Floating vanities, tricked-out showers, and freestanding tubs highlight the top bathroom design trends, according to a survey of kitchen and bath design professionals by the National Kitchen and Bath Association.
They say even a king looks like a jester while sitting on the porcelain throne. And while that may be true, that doesn’t mean the bathroom itself can’t be fit for a king (or a queen).
But what constitutes "fit for a king" changes throughout the years. It can be tough to stay on top of the trends on a year-to-year basis, but the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) is a good place to turn for help. In the NKBA Survey for 2016 it appears as though bathrooms are becoming less flashy and more focused on the user’s experience. It is all about “stealth wealth,” places where consumers can “indulge privately, with an emphasis on comfort, personal statements, and style,” said Kathleen Donohue, CMKBD, CAPS, a remodeler from Oregon.
The following are 10 of the top bathroom design trends for 2016 to make anyone feel like royalty while in the bathroom.
1. Aging-in-place amenities
Things like no threshold showers, grab bars, higher vanity heights, and chair-height toilets. Comfort height toilets represent the largest expected increase for 2016.
2. Transitional Style
The transitional style bathroom is widening the gap between the next most popular style of contemporary. Mass retailers and male designers seem more enamored with transitional style bathrooms than any other groups. Meanwhile, contemporary bathrooms are more common in the U.S. than in Canada.
3. Remaining Neutral: Whites and grays rule the day
Want an idea of how dogs see the world? All you have to do is step inside a typical 2016 bathroom. Whites, off-whites, grays, and beiges are far and away the most popular colors and tones for bathrooms. Stepping away from the more anodyne color schemes you will find greens, blues, browns, and blacks, although these colors are not used nearly as often as the neutral tones.
4. Open Shelving and Floating Vanities
While floating vanities and open shelving were not specified as much for storage options such as wood vanities, linen storage, and medicine cabinets, more is expected of them in 2016. Toilet topper cabinets seem to be on their way out.
5. Built-In Storage
The biggest selling point of built-in storage is the fact that, since it is built right into the design of the bathroom, consumers don’t have to worry about a cluttered mess of hair and face products or shower caddies, blow dryers, and razors ruining the all-important clean lines of the transitional style they desire. Much of the built-in storage is hidden and works to keep the bathroom looking as clean as possible. Additionally, hidden and built in electrical outlets are increasing in popularity as well.
6. Sinks: Undermount are the most popular, trough sinks are emerging
The undermount sink continues to be the most popular style by a wide margin. But the trough sink is coming in as a dark house (no pun intended) in the race. Trough sinks fit in nicely in contemporary bathrooms as well as matching the clean lines of transitional bathrooms.
7. Freestanding Tubs
If it is a master bathroom that is being worked on, a freestanding tub seems to be the most popular option. In addition, soaking tubs are expected to be a popular choice in 2016.
8. Tricked-out showers: Lights, seats, and hand showers
Showers are a great place to get some thinking done, but that is not to say they can’t be improved upon. Showers are incorporating amenities such as built-in seats and benches to go along with lights and a hand shower that works in tandem with the mounted showerhead.
9. Polished chrome finishes
Expect more polish chrome finishes for faucets in 2016. The next most popular finishes were satin nickel, brushed nickel, and bronze/oil-rubbed bronze.
10. Personal luxuries
Now, these are the real bits and bobs that turn a bathroom into a room fit for a king. Amenities such as electric radiant floor heating, a TV in the mirror, steam showers, smart toilet seats, humidity sensing fans, coffee bars and wet bars, and towel warmers.
Source: https://www.bdcnetwork.com/10-top-bathroom-design-trends-2016
