These Are the Biggest Bathroom Design Trends in 2021, According to a New Survey

It’s no secret that stunning bathrooms are highly coveted in the world of real estate. A new report of 2021’s biggest bathroom trends shows that having a recently refurbished and on-trend bathroom has the potential to increase the value of your home by as much as 5 percent with home buyers. Using data from Pinterest and Google Search Volumes, the team at Victorian Plumbing analyzed what bathroom trends are getting the most traffic these days. Here are their findings:

The most popular bathroom products of 2021 really run the gamut from things you probably expect in a luxury home to a little more unusual. For example, the most popular trend according to the study is the rise of bidets. It used to be that bidets were something you’d only see in luxury hotel rooms or in homes across the pond. But over the last year, they have seen a significant increase in interest with searches reaching 1.68 million on Google. It’s likely that popularity has gone up due to their eco-friendly attributes, since bidets help us cut down on toilet paper and flushable wipes. Smart toilets scored the second spot, with a 45 percent increase in searches.

Rounding out the top three bathroom trends is walk-in bathtubs, which have long been known for providing people with limited mobility a safer option that cuts out the need to climb in and out of a tub with a high edge. Searches for those are up 30 percent, showing the trend is gaining momentum. Completing the top five are rimless toilets and traditional showers. The rest of the top 10 consists of cloakroom toilets, which are designed for smaller spaces, walk-in showers, natural stone basins, and underfloor heating.  

When it comes to the most popular bathroom style for 2021, Scandinavian-style bathrooms tied for the number one slot with a 340 percent increase in internet searches. That was shared with vintage-style bathrooms, and closely followed by terrazzo bathrooms, for which searches almost doubled over the past year. Rounding out the top five are spa-style and minimalist-style bathrooms. And proving everything old is new again, pink tiles have seen a 19 percent increase in popularity during the past year. While it may not rank as high as Scandinavian style, this mid-century trademark is back in action.

Adding value to your bathroom isn’t just about the overall style, however. Victorian Plumbing’s trend report also found that features like heated towel racks, use of light/soft colors around the bathroom, and underfloor heating are details that add significant value to your home’s worth. Brass shower screens and bluetooth bathroom lighting fixtures are also on the up and up.

The color of the walls can also play a role, too. The most popular bathroom color of 2021 is sage, according to the report. That green was closely followed by pistachio. Rounding out the top five were taupe, pink and emerald.

As for the least popular bathroom products of 2021, gold showers dropped 24 percent in popularity. Overall, gold bathroom accessories dropped by 42 percent. Similarly, copper bathroom accessories saw a 45 percent decrease in searches since May 2020. Also dropping off the grid are whirlpool baths, which had a 17 percent drop in searches, followed by Japanese toilets with a 12 percent drop. Roll-top baths and modern showers also had significant decreases in searches.