are more than just functional, they can be of different shapes, full length, and backlighted, an addition to the overall design. Circular mirrors are popular, as well as individual vanity mirrors, rather than a single large mirror. We’re seeing more and more mirrors with built-in defoggers, for extra convenience.
While mixing metals is more popular in the kitchen, the bathroom is a smaller space, and renovators are still choosing a single metal for fixtures. Faucets, showerheads, valves, door hardware, lighting fixtures, towel rods, etc., are unified in the master bathroom. Among the matched fixtures, brushed or satin nickel is the top choice, followed by polished chrome, according to Houzz statistics. Ultra shiny finishes are vanishing these days in favor of a more subtle matte finish.
Quartz countertops are the new thing. Marble is also showing up in the newest designs. Granite is not as popular as it has been in the past. Other innovative countertop materials that have been showing up in the kitchen are now showing up in bathrooms… like manufactured products, bamboo, concrete and recycled glass.
Tile is still very popular. In the vanity backsplash, the shower and the floor. Brick patterns are most popular, followed by traditional grid patters, with herringbone being last on the list.
Herringbone patterns show up in all the design magazines, but the public is not really buying into it. Perhaps they know it will look dated in a few years? People are smart, not always following designer trends.
Tile colors are many and can fit in with any design concept. Subway tile is also very trendy and classic at the same time. (Subway tile first appeared in the New York subway in 1904!) It complements any design or color scheme.
Design Trend: Dedicated Spaces in the Bathroom
As space allows, there will be more individual spaces, zones—dedicated dressing and makeup areas. Water closets (separate toilet rooms) are very common in new homes and in renovations.
According to the Houzz study, the majority of bathroom renovations include the vanity and sink, with undermount sinks still the most popular. Most homeowners are fitting in double sinks if at all possible.
Bathrooms Matter to Home Buyers
Homeowners in the US usually spend between $2,000 and $15,000 on bathroom remodeling. The average price of a remodel is $7,000. Given all the choices we’ve listed above, it may seem daunting to know where to make changes. Few bathrooms are large enough to contain all the design ideas you like.
If you are considering a bathroom remodel, take a look at this article and you’ll get a good introduction to what there is to know about a bathroom remodel. A bathroom remodel can help improve the value of a home by adding modern touches. Homeowners can even save money over time with the water and electric bill with energy efficient fixtures, low flow faucets and toilets.
The good news is that you my not need to do a major overhaul of your bathroom. Just find a few ways to express some of the newer trends that you like the most. A few trendy touches will go a long way to make your home feel like it has been updated and cared for.
Of all the possible home renovations, a major luxury bathroom renovation very often does not give you a great return on investment. It might be better to look for ways to update a bathroom so it looks desirable and inviting, without obvious signs of deferred maintenance.
According to Remodeling Magazine, kitchens and baths sell homes. In the hottest housing markets, updating your kitchens and bathrooms is often a good idea, with a return on investment nearing 100%. Washington D.C. and the surrounding areas are one of those hot markets. Keep bathroom design trends 2020 in mind if you are thinking of selling your home in the near future.
For further reading:
Decorating and Staging Trends 2023
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Chris Highland, Associate Broker eXp Realty Maryland
Cell: 301-401-5119 Broker: 888-860-7369
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