I started off my week in the best possible way – with a tour of the latest Parade of Homes in my city! Actually, this home tour is right outside of Nashville in the bedroom town of Nolensville, Tennessee.
I paid particular attention to the bathrooms of these homes, which I am featuring for you today. Here are the trends I noted:
1. Painted Vanities
Of all the bathrooms in the four homes I toured, there are ZERO wood stained vanities or cabinetry. All are painted – either in a shade of gray, black, or off-white. The countertop in the above photo is stunning, and it ties in beautifully with the flooring.
2. Plank Tile
Plank tile is found in many of the bathrooms – some times on the floor, and other times on the shower walls. Notice that directionality makes a big difference in the resulting look.
3. Mixed Metals & Copper
In this bathroom alone, you’ll find nickel, iron, copper, and a bit of crystal bling. Combining metals can look fabulous if it’s artfully done.
copper fixtures
4. Timeless Fixed Elements
Timeless materials such as marble, subway tile, hex tile, and beadboard will feel the freshest in the long run. Using these kind of materials makes for a soothing, peaceful bathroom.
5. Trendy Accessories
If you save the “trendy” for things that can be easily and inexpensively changed, such as shower curtains, art, and accessories, you are one smart cookie.
Dramatic wall treatments, like this amazing stenciled powder room by Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes, is a great way to make a statement in a guest bathroom.
Dana Tucker of Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes
If you are in the Greater Nashville area, check out the Parade of Homes in Sherwood Green Estates, Nolensville, TN, though October 25th. The builders of the homes I featured today are Landmark Homes and Arnold Homes; the designers of these bathrooms are Lauren and Kara Blalock of ReFresh and Julie McCoy of Julie McCoy Interiors.
What do you think of these bathroom trends?
Loved spending time with you yesterday!! Love these bath ideas. Thanks so much for including the photo of me and the powder bath walls! Muh-wah!
It was fun spending time with you and the others in the Nashville Influencers crew!
These bathrooms are beautiful. I totally agree with you on keeping with timeless materials. They will never be outdated and, as you say, switch up your accessories for a change. One “trend” I will never understand is the placement of the master bedroom closet(s) where you have to go through the bathroom to access the closet. A master closet in the bathroom?! I have this in my home and to this day do not like the idea. What’s up with that? Why do you think this idea ever caught on in the first place?
Yes, new builds are doing this so much, Joanne. I think it’s a matter of using the space most efficiently, and the idea of most people getting dressed after showering.
I love my master bathroom closet off of my bathroom. It keeps my husband from waking me up in the morning when he’s getting ready for work! In our old house he’d go back and forth between the closet and the bathroom and would always wake me up. I’ll keep my bathroom closet! 🙂
I agree 100%. Use timeless fixed elements and keep the trendy stuff for accessories!!
I completely LOVE the small white bathroom pictured – with the hex flooring and subway tile shower.
Darlene
http://www.BundleMeBaby.etsy.com
I have noticed also that the bathroom vanities are now all painted. Very pretty photos! And I agree with using the accessories for fun, that is my favorite part! Thanks for sharing Kristie!
I noticed that two of the bathrooms are shown with the free-standing “soaker tubs” that have been popular for while now. Do you think that the “built-in” garden tubs are passé these days, Kristi? The soaker tubs look nice, but I always wonder how hard it will be to clean (and eventually paint) behind them. I can just imagine all the dust bunnies collecting around where the freestanding faucets meet the floor! Is that a realistic concern?
If you were going to remodel a master bathroom and plan on selling your home in the very near future, Kristi, would you say a soaker tub would have more , less or the same buyer appeal as a “built-in” (with or without whirlpool?) garden tub?
Just wondering, Kristi, do you know if it usually pays to renovate an outdated, but functional, master bathroom in an average mid-sized and mid-priced home shortly before you put it on the market?
Phyllis,
Built-in garden tubs are no longer trending – most people don’t like them anymore. Soaker tubs are definitely trending, and that’s what I would put in my own home if I had the option. However, I wouldn’t recommend replacing for staging a mid-sized, mid-priced home. I don’t think you’d get the return on the investment in that situation. I hope that helps!
Thanks so much, Kristie, for answering my questions! I wonder why people don’t like garden tubs anymore–do you think it is because they take so long to fill (If they are large) and most people don’t have time to use them? We have a deep, whirlpool garden tub and hardly ever use it! Also, I have to step inside the tub to reach the opposite ledge to clean it!!! (I am all about “easy-to-clean”–can you tell?) Or do you think it is mainly just a design trend issue–wanting to be new and different? (Since your have that psychology background perhaps you have some theories about this, LOL!!!)
Phyllis,
It’s for the reasons you said, PLUS the issue of the gunky whirlpool jets that can get full of nasty bacteria.
Kristie,
I noticed that the Master bath showers in some of the homes were absolutely huge. I guess they keep getting bigger and bigger every year. I don’t understand this trend. So we had the monster garden tub and now we have the monster showers.
Yep, bigger and bigger! Isn’t it obvious that men are designing these large showers with clear glass doors? Give me some privacy, please!
Hi Kristie! Love your Psychological Staging book – got it for Christmas. This comment is way after the fact but I was encouraged to see the gray grout with the subway tile as that is what I am about to do in my master bathroom . For sure still seeing this as a trend (all over Houzz etc.) but have been torn since I am preparing for resale. Interesting that you aren’t into the clear glass doors – I was liking the idea so the tile will actually show and make the room look bigger. But hear you on the privacy. Perhaps a shower curtain in addition to the glass door – would that be strange?