By Rieva Lesonsky
As the real estate market heats up, there’s big news on the home design front, which is important if you’re a contractor, designer, decorator, realtor or otherwise involved in the home business. A report recently released by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) says “America’s bathroom styles are shifting.” The new in-demand look is more “contemporary, spa-like, accessible and easy to maintain.”
The ascent of contemporary style is, according to the NKBA, a “major shift” in bathroom design. For the past several years traditional styling dominated, as did neutral (beige) color schemes. Gray (which ranked third last year) is the new color du jour.
A big trend that’s sure to become more important as Baby Boomers continue to age is the demand for universal/accessible design. Fully 60 percent of NKBA respondents anticipate creating more of these designs this year.
Other items increasing in demand include:
- Soaking tubes (without the once-ubiquitous jets)
- Benches or seats in showers
- Electric radiant floor hearing
- Steam showers
- No-threshold showers
- Quartz vanity tops
- Linen storage cabinets
- Undermount sinks
What’s fading? The NKBA members report “a decline in Provincial and Tuscan-style bathrooms, as well as in rustic/country looks.”
NKBA president John Petrie says it’s all about “spa bathrooms and Zen-like retreats.”
Next week’s TrendCast will look at what’s hot in kitchen design.
Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a media and custom content company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship. Email Rieva at rieva@smallbizdaily.com, follow her on Google+ and Twitter.com/Rieva and visit her website, SmallBizDaily.com, to get the scoop on business trends and sign up for Rieva’s free TrendCast reports.
