Design trends come and go, but for those who’d like to take a pulse of what’s now and next, taking a look at what housebuilders are offering within new build homes gives a good indicator of what’s in demand. From the number of bathroom spaces through to family and environmentally friendly options, new build owners have their pick of modern and energy-efficient fittings. However, some trends make more of a mark than others, here are some bathroom trends that are seemingly here to stay.
A bigger toilet total
Once upon a time, the toilet of the average modern house was in the backyard. Then we brought the toilet inside, we added an extra toilet in the en suite or downstairs bathroom, or both. And now? Well, now, some might say we have too many toilets. At the upper end of the new-build market, when it comes to bathrooms, ‘more’ is a noticeable trend. One recent article in the Guardian explored how the total number of toilets may now be seen as a status symbol in new build homes. Indeed, some new homes at the upper end of the market boast more bathrooms than residents.
Talking about the new penchant for including more toilets than is perhaps strictly necessary, Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud told the Times:
“Bathrooms are extremely wasteful in terms of resources, yet people are putting more in their homes than there are actual occupants.”
Adding,
“Four people live in the house and put in six toilets. I don’t understand that.”
However, having multiple bathrooms and toilets in a home allows housebuilders to cater to the different priorities of their users. And in the case of downstairs toilets, having an additional toilet space designed specifically with accessibility in mind is a real plus point when guests with restricted mobility visit. New builds tend to feature downstairs toilets with smaller sinks and larger floor space and this is a very useful modern bathroom trend indeed.
Stylish space savers
Modern builds can come under criticism for having more compact rooms than their older counterparts but new bathroom trends certainly aim to make the most of every inch. In smaller bathrooms, storage can be an issue. No one likes to knock things over while they shower or wash at the sink Recessed shelves that provide open storage are a stylish space-saving solution that can be seen in many new build bathrooms right now.
You’ll find beautifully tiled recess shelves in showers and baths along with snug shelves for towels that sit behind toilets. The benefit of building shelves back into the walls in this way is obvious; it makes storage appear less intrusive and makes for sleek, clean lines too. Working to make smaller spaces feel less cluttered is a real focus in the bathroom, and features like wall mounted taps like those among this modern tap range offer a practical and stylish finishing touch.
Enviro and safety-conscious tweaks
Homeowners that are new to new builds may at first think their bathwater is coming out colder than in their previous, older home. And they’d be right. The law that means all new build baths must be fitted with a thermostatic mixing valve that limits the temperature of the water to 48C came into effect a decade ago. It’s therefore by no means a new ‘trend’ but it’s a safety tweak that’s still relatively unknown by the wider public.
This design change helps to protect against accidental scalding. Scalding incidents can be fatal for older and younger members of the family in particular as detailed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. The water is heated to 60C or above prior to mixing so that it still reaches a safe temperature to kill legionella bacteria.
Low-pressure toilets are another relatively modern and environmentally conscious bathroom inclusion offered by many new home builders. These toilets reduce the amount of water required for pushing waste through the system, which makes them particularly attractive to those trying to do their bit for the environment or families hoping to save money on their water bills.
One modern bathroom trend that is finding its way into bathrooms of homes old and new, arguably has its origins thousands of years back in history with the likes of Queen Cleopatra. The New Yorker recently reported on the trend of the bathfluencer. The term describes those sharing their bathing routines and stylish cleaning spaces with the world. Who knows just how many of these new build bathroom trends feature in bathfluencer posts around the world?