The bathroom. What once was a utilitarian room is now a major lifestyle space, according to a new report from the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

“Today’s architects, designers, and homeowners are rewriting the script for today’s baths – and the change has resulted in a revolution of the space,” said Pamela McNally, senior vice president, marketing and digital at the NKBA. “Baths are therapeutic sanctuaries, featuring everything from hydrotherapy and chromatherapy to heated floors and integrated audio. What’s more, beverage stations feature coffee makers and even small refrigerators for skincare products or cold drinks. Never before has the residential bath been this elevated.”

The NKBA, which represents nearly 50,000 North American kitchen and bath industry professionals, has released its 2024 Bath Trends Report. Comprised of data generated from a survey completed by industry experts including designers, manufacturers, remodelers, architects and more - the NKBA Bath Trend Report provides a comprehensive look into upcoming trends in residential primary baths.

According to the report, the Top 15 future bath trends, include:

• Showers are Home Spas: Popular shower features include built-in seating in showers (69%), hand-held showers (66%), rain showers (61%), steam showers (51%), and body sprays (39%). When asked about controls, touch pads (64%) outperformed hand-only (57%), signaling a rise in shower experiences that utilize technology.
• Baths Now Have Beverage Stations and Refrigerators: Gone are the days when the bath was only used to clean up. A trend that was virtually unheard of a few years ago, a significant number of respondents (21%) to this year’s survey say there is interest in adding refrigerators to their primary baths for beverages, medications, creams, and makeup.
• Design Driven by Wellness: Designers are creating spaces where homeowners can relax, with 78% reporting a focus on health and wellness as a driving design attitude. More than half of respondents said the bath will be popular as a place of healthy living and wellness with retreat-like showers and spa-like designs. According to 65%, evoking a sense of nature, calm, and harmony is the most important goal when specifying colors in primary baths.
• Separate Toilet Rooms Are In Demand: A significant majority of respondents (71%) advise that water closets, both with or without doors, are considered highly desirable.
• Toilets are Smart: Designers say that in 3 years, the ”top toilet trends” will be smart toilets (opens and closes the lid automatically, warms the seat, self-cleans) with 60%, followed by water-conserving toilets (52%), smart bidet toilet seat (47%), and bidets (30%).
• Green Bests White as Top Color Choice: When asked about top color trends for the bath, most of the respondents (35%) reported green as the preferred hue. This out-ranked white (31%), blue (26%), gray (25%), and several others.
• Pink is Not Preferred: Though there was a widespread buzz for pink tied to this year’s Barbiecore trend, the least selected color family for the bath was pink and peach, preferred by only 2% of respondents.
• Bathtubs Are Going Away To Make Showers Larger: The most popular bath renovation is removing bathtubs to increase the shower size (56%). This response topped other popular renovations, like taking down walls to increase the primary bathroom footprint (48%), connecting the bath to a closet or dressing area (39%), and providing a separate enclosure for the toilet (35%).
• Showers are Losing the Door: When asked about shower configurations, most respondents (70%) said the favored approach was for no door / open transition between the shower and the rest of the space. This outperformed swinging shower doors (52%) and sliding shower doors (25%).
• Sustainability Matters: When asked about trends in the next 3 years, it was noted that water and sustainability features will be popular across alternative energy-efficient water heaters (51%), EPA WaterSense / low flow toilets (45%), EPA WaterSense low flow sink faucets (31%), EPA WaterSense low flow shower heads (30%). A noteworthy response - 17% - reports that in 3 years, bathroom sink drains into toilet tanks for flushing will be popular. Only 14% of respondents indicate that “none of these” sustainability options will be popular.
• Patterns Installations are the Most Popular Shower Floor: Tiles installed in a variety of patterned designs (e.g. hex, chevron, herringbone) are cited as the most on-trend look for shower floors,  beating out large format tile (37%), pebbles and stone (36%), slabs and solid surfaces (28%), and circle or square mosaics (28%).
• Black Faucets Are Big: The leading finishes for faucets are black (51%), nickel or pewter (45%), chrome (28%), black stainless (24%), and stainless (21%). The least popular finishes for faucets are white (5%), bold colors (8%), copper (9%), and rose gold (12%).
• Wallpaper is Having a Moment: Designers are leveraging wallpaper as the top way to incorporate new statement colors into the bath, with 50% of respondents in agreement. This topped bringing in color through cabinets and vanities (49%), wall paint (36%), artwork (31%), and bathroom flooring (27%).
• Hollywood-Style Lights are Out: When asked about trends on their way out, the highest percentage (49%) of respondents advise that Hollywood-style lights are out, followed by glass blocks (46%), all-white bathrooms (43%), vessel sinks (37%), oversized tubs (28%), and chandeliers in bathrooms (24%).
• Bathrooms are Working Smarter: Among those surveyed, 32% identified integrated technology as the biggest change in bath trends over the next three years, topping the list. For example, heated flooring with mobile apps and wall controls is desired, with nearly 50% seeking electric radiant flooring, and 38% identifying a desire for connected smart mirrors.