Get the latest bathroom remodeling trends for 2015.

The key to current bathroom remodeling trends is complete functionality, but let’s get creative and have some fun while we’re at it. Keeping an eye on key trends, and incorporating them into bathroom remodeling projects, could result in an increase in your home’s value. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), bathrooms are the most popular remodeling project, at approximately 78% of all home remodels. And bathroom remodels typically have one of the highest returns on investments. Increased functionality makes the remodel more appealing.  

For years, homeowners have invested in their kitchens and baths to enhance their home’s resale value. However, today, when most homeowners are choosing to stay put longer — rather than sell — the trend is toward creating ‘live-in value’ and customizing kitchens and baths for a homeowner’s personal preferences. 

In addition, the national trend for many homeowners — especially Baby Boomers — is “rightsizing” their homes to a smaller footprint to meet their needs. But while the bathroom spaces may be getting a little smaller, consumers are still looking for a spa-like experience — and “upsizing” their amenities.

Let’s look at five key trends to consider in the bathroom remodel:

• Style: For the most part, the master bath specifically should be an extension of the master suite. The master bath serves as a sanctuary away from the travails of the day and everything else in the house.  Having said that, you owe it to the design to pamper yourself and splurge a little bit. Since bathrooms — especially master baths — are considered your getaway oasis, decking the bathroom out with more luxury items is ideal, within reason. For example more remodels are seeing furniture pieces for cabinets with open shelving rather than doors, and drawers and double sink vanities — six feet or more in length.
• Gadgets: Most adults are young at heart and love their bathroom gadgets. When I say gadgets, what I really mean is added luxury. Moen’s ioDIGITAL® system, for example, gives consumers the ability to set and maintain water temperature and flow with electronic precision.  It’s available for three applications:  vertical spa, shower and Roman tub.

Kohler offers its VibrAcoustic technology, which brings the transformative power of music into the bathroom, combining music with water for a bathing experience like no other. With VibrAcoustic technology, you can play your favorite music, news, podcasts and more through your bath. Just plug in your smartphone, tablet or MP3 player. Add your own receiver to stream using Bluetooth® wireless technology.

• Fixtures: Like a kid in a candy store, this is where the real fun starts. Finding the right fixtures for your bathroom can make the remodel. Research suggests that most consumers purchase two-handled faucets (84%) with lever-shaped handles (64%) for their bathroom sinks. (There are some great choices in fixtures from leading manufacturers such as Moen, Kohler, Delta Faucets, Hansgrohe, American Standard, to name a few.)

Consumers are using their space more efficiently, creating custom showers, like vertical spas, which include multiple showerheads, in a smaller footprint. For those looking for full-body coverage in the shower, vertical spas are a great option. Clean, flat body spray styles that blend seamlessly with your shower surround are gaining popularity. Moen’s Flushmount body sprays, for example, offer an adjustable spray face, so you can pivot the water up to 20 degrees in any direction, for more generous water coverage. There are rainshowers, handshowers, rotating sprayheads….you have so many choices your head will spin.

• Universal Design: Boomers represent 44% of the U.S. population — or 76 million people — and they’ve made a splash at every age milestone. “They like to be heard, and they’re redefining society’s opinion of aging in America. They will defy traditional beliefs that life beyond 65 years old is boring, predictable and over-the-hill. And while the remodeling industry often talks about ‘aging’ in place, Boomers will view it as ‘living’ in place.
• Finishes: According to Moen research, the most popular choice for bathroom faucet finishes from a national perspective include Brushed Nickel (42%), followed by Chrome (41%). Other popular choices include oil-rubbed bronze, matte or shiny, copper and even gold-plated finishes help customize your design and complement the overall look of your renovated bathroom. Brushed Nickel has a warmth to it. It crosses the lines in that it can be used on modern, transitional and traditional faucets. You will also find a lot of other hardware and light fixtures to match it.