One thing is clear, new kitchen trends and new bathroom trends are continually evolving. Over the past century, Americans started “hanging out” in the kitchen instead of formal living rooms, and a culture of standing around the center island was born. In the past decade, the allure of a spa-like bathroom filled with comfort and style has emerged as another popular area for relaxation and enjoyment.
Busy professionals and stay-at-home parents alike have started to look forward to time spent soaking in a tub after a hard day of work at the office – or in the home. Whether you’re interested in a completely new bathroom or just a few enhancements, the new world of bathroom remodeling offers several beautiful and enjoyable trends.
Let the Light Shine In
New Bathroom Trends Create Beautiful Bathrooms
While every bathroom doesn’t lend itself to massive windows and gorgeous skylights, significant remodeling of today’s bathrooms often includes discussions of enhancing natural light. Squinting into a mirror in the morning under the bright gaze of a fluorescent light isn’t an enjoyable way to start the day. On the other hand, lights with dimmers and softly illuminated track lighting offers a much subtler way to begin the day. The tiny porthole windows of the past are also gone from many newly remodeled bathrooms. Large windows above the tub or to the side of the sink that allow the sun’s warm light to cascade into the space are much more popular than high, inaccessible windows. The National Kitchen & Bath Association recommends cross-lighting for placing lights around the bathroom mirrors. They define this concept as:“Light sources should be placed so that light emanates from above, below, and both sides of the mirror. This technique is called cross-lighting, effectively eliminates shadows. If you have light coming only from above, it hits your eyebrows, causing shadows beneath your eyes—not an encouraging sight first thing every morning.”
The Evolution of Tubs and Showers
A claustrophobic shower and a noisy Jacuzzi tub might have been all the rage in the 1980s, but savvy remodelers and homeowners today don’t have to put up with these old designs. Today’s showers often provide extra room and feature airy windows and glass walls that create an open, inviting shower, rather than a little closet space. Likewise, today’s new bathtubs aren’t always the spinning and hectic whirlpools of the past. Homeowners today often choose a subtler soaking tub that offers a relaxing evening, rather than the chaotic, swirling vortex of a Jacuzzi.Thinking About the Toilet
Bathrooms that offer a limited amount of space tend to restrict where a homeowner may place the toilet versus the bathtub and sink; however, moving major components of the bathroom has become a popular way to create a more hygienic and private space for the toilet. The design pros at “This Old House” also recommend setting aside part of the remodeling budget for a nice toilet. They recommend finding a toilet with a high Maximum Performance score to ensure the best experience in the “loo.” They suggest:“Don’t settle for a wimpy flusher. Maximum Performance testing (MaP) gauges a toilet’s ability to get the job done with just one push of the handle. Look for a loo with a MaP score of 500 or higher; this group includes many WaterSense-rated toilets, high-efficiency models that use as little as half of the 1.6-gallon-per-flush legal limit. “