Most bath experts agree that homeowners want to create a peaceful, spa-like atmosphere in their master bathrooms.
“Bathrooms have gone from a simple more utilitarian look to a place where homeowners can express their personal style through the use of color, pattern, texture, and art to create a space that has much more visual interest than in the past,” says Beth Duer of Markraft Cabinetry.
Bohnne Jones of Decorating Den Interiors says many homeowners have become comfortable with the idea of not having a tub, but instead are opting for a larger shower with more features. “For those keeping a tub, the tub has become a big thing—they are very sexy looking. But I recommend the homeowner try getting in and out of the tub before making a decision.”
Echoing others, Sharon Hicks with Carriage House Custom Homes and Interiors, Inc., says, “Baths definitely continue to be a luxury or retreat space. Homeowners are spending more on their bathing spaces and are also giving consideration to aging in place options. We’re seeing showers more open and with more glass and fewer borders.”
Homeowners continue to seek unique, high design spaces, according to Victoria Highfill of Hermitage Kitchen Design Gallery. “They are selecting color, texture, and mixing/layering finishes to create the kind of space they’re seeking on social media,” she says.
Duer reports that open concept bath layouts today frequetnly feature exposed shower plumbing, bold black vanities, vanities in front of windows, large pastel tile in showers, and gun metal and matte black hardware.
According to Sara Ray of Sara Ray Interiors separate water closets are preferred, and adds that the open concept floor plan doesnt work in every instance. “Sometimes it’s hard to fit a walk-in shower with large glass shower surround, double vanity , free-standing tub under a window into a pre-existing floor plan.
Highfill says that while the large walk-in shower continues to be the standard for master baths. “Bathrooms are trending toward the more streamlined and functional, rather than overly large spaces.”
In agreement is Esther Lovingood of Southeastern Salvage Home Emporium. “Master baths are definitely leaning toward open floor plans—think fewer angles and more space for a free-standing tub. The modern bathroom has more room to move.”
Just like the rest of the home, bathrooms are becoming more open-concept, according to Andrew Young of City Tile. “They are being affected by technology, lifestyle, and sustainability. New products such as smart showers and toilets help customize a space. Bathrooms are becoming sleeker with the use of floor-to-ceiling marble or cement and countertops often made of the same material.
“Minimalism is becoming popular with influence from Japan and Northern Europe. We’re seeing custom floating wood vanities,” Young says. “The selection of Greenery as Pantone’s color of the year in 2017 spurred an interest in bringing the outside in with the use of wood-look tile and the use of natural stone. The use of floor-to-ceiling glass increases the open feeling of the space.
Duer says homeowners are branching out. “We’re seeing more black and more bold colors such as kelly green, and wallpaper in the powder room.”
“The neutrals will always be popular in bathroom design, but personality is the new name of the game,” says Highfill. “This is being seen in colorful pops of accent tile, bold cabinet colors, and utilizing brass/black/gold/rose gold plumbing finishes.”
Lovingood says all-white showers are less popular than a few years ago. “We’re seeing more black accents, more natural wood, and more contrast. Remember that a small pop of color can make a big impact, especially on a neutral background,” she says, adding that brass and gold are having a little renaissance.
Reporting that she is seeing more daring color in cabinetry is Hicks, who says that trend is evidenced by the growing color options in painted finishes available from cabinetry suppliers. In addition to seeing wider use of large format tiles, Hicks says textured tiles are popular. “Homeowners are incorporating a lot of metals including brushed nickel, matte black, and champagne gold.”
Large panel tile is gaining popularity for walls and floors, eliminating grout lines and adding to ease of cleaning in the bathroom.
Most experts agree that wood-look tile is a trend on the way out, as homeowners prefer marble-look tile and similar simple colors.
“All white bathrooms no longer fit our clients’ needs,” says Sara Ray of Sara Ray Interior Design. “They want to add personality so we often add color with tile, a painted vanity, wallpaper, or great art. Vintage vibes are coming back with an updated look—brass leg sink consoles, mid-century walnut vanity cabinets, multi-color hex mosaics in modern geometric designs, and vintage rugs.”
Ray reports that her clients tend to go with mostly neutral large-scale panel tiles with texture depending on whether they chose handmade, stone, or porcelain patterns.
Large panel tiles are more popular as the manufacturing process give better looks and quality, says Highfill. “Color preferences vary from homeowner to homeowner, but typically lean toward the lighter tones. Honed or matte textures are the usual requests.”
Young says designers are looking to more natural earth tones such as grey, beige, light coral, and sea blue. “They are also jumping into the moody colors such as PPG’s Night Watch. Some are even opting to create all-black bathrooms.”
Mirrors are no longer large walls above the vanity, but are often framed mirrors hanging from the ceiling, according to Barbara Gilley of Justducky.
Ray says her clients prefer large decorative mirrors flanked by a pair of sconces. “Medicine cabinets with integrated LED lighting are also popular in modern bathroom design,” she says.
“We are still framing out ‘builder’ mirrors to give a more finished look as well as to personalize the space,” says Jones. She adds that older mirrors seldom are saved in a remodel in which new taller vanities replace older, shorter vanities.
Several bathroom experts point to the rounded edges on elongated mirrors as a popular trend.
There are a number of souces for bathrooms in the Nashville area including:
Cabinet Makeovers Nashville 615/ 331-7010
Carriage House Custom Homes & Interiors, Inc. Franklin 615/ 224-3545
City Tile Murfreesboro 615/ 893-7721
Cosentino LaVergne 615/ 722-0067
https://bohnne.decoratingden.com/Decorating Den Interiors Nashville 615/ 469-7334
Elite Installation Hendersonville 615/ 264-9370
Ferguson Clarksville 931/ 647-0276
Ferguson Lebanon 615/ 444-2111
Ferguson Murfreesboro 615/ 890-5599
Ferguson Nashville 615/ 385-3054
Floorz Franklin 615/ 771-7669
French’s Cabinet Gallery Brentwood 615/ 371-8385
Genesis Glass Franklin 615/ 794-5517
Grout Doctor Nashville 615/ 86-2400
Hermitage Kitchen Design Gallery Nashville 615/ 843-3336
Justducky Vonore 423/ 519-3820
Louisville Tile Nashville 615/ 615/ 248-8453
Markraft Cabinets Nashville 615/ 999-0545
Nashville Glass Nashville 515/ 254-1345
Prestige Marble & Granite Columbia 931/ 381-7294
Sara Ray Interior Design Nashville 615/ 254-6329
Sir Grout Nashville 615/ 649-6767 Southeastern
Southeastern Salvage Home Emporium Nashville 615/ 244-1001
TN Stone Care Nashville 615/ 351-4676