Home Bathroom Design Trends for 2023 and Beyond

You spend a lot of time in the bathroom, so why not make it one of the best rooms in your home? From new tile flooring, to spacious showers, to toilets that also double as bidets, and even state-of-the-art shower door hardware, no trendy design idea should go overlooked if you’re planning on renovating your existing bathroom or bathrooms.

What are some of the top home bathroom design trends for 2023? A few of the answers might take you by surprise. According to a new report by Better Homes and Gardens, the design of your bathroom upgrade will likely continue to build on architectural and interior design that emerged in 2020. That is, easy-maintenance materials, clean lines, and lots of natural, soothing colors.

But in the 2020s a mind shift is said to be occurring. You now not only look at your bathroom as a place of utility but also as a place that’s been engineered for comfort. For instance, install a hot tub in your bathroom, and you might find yourself spending half the evening inside the space.

Says a design expert with LIXIL Global Design, in the 2020s, the bathroom has transformed itself into a place that’s now focused on relaxation, wellness, and health. More daring design trends are said to be influencing aesthetic designs of yesteryear.

The result is that personalization is said to be driving many design choices which encourage homeowners to create a comfortable bathroom that also contains custom bathing opportunities and experiences.

Here are just a few ideas for your new bathroom.

A Walk-in Shower

Says Better Homes and Gardens, 2023 is the year dedicated to the shower. Pinterest Predicts is said to have recognized a new and heightened shower routine as one of its most important bathroom trends of 2023. At the same time, 2023 bathroom design trends studied by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) are reporting increasing popularity in bathroom shower upgrades.      

These upgrades include an expansion of shower sizes to accommodate two or more average-sized persons. NKBA also states that multiple showerheads, shower seats, and even zero-entry shower units designed for accessibility at any age are growing in popularity.

Get Rid of Oversized Tubs

Even though contemporary standalone tubs have been the major trend for a number of years, some design clients are requesting the removal of their big, built-in tubs for the sole purpose of reclaiming that precious space.   

Rather, the area is to be repurposed for another design trend such as a bathroom linen closet or an expanded shower or both. Tub removal can also expand a bathroom floor plan that creates a space that feels more peaceful and far less crowded and chaotic. 

Make Your Bath a Spa

The bathroom design mindset shift also includes moving away from using the bath only for necessary tasks to a place where you can take care of your entire body and relax sometimes for up to hours at a time.

A bathroom spa experience that can include a hot tub, for instance, can help with healing an over-stressed and physically exhausted body, or so claims the NKBA.

Natural Wood Vanities

Painted surfaces have been the most popular choice for vanities for many years. This is especially true for white finishes. But 2023 has seen a shift to natural wood for cabinets and bathroom vanities. The NKBA is said to be seeing wood coming in at a close second to the once super popular, clean, hospital white vanity.

Wood and cane-patterned inserts have also been added to NKBA’s new vanity styles for the first time ever in 2023. The increasing appeal of natural wood is said to be the result of a need for more warm and organic styles that started becoming popular two to three years ago.

Wellness and Sustainability Rule the Day

Claims an NKBA certified designer, not only are green and sustainability trends expanding to the bathroom in 2023, so are energy efficient stains and paints, plus floor heating and efficient lighting sources.  

The NKBA has also identified green upgrades such as electric radiant heat flooring, automatic bath ventilation, energy-efficient water heating systems, and more in 2023. However, it should be noted that electric radiant heat flooring and auto ventilation are expensive to operate and, ironically, power-consuming.

It’s also been said that homeowners looking to renovate their bathrooms in 2023 are paying far more attention to products specs and labels than ever before. They are said to be opting for VOC-free stains, paints, and materials, LED lighting, Energy Star and Water-Sense-rated fixtures and appliances, and FSC-certified cabinets and counters.