Top 5 Bathroom Trends 2020

Top 5 bathroom trends 2020. Homeowners are after high-tech features, eco-friendly flooring, spa-like styling, modern medicine cabinets and more.

Do you ever find yourself daydreaming about renovating your master bathroom into a relaxing sanctuary with a spa-like feel? Or is it just me occasionally browsing through before and after photos of bathroom remodels admiring the sleek styles and high tech features?

Spending on bathroom renovations (a median of $8,000) is second only to kitchen remodels and as such bathroom design trends are just as innovative. That’s why we spoke with Nino Sitchinava, Houzz principal economist, to go over findings in the 2019 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study and determine which were the top five most interesting bathroom design trends heading into 2020.

Here are the top five bathroom trends for 2020 and insights directly from Sitchinava:

Upgrade the Shower

Over 80 percent of homeowners upgraded the shower during a bathroom renovation and more than 50 percent increased the shower size. Nearly 25 percent of homeowners removed a bathtub during a bathroom renovation.

“There’s a general change in the layout of master bathrooms where the shower’s taking over some of the free-flowing space in the bathroom, or taking the room of the bathtub,” says Sitchinava.

Ceramic or Porcelain Is Phasing Out, Vinyl and Engineered Wood Flooring Are In

Ceramic or porcelain is still the most popular material for flooring outside of the shower, at least for now. Vinyl/resistant flooring and engineered wood are on the rise (a combined 10 percent in 2019 versus 6 percent in 2017) and there are a few good reasons why.

“Ceramic tile or natural stone tile is inherently more expensive, both the material itself and the labor, whereas vinyl or engineered wood really just snaps in place so you don’t have to bring a specialist to install it. Vinyl is growing in popularity across the board in all spaces of the home because it’s slip-resistant which is really important in wet spaces. An added benefit is that vinyl is also recyclable, unlike many other materials, which is something homeowners are gravitating towards.”

Make Way for High Tech Features

Over 30 percent of homeowners installed high-tech features, like heated seating and bidets, in toilets during their bathroom remodel. More than 10 percent installed high-tech features, like lighting and sound, in showers and bathtubs. All of these high-tech features are powered by electricity, which leads to another trend Sitchinava is seeing.

“We are increasingly hearing from contractors that extra electrical outlets in bathrooms are becoming more and more critical because for high-tech toilets or LED lighting in showerheads or faucets you need to have electrical outlets for it to work. I’m watching to see how building code will evolve to accommodate more tech in bathrooms.”

Medicine Cabinets Are Getting a Makeover

More than 30 percent of homeowners upgraded their medicine cabinet during their master bathroom renovation and 40 percent of them opted for a custom or semi-custom cabinet.

“The medicine cabinet is an evolving category that is being used for more than a storage unit. Manufacturers are integrating a lot of really interesting and helpful features like mirrors on the inside and outside, lighting, hidden plugs or anti-fog systems. To be able to hide away electrical toothbrushes in a medicine cabinet where they’re also charging, to not have clutter on the vanity and have clean surfaces is a huge advantage.”

Who Doesn’t Want a Clean, Spacious Spa-Like Feel?

Almost 70 percent of homeowners agree that cleanliness helps with relaxation, the color white has regained its popularity in bathrooms after a several-year lull and 35 percent of homeowners are adding an accent wall in or outside the shower area.

“There are lots of different ways homeowners are meeting the need for spaciousness and cleanliness. A mirror is a very easy trick to expand the feeling of space. We see at least two mirrors going into most master bathrooms today and some even opt for a third mirror.”

“Another trick we see is bathrooms getting whiter, it gives a sense of spaciousness but also a sense of cleanliness and helps with that general spa-like feel. And importantly, we’re starting to see the cracks and seams are going away, especially with flooring and grout. Alternative flooring like vinyl as a sheet can bring in very smooth material into the bathroom, same with engineered wood flooring, the seams do not require a sealant of any kind so it becomes a very smooth surface.”

To read more about renovation trends from the 2019 Houzz Bathroom Trends report, click here.