Bathrooms are constantly changing in terms of both functionality and aesthetics. Both of these are keystones in a complete and cohesive bathroom design. In addition, these are two things that change pretty frequently. This guide will go over what you can expect to see regarding the future of bathroom design in the next five years.
Smart Faucets in Residential Bathrooms
Smart faucets are pretty common in commercial bathrooms, mainly for the sanitary optimization they provide. This is especially true for commercial bathrooms due to the amount of different people who will be using them. Smart faucets are amazing at optimizing power, efficiency and looks, as they embody some of the most incredible aspects of futuristic and modern bathroom design features. These types of faucets are also amazing hands-free options. There are a few different designs and features that smart faucets have that make each one unique.
Again, although they are commonly used in commercial bathroom designs, smart faucets are making their way into homes across the country. These types of faucets are great for master bathrooms due to the efficiency and aesthetics. On the other hand, they are also amazing for kids' bathrooms because they are clean and efficient.
Self-Flush Toilets
A self-flush toilet is another bathroom fixture that is commonly found in commercial bathroom spaces. Again, this is mainly due to the fact they are perfect for optimizing efficiency and water conservation. Self-flush toilets are also perfect for cleanliness as well because of the hands-free nature of the fixture itself. Many self-flush toilets will utilize some sort of sensor that can detect motion or whether or not the user is in close enough proximity to the toilet before the flushing mechanism kicks in. With cleanliness at the the forefront of modern bathroom designs, self-flush toilets are excellent options to consider as bathroom designs continue to evolve in a residential setting.
Dual Flush Toilets
If self-flush toilets seem a little too much for your tastes, dual flush toilets are amazing alternatives to consider. The dual flush system is another great choice for conserving water and optimizing efficiency. In general, dual flush toilets will have two flushing options. One will be for liquid while the other will be for solid waste. These toilets are already fairly common in most homes, so they aren’t too far away from being a staple bathroom fixture in most areas. If you are debating whether you should include a self-flushing toilet or a dual flush toilet, dual flush toilets are probably the more common and affordable option.
Adjustable Bathroom Lighting
Bathroom lighting is one of the most essential components to a healthy, accessible and comfortable bathroom design. Of course, bathroom lighting comes in a variety of forms, especially when combined with different fixtures and accessories. Adjustable lighting is one of the most beneficial types of lighting to utilize due to the multitude of benefits it offers. Brightness will ultimately dictate visibility and clarity in almost every aspect of your bathroom design. For example, adjustable lighting is essentially necessary in fixtures such as lighted magnifying makeup mirrors. The magnification paired with precise adjustable lighting is a combination that is hard to pass up.
Several other locations will benefit from adjustable bathroom lighting as well. Perhaps the most obvious location is the bathroom vanity. Because the bathroom vanity sees so much traffic, it is important to optimize efficiency in every way possible. Overhead or bathroom mirror adjustable lighting is one of the best things you can do to optimize visibility and comfort. You can also include some gorgeous track lights in order to make a perfectly lit bathroom environment.
Bathroom Refrigerators are In
With comfort and luxury becoming more of a focus for bathroom designs, many external furnishings and design elements are making their way into bathroom designs around the country. In more high end bathroom designs, accommodations are typically standard in terms of comfort amenities. However, recently there has been a small shift into more of a hotel influence in not only high-end bathrooms, but smaller or more standard bathrooms as well. The inclusion of a bathroom refrigerator may seem a little strange, but it is slowly becoming one of the more attractive inclusions to consider.
These refrigerators are smaller takes on traditional fridges for obvious reasons. In general, they will be maybe a fourth of the size of a standard fridge you might see in a kitchen, in order to conserve as much space as possible. Bathroom refrigerators can contain essentially anything you want, but they typically contain small drinks of your choice. Wine is one of the most popular options, especially in more spa oriented bathroom designs. Water, juices and even beer are other popular options, making the overall environment feel much more relaxing and welcoming.
Automatic Shower Mixers
The shower is one of the most used areas of the bathroom design. With showers almost completely taking priority over bathtubs in this day and age, many homeowners are shifting essentially all of their attention to optimizing the shower and the surrounding area. In the future of bathroom designs, shower mixers will undoubtedly evolve into something much more convenient and user friendly. Automatic shower mixers are absolutely one of the more attractive fittings in this regard. This is especially true when it comes to being more user friendly in unfamiliar spaces.
By automatic, it is typically meant that it is easy to operate and very clear with temperature and pressure as well. Automatic shower mixers will generally have some sort of digital interface with buttons or knobs in order to quickly and accurately set a temperature that is comfortable for you. Some automatic shower mixers will even have memory in order to remember the preferred water temperature and pressure. Instead of using the finicky lever or knob shower mixers that don’t display pressure and heat, automatic shower mixers are definitely going to be more commonly used in residential bathrooms.
Designer Brands Making a Statement
Although this may be something that is already somewhat common, designer brands are becoming more standard in middle of the road residential bathroom designs. This is due to a variety of different factors. Firstly, the bathroom is becoming one of the most attractive rooms in the home in terms of upgrades and expansions. This ultimately leads to higher quality brands that focus on both attractiveness and durability. Designer brands can bring both of the factors into a bathroom fixtures quite easily depending on the specific brand in question.
Hands-Free Bathroom Mirrors
Some of the most attractive fixtures and accessories for bathrooms revolve around convenience and comfortability. Hands-free accessories are amazing considerations, if not solely for the purpose of these two factors. For example, hand-free bathroom mirrors are some of the most beneficial hands free options available, especially magnifying makeup mirrors. Of course, it may seem odd saying “hands-free mirror”, because aren’t all mirrors hands-free? It may seem so on the surface, but magnifying makeup mirrors need to be manually adjusted, especially when it comes to light color and brightness.
Hands-free magnifying makeup mirrors will turn on and off with a sensor that detects whether or not there is a user in front of the mirror’s face. Not only is this an amazing option for cleanliness and organization, but it is also amazing for saving energy. Combine the sensor technology with long lasting LED light bulbs, and you can expect your magnifying mirror to last as long as you need it to.
What Stays the Same?
Although you can expect many changes in bathroom designs in the coming years, you can also expect to see many familiar design aspects remain constant. There are a few main features of the bathroom design that are so effective, it would probably be a detriment to the bathroom design if they were changed and removed. Below are some of the features that you can expect to see in the bathroom for quite a while.
Bathroom Layout
In general, you can expect the bathroom layout to stay the same as the years go on. Unless there is a new fixture or design feature that completely revolutionizes the way people use bathrooms, this is a fairly safe bet. Depending on the type of bathroom in question, the layouts could slightly vary, but the placement of the fixtures and accessories will be somewhat similar non matter what.
Common Bathroom Fixtures and Accessories
Again, there are some things you can expect to find in a bathroom for quite a while into the future. The types of fixtures and accessories in a bathroom is one of those things. For example, don’t expect bathroom sinks, bathroom vanities, soap dispensers, toilets and other pieces of the traditional bathroom design to go anywhere in the foreseeable future.
Location in the Home
For the most part, the bathroom has already found its spot in the overall home design. They will commonly be connected to master bedrooms or closely placed near necessary areas. They won’t be the same in every home, but they will generally be placed in similar areas. Of course, this will vary depending on the type of bathroom in question, such as guest bathrooms, half bathrooms, etc.
In Conclusion
To sum things up, expect some great changes in the modern bathroom design in the next five or so years. Improvements and innovations are constantly being made to optimize the bathroom experience and maximize the amount of comfort and accessibility. Whether it is technology, layout, comfort or anything else, the future of modern bathroom design looks extremely bright.