What Are the Hottest 2020 Bathroom Trends?

By Caroline Broderick

Houzz’s 2020 Bathroom Trends Study found homeowners are mainly concerned about updating their primary bathroom designs to modern times but also for more space.

Houzz surveyed 1,594 U.S. homeowners to identify the needs and wants for current primary bathroom renovation projects. There was also a clear, increased importance on relaxation, smart tech, color and changing design styles.

“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,” says Liza Hausman, Houzz vice president of Industry Marketing. “They’re enlisting home professionals to bring bathrooms up to date with more current styles, and upgraded features like storage and lighting.”

[ Read More: BATHROOM DESIGN TRENDS COMING IN 2021 ]

Homeowners still look toward residential pros for primary bathroom projects most of the time. A total of 82% of respondents used professionals and 43% of homeowners opted for general contractors. Bathroom remodelers were chosen 20% of the time, and bathroom designers were utilized by 12% of homeowners.

The median national spending price on a primary bathroom is $8,000, the same number as 2019. Bathrooms larger than 100 square feet typically spent $7,000 more than smaller bathrooms.

Studio S Collection by American Standard

Reasons for Renovations/Upgrades

A grand majority of respondents, 89%, said their reason for renovating was to bring their primary baths up to date.

But homeowners also had strong grievances with all-around small spaces. Not enough storage, small showers, limited counter space, and poor lighting were the key issues homeowners faced. Because of this, 54% of homeowners decided to expand their bathroom space. Bathrooms are only getting larger and larger.

What are the Bathroom Styles of 2021?

Houzz says it’s not surprising that modern emerged as the top bathroom style for 2020 due to homeowners deciding to upgrade due to outdated design.

Modern design stole the first spot this year although its popularity remained the same. Transitional design popularity dropped though, helping to leverage modern’s popularity. In 2019, 21% of homeowners opted for transitional bathrooms. In 2020, that share dropped to 18% and modern remained at a steady 20%.

Transitional is now tied with contemporary for most popular bathroom designs, and traditional actually grew by three points to 12% this year, landing it in the third place position.

Seaside billa behr pastel

Seaside Villa paint by Behr

What is the Latest Color Trend for Bathrooms?

Although color has been on the trend radar heavily this year, white remains the most popular color for bathrooms—no matter what surface.

Countertops, vanities, shower walls, non-shower walls, and even accent walls are primarily white.

The heaviest use of white can be found on both the countertops, with 51% of homeowners using white surfaces, and shower walls, with 45% of homeowners opting for white.

Both vanities and non-shower walls have the thinnest margin between white and the second place color. For vanities, wood is used 26% of the time while white is used 34%. Non-shower walls are gray in 28% of projects, while white is used in 32%.

There remains some hope for more color though. While white remains supreme, blue accent walls were used in 19% of projects, an increase from 16% in 2019.

Oceane tub by Americh

Products: Tubs, Surfaces, Vanities, Sinks

The most commonly upgraded features in the primary bath are faucets, wall finishes, flooring, and the shower.

Resting and relaxing were the key uses of bathrooms for 41% of survey respondents. More than half of the respondents, 55%, agreed that soaking tubs help to relax, while using showers to relax came in a close second at 54%.

Bathtub popularity has begun to flatten, with nearly half of all projects not including a bathtub, whether it be removing the tub or flat out not having one to begin with. Around 45% of projects did keep bathtubs.

When it comes to tubs, freestanding and flat-bottom bathtubs have grown in popularity. The most popular tubs are made from acrylic and are freestanding.

Showers increased in size by 54% of homeowners, while 83% of homeowners upgraded their showers in general. The price point for a shower upgrade increased the most with a median spend of $14,000.

DXV faucet from the Belshire Collection

Faucets are upgraded in 87% of primary bathroom renovations while wall finish, flooring, and the shower all tie for being upgraded in 83% of projects.

Ceramic and porcelain shower flooring and walls remain extremely popular and used in the majority of renovations. Houzz says natural stone is less likely to be used in flooring in 2020 than in 2019.

Floating vanities are rising fast in popularity, up four points from 2019 to 15% in 2020. Built-in vanities are the most popular and freestanding place smack in the middle. Custom and semi custom vanities were used the most.

For the 76% of homeowners who revamped their bathroom sinks, 68% chose a double-sink setup, which remains fairly on par with the past two years.

Undermount sink popularity jumped by a subtle one percentage point to 65% in 2020, as did drop-in sinks, used in 17% of projects. Vessel sinks dropped two points to 9%.