Homeowners 55 and older may be showing their age. But their bathrooms are getting shiny new face-lifts.
And many of these remodelled bathrooms are more than just a pretty space. They’re increasingly designed to accommodate the realities of ageing, with built-in seats, curbless showers, grab bars and nonslip floors.
That’s among the findings in the recently released Houzz Bathroom Trends Study. The home-design website surveyed more than 1,100 US homeowners who are in the midst of, are planning or have recently completed a master bathroom renovation.
More than half of renovating homeowners are baby boomers, according to the study. Most of them plan to remain in their homes for at least another decade, and are remodelling with accessibility in mind to ensure they’re able to age in place.
“Baby boomers today account for the largest share of renovating homeowners and the largest share of renovation spending,” said Nino Sitchinava, Houzz principal economist. “A significant portion of boomers are aware of pending ageing needs, and are proactive about integrating universal design features during renovations.”
Nearly half of baby boomers change the bathroom layout, and one-third remove the bathtub. Premium features, such as dual showers, one-piece toilets, vessel sinks and built-in vanities are on the rise, pushing the median price for renovating a master bath to $7,000-$16,000 for a major makeover of a large master bath.
Other findings:
lShades of grey.
Neutral colour palettes are the overwhelming choice for newly renovated bathrooms, with grey the preferred hue for walls and flooring, ahead of white and beige. White remains the top colour choice (35%) for cabinets, but grey cabinets are rising steadily, from 10% in 2016 to 16% in 2018.
lMetals, mixed and matched.
A majority of homeowners choose matching metal finishes for fixtures and hardware, with brushed or satin nickel the top choice (38%). But 2 in 5 homeowners are mixing it up, combining different metal finishes in the same bathroom.
lStyle matters.
More than 4 in 5 homeowners report changing the design style of their master bathrooms when renovating. Contemporary style is the top choice (20%), and more than half of remodelled bathrooms are described as contemporary, modern or transitional. Just 14% of today’s bathroom renovations are traditional, although “farmhouse style” is on the rise. – Tribune News Service
A shower room in a bathroom, which can easily be accessed with a wheelchair. (Mitsu Yasukawa/The Record/TNS)
