Everyone knows that perspective buyers place an emphasis on certain rooms within a property. The kitchen is perhaps the most important room to update when trying to sell a home. However, there is one room in particular that can’t be overlooked: the bathroom. Second only to the kitchen, bathrooms have the potential to either bring in new buyers or scare them off. With the right updates and fixtures, bathrooms cannot only drive up the value of your property, but also the interest. The trick is to make sure you are keeping up with what people want. Here are some of 2015’s hottest bathroom trends:
1. Bathroom Technology
The advent of technology has permitted some of the most progressive rehabbers to challenge the preconceived notions of traditional bathroom functionality. That said, the bathroom has embraced technology in recent years. Here’s how:
Refrigerated Cabinetry: The medicine cabinet – one of the staples of bathroom functionality – has received an overhaul. Once an innovation in and of itself, the medicine cabinet is now taking things to the next level. Designers have incorporated a number of innovative solutions into the once boring storage unit; the most popular of which is a self-contained cooling system. That’s right, one of the most popular bathroom trends in 2015 involves a refrigerated medicine cabinet. A portion of the cabinet can be reserved for temperature sensitive products: nail polish, organic skin products, or medication that needs to be kept at a certain temperature.
Showers That Do More: Showers can rage from a one nozzle configuration to an exotic rain shower with spouts coming out of every wall. However, technology has now made it possible for showers to do more than wash. In fact, trending shower additions can enhance the entire shower experience. Popular bathroom trends in 2015 have seen some rehabbers add showers that come with fully customizable features. While you can adjust water temperature and pressure just the same, the addition of Chromatherapy, steam, and a built-in stereo system make for a fully therapeutic environment.
Auditory Experiences: One of the most popular bathroom trends in 2015 will witness rehabbers incorporate a speaker system that can be heard throughout the entire room. Listeners can be taken on a spa-like escape or catch up on news from the previous day. Either way, the additions of speakers enable homeowners to further customize their bathroom experience. There are even personalized bathtubs with no visual speakers that broadcast through the walls.
2. Water-Saving Fixtures
With cities like San Diego and Los Angeles in the middle of a severe drought, the importance of preserving water has never been greater. That said, water-saving fixtures should only grow in popularity. In fact, efforts to conserve water will soon be at the top of everyone’s list. It is only a matter of time till water-saving fixtures are the norm, rather than the exception. This bathroom trend looks like it is here to stay. Make sure your next rehab takes water conservation into consideration.
Low-Flow Toilets: Manufacturers are getting smart about reducing toilet and faucet water use. In addition to conserving water, manufactures are also aware that owners will want to take advantage of the government’s WaterSense label – similar to Energy Star. Accordingly, low-flow toilets meet both these needs. Low-flow toilets allow for two different flushing options: .8 and 1.6 gallons per flush. Almost all of the large toilet manufacturers offer dual-flush toilets now. These modern marvels of the plumbing world are one of the hottest bathroom trends for 2015, and should be put in every bathroom.
Hands-Free Faucets: Prospective buyers will appreciate any changes made to conserve water. That said, one of the most affordable and water efficient measures you can take is to install a hands-free faucet with a low-flow aerator. Subsequently, you don’t even need a new faucet. Simply adding a low-flow aerator will allow you to control the amount of water that comes out of the respective faucet. Some of the most popular models feature a 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm) flow rate, a 30 percent reduction over 2.2 gpm models.
Smart Showerheads: Smart showerheads offer homeowners the look and feel of a traditional fixture, but with the addition of forward thinking, water conserving technology. Some of these water-efficient fixtures use only 1.6 gpm as opposed to the standard 2.5 gpm. The technology manages the water droplet size and velocity, spray coverage and thermal dynamics, delivering the feeling of a standard showerhead at a lower flow.
3. Integrated Design Features
Bathrooms are required to meet a lot of demands within a minimal amount of space. That is why it is so important to have a functional design that doesn’t reduce the space you have to work in.
Concealing The Toilet: With the functionality of the bathroom expanding, it is only natural to want to make the area more aesthetically pleasing. That said, more and more homeowners are interested in concealing their toilet. Some companies even offer decorative pieces that conceal the commode while simultaneously adding to the room’s functionality.
Hidden Storage:Bathrooms are rarely the largest room in the house. However, having said that, they are one of the most used. What am I getting at? For as important as bathrooms are, they are usually restricted in size. That is why one of the most important bathroom trends of 2015 has to deal with functionality. Homeowners want to optimize the space of a bathroom. Consider adding some hidden storage. For as small as your bathroom may be, there is always room to build in storage without taking up space. This is where you can get creative.
4. Bathtubs
Bathtubs are a hot topic in the world of residential redevelopers. While some people love them, others can’t stand them, or don’t need them. Regardless of where you stand, here are a few options to consider in your next rehab:
Remove the Bathtub Altogether:
The concept of the bathtub is not what it used to be. There are a number of reasons homeowners are entirely willing to remove the bathtub from their master bathroom completely:
- Bathtubs waste a significant amount of water, and are therefore less water-conscious. Anyone who favors green living may be opposed to the amount of water bathtubs waste.
- Some people are simply too busy to set aside time to draw a bath.
- Some point to smaller remodeling budgets as the culprit; bathtubs add to the overall expense when constructing or remodeling a bathroom. If the occupants don’t typically use the bathtub, the money that would have been spent on a bathtub is better off allocated elsewhere.
- Bathtubs can really eat into the functional size of a bathroom. If there is no intent to use the tub, there is no reason to have one at all.
Whatever the reasons, residential architects are reporting that they’re designing and building more bathtub-free bathrooms with stall showers than they have in previous years.
Free-Standing Bathtubs:
While bathtubs may be a thing of the past, by no means should they be relegated to the trash pile without consideration. That said, not everyone is willing to part with the simple luxury. For those who do continue to embrace the bathtub in 2015, space-saving, stand-alone tubs will be popular choices. Check out spa-jet tubs and serene soaking tubs for a couple of innovative options. Freestanding tubs, in particular, appear to be one of the hottest bathroom trends in 2015.
5. Heated Floors
If you live in an area where it can get really, like Denver or Chicago, you are probably all too familiar with walking around on cold tile. The solution: radiant heated floors, which are increasingly trendy these days. This sizzle feature may not be the exact item that sells a property, but it will surely make the buyer appreciate the work that has been done.
