Beautiful bathrooms become priority

Since the start of the pandemic, homeowners have amped up their home renovation projects with the biggest focus being on remodeling kitchens and baths. An outdated bathroom with a small shower or limited counterspace are often the biggest reasons homeowners decide to update a bathroom.

From oversized tubs to lit mirrors to light and airy designs, bathroom trends encompass many different facets. If you’re looking to renovate your home bath then you’ll want to be aware of the latest design trends, not only for aesthetics but also for resale value of your home.

The interior design website, Houzz, recently conducted a study among its users who are either planning, have completed or are in the midst of a bathroom overhaul to determine the latest trends in bathroom design.

“We’re seeing that spending so much time at home is bringing a functional, beautiful bathroom to the top of the priority list for many homeowners,” said Liza Hausman, Houzz vice president of industry marketing, in a statement. “They’re enlisting home professionals to bring bathrooms up to date with more current styles, and upgraded features like storage and lighting.”

Check out the latest bathroom trends from Houzz’s study below:

Light and bright: According to Houzz’s study, white continues to be the top choice in terms of color for bathrooms, with more than half of homeowners choosing white countertops and many choosing white walls for the inside and the outside of the shower.

Surface material distinguishes accent walls: More than a third of homeowners add or decide to upgrade an accent wall during a bathroom renovation. Top colors for accent walls include white, gray and blue. Many homeowners are using surface material to distinguish accent walls, while eyecatching color, pattern and texture were also popular among Houzz’s users.

Customized, built-in and floating vanities abound :Of the three quarters of renovating homeowners who upgrade their vanity, the majority choose to go with custom or semi-custom options. Recent trends have led to vanities that are twice as likely to be built-in as opposed to freestanding, while floating vanities are growing in popularity.

Lighting features are key: Among the homeowners who chose to update light fixtures during their bathroom renovation, wall lights and recessed lights were the first to be upgraded, followed by lighted mirrors and pendant lights. A small percentage installed under-cabinet lights, likely tied to the popularity of floating vanities.

Installing many lit mirrors: For homeowners opting to install new mirrors, more than half installed two or more mirrors. The percentage of renovators installing three or more mirrors is growing, according to Houzz. One in five renovators are also installing LED lighting in their mirrors.

Touch-free features on the rise: Nearly half of all new faucets and one-third of toilets include high-tech features with water efficiency taking the lead. However, a growing number of faucets offer touch-only or touch-free activation.

TEXT BY LORI JOHNSTON/FAST COPY NEWS SERVICE. CHRISTOPHER OQUENDO/AJC FILE The master bathroom balances modernity with the past. The existing tub and the fireplace — now part of the oversized shower — join quartz countertops from Artistic Granite and Cabinet Designs and a rain showerhead by Delta. The Danielle chandelier’s blown glass bubbles float over the ottoman. The walls are painted Sherwin-Williams’ Glacial Stream.

TEXT BY SHANNON DOMINY. PHOTO BY REYNOLDS ROGERS/AJC FILE Using skills learned at Decatur Makers, homeowner Joel SIlverman welded the iron frame of his master bathroom countertop, tiled it himself with tiles from Zumpano Enterprises and added sinks from Mexican Tile Designs to achieve a look he’d previously admired in an Israeli hotel bathroom.

CHRISTOPHER OQUENDO/AJC FILE A chandelier from Ballard Designs adds an orb silhouette above the cast-iron pedestal tub from Signature Hardware in the renovated Kennesaw master bathroom. The walls are painted with SherwinWilliams’ Aloof Gray.

PHOTO BY REYNOLDS ROGERS/AJC FILE. TEXT BY SHANNON DOMINY. In 2019 Sabrina and Scott Serafin worked with interior designer Krystee Manifold Spencer of Wade Works Creative to give their master bathroom a fresh look. Using encaustic cement tiles, Spencer gave the space color and brightness that it was missing.

CHRISTOPHER OQUENDO/AJC FILE A careful renovation updated the bathroom for 21st-century guests, while preserving the room’s turn-of-the-20th-century roots. “I wanted the bathroom to maintain a vintage feel, but have some modern conveniences,” Brad Resler said, who dabbles in interior design. The clawfoot tub retains its original brass fixtures, and there’s enough room for a modern glass-enclosed shower as well as an acrylic table and chair.

OQUENDO/AJC FILE CHRISTOPHER Sleek, white Carrara marble is warmed by the exposed brick and original hardwood floors in the master bathroom. Kohler fixtures in polished nickel, vanity lighting from Progressive Lighting and mirrors from Wayfair.com round out the bathroom design.