By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, contributing editor for REALTOR® Magazine and editor of the Styled, Staged & Sold blog.

Here’s how not to design a bathroom, and what designers suggest favoring instead.

Designers and home stagers say the era of overly sterile bathrooms is fading. Instead, warmer tones, natural materials and more personality-driven and wellness design choices are dominating the latest bathroom design trends.

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Fixr.com’s 2026 Bathroom Trends Report—based on a survey of about 100 interior designers and home stagers—highlights the styles losing momentum, along with the emerging looks moving in.

Bathroom Trends on the Way Out
According to the Fixr.com survey, these design choices are falling out of favor:

• All-white and all-gray bathrooms: 75%
• Vessel sinks: 40%
• Tile countertops: 40%
• Faux wood-look tile in showers: 34%
• Matte black hardware: 29%
• Icy blue color palettes: 25%
• Textured 3D wall tiles: 16%
• High-tech backlit mirrors: 11%
• Accent walls: 6%

“The cold, sterile material palettes are being replaced with warm, tactile and nature-integrated designs,” Alexzandra Aguirre of Phoenix Interior Design said in Fixr.com’s report.

Experts also point to practicality concerns. For example, vessel sinks and tile countertops are increasingly viewed as difficult to maintain and prone to water splashing.

The Bathroom Trends “In” for 2026
As older trends fade, a new wave of design priorities is taking hold:

• Increased natural light: 62%
• Heated floors: 54%
• Biophilic design: 42%
• Rounded mirrors and fixtures: 34%
• Enhanced air quality: 25%
• Microcement finishes: 12%
• Double drenching: 12%
• Curated antique pieces: 9%
• Deep personalization through artwork: 6%
• Maximalist design: 6%

Increasing natural light flowing into the space has become the leading priority, followed closely by heated floors and biophilic design elements that strengthen the connection between indoor spaces and nature.

Minol Shamreen of Studio M Designs noted in the report that bathrooms are increasingly being designed as restorative spaces. “Featuring abundant natural light, lush plants and organic materials, these spaces become serene, calming retreats that nurture wellness,” she says.