We have given some design tips here before, but now we want to give you anti-design tips. After digging through various builder magazines, we came up with a small list of design trends in the bathroom that have fizzled out, mainly because people realized they simply do not work in the real world. They look great in a magazine or in a movie, but real-life debunks them pretty quickly.
The Bathroom
Most of us spend a lot of time in our bathrooms. It’s the first room we go to when we wake up, and it is the last room we visit before bed. Not to mention all the visits we make to the bathroom throughout the day. The bathroom has become a major focus of home design over the last few decades, but some of those great ideas have not exactly worked out very well.
The Jetted Tub – I have to admit, there was a time when this was a dream idea for me compared to a big soak tub. As it turns out, many of the people that bought jetted tubs in the early 2000s when this trend first hit are now sorry they did not go a different route. The tubs are known for breaking down and the replacement pieces can be expensive to buy and/or have installed. The jets themselves are also a breeding ground for bacteria, so let’s go with that oversized soak tub instead.
Bold Tiles or Themes – these work great if you never plan on leaving the home, but bold colors and themes will hurt the resale value of the home unless you find your spirit twin in the local buyer’s market. Stay neutral with the colors and consider texture if you want a unique look to the room.
Double Sinks – these work great in larger homes with massive bathrooms, but for the average bathroom countertop, they are counterproductive. I know what my bathroom sink looks like, with skincare and hair products, colognes, perfumes, toothbrushes, Waterpik, etc., a second sink would leave virtually no space for any of those items.
Marble – a lot of us fall in love with marble countertops, but there is a problem… marble is a porous material, which means that it will easily absorb water and can stain quite easily. There are better options for the bathroom.
Frameless Mirrors – I am only going to use two words to tell you why these are a mistake… no character.
All White – for a while, the all-white bathroom was a very popular trend. Now, as we noted above, bold colors are not a good idea either, but having everything white makes the room look like it belongs in a hospital. Add some neutral colors to jazz up the room and if you want a bolder look, consider adding color with paintings. My bathroom is mostly white, with black and grey accents, but I also have prints put up that are black and white save the color red that is used for a flower, tree, or bench in the picture. It adds significant pop to the room, but it is not permanent, so it will hot hurt the resale value.