Today’s Bathroom Trends: Wellness, Sustainability, and Smart Features for Your Bathroom Remodel

Bathroom Remodel by Massey Remodel + Design | Luxe White, Oak & Brass

Your bathroom is more than just the place where you brush your teeth at night. It’s where you start and end each day, where you get ready for what life will hand you and unwind when the sun goes down. It should be a place of relaxation, comfort, and beauty. Today’s bathroom trends lean into the desire for a personal haven, with a focus on wellness, sustainability, and smart technology. If you’re considering a remodel of your Tacoma home bathroom, this post is for you.

Wellness

With 24/7 access to news and social media, a quiet place to unwind is more important than ever. Make your bathroom your peaceful space. Today’s bathroom remodels add spa-like features for wellness at home. 

Spa Features

In the shower, use a rainfall showerhead for the feeling of standing under a waterfall. Incorporate aromatherapy into your shower with an aromatherapy showerhead that infuses essential oils, such as lavender and eucalyptus, to soothe and rejuvenate. You can also install a steam shower–an enclosed space that fills with steam to give you a sauna experience in your own home.

Freestanding deep soaking tubs are popular right now as well–and for good reason. They’re beautiful and often become the focal point of the bathroom. And there’s nothing like a good, long soak to help you relax and unwind. And if you’re brave, add a cold-plunge tub as well. The benefits to your health are well-documented, and you may appreciate having a designated cold-plunge tub that you can use every day.

Biophilia

Biophilia (literally “love of life”) is the popular idea that we are happiest and most peaceful when we are surrounded by nature. In home design, it’s the practice of bringing as many natural elements into a space as possible.

In a bathroom remodel, this means focusing on 

• natural light like large windows, skylights, etc

• natural materials like stone and wood, wherever possible

• water features like fountains for soothing sounds

• live plants to clean the air and bring a sense of joy and well-being

Design Choices

Finally, focus on wellness in your remodeled bathroom by choosing soothing colors like soft greens and blues, warm whites, and soft grays. Choose a minimalist design to give your eyes (and mind) the ability to rest and relax in the space. And consider using chromotherapy–also known as color therapy–to change the lighting in the bathroom and shower to help you regain a sense of calm and peace.

Sustainability

Another design trend in bathroom remodels today is a clear focus on sustainability. We all want to reduce our carbon footprints and be gentle with the earth, and a bathroom remodel can give us a chance to make important changes.

Use eco-friendly materials in your bathroom like recycled glass tiles, reclaimed wood, rehomed fixtures, and natural stone. Other ethically-sourced materials like bamboo and cork, and even terrazzo (flooring made of marble, granite, stone chips, and recycled glass) can reduce your bathroom’s environmental impact.

Combat waste by installing low-flow shower heads, faucets, and toilets. Use energy-saving LED lighting. Consider using a bidet to reduce waste and increase hygiene. You can even explore graywater systems as a way to recycle water from the sink and shower and use it for subsurface irrigation (this is what Tacoma regulations allow).

Smart Features

There is a significant overlap between sustainability and smart home technology. Smart technology is defined as the use of technology to regulate, automate, or control devices within a home–often through a network connection. When used in the bathroom, smart home features not only increase your home’s sustainability, but they also offer you convenience, efficiency, and luxury.

With smart technology installed in your bathroom, you can set your lights on a timer or a sensor to turn on and off as needed. Smart water fixtures let you control water pressure and flow. And smart thermostats mean you’re only heating or cooling your house when you need it, saving on energy.

For a touch of luxury, smart showers allow you to customize water temperature and flow (and turn on at just the right time). You can also play music and enjoy lights through your smart shower–and all this is controlled through your phone, a shower controller, or even your voice. Different users can program their own settings, making everyone’s shower experience personalized and spa-like

Smart mirrors feel like something out of a futuristic novel, but they’re here to stay. Your smart bathroom mirror can give you a weather, traffic, or news report as you get ready for the day, helping you be prepared and on top of things as you head out the door.

You can install heated floors in your bathroom that are controlled by your smartphone, for a luxurious, spa-like experience every time you step into the space. Smart toilets offer heated seats, custom bidet settings, and can even be self-cleaning.

Other Trends We Love

Today’s bathrooms are all about creating a peaceful, holistic spa-like experience. With all the uncertainty in the world today, we all want a place to relax and unwind. Other trends we are seeing in bathroom remodels include:

• Floating vanities. These gorgeous pieces are classy and minimal, giving the bathroom the illusion of more floor space.

• A focus on the senses. Turning a bathroom into a retreat means bringing in soft lighting, varied textures, and calming aromas.

• Wet rooms–when your tub and shower are enclosed with glass walls or in a space where everything is designed to get wet. Wet rooms offer great accessibility, an open feel, and a chance to showcase gorgeous tile work.

• Statement wallpaper. This is not your grandma’s wallpaper–it’s bold, fun, and striking. Pair with neutral tiles and flooring so the space isn’t too overwhelming.

• Black and brass. Pairing a black accent wall or accessories with brass fixtures brings instant drama and class.

Ready for Your Own Personal Retreat?

There’s nothing like starting and ending your day in a beautiful and peaceful retreat designed especially for you. Your bathroom can be a place of calm and comfort, and we’d love to help you get it there. Check out our Bathroom Remodeling page for more information and some gorgeous photos of bathrooms we’ve remodeled. And contact Massey Design + Build today–let’s get started!