The 20 Most Popular Bathrooms of 2015

When it comes to the most popular bathrooms of 2015, there are plenty of trends to talk about. Some old, some new, some borrowed, some navy blue. Obviously, tile played a big role — porcelain that looked like hardwood planks, hexagonal tiles that grew in size, more 3-D patterns than ever, and an old favorite, subway tiles, which showed no sign of going away anytime soon. Materials like teak, brass, reclaimed wood, pebbles, marble, quartz and concrete were big picks as well. Other than that, the most popular bathrooms featured a wide range of styles and sizes.

Holst Brothers General Contractors

Photo by Amy Bartlam

Brass hardware. Brass made its way back not only into the kitchen, but also the bath. The warm finish brightened up many of the popular bathrooms on Houzz. In this room designed by Kirsten Marie, we can see that deep navy is a swell pairing for brass, making a crisp nod to nautical without going overboard.
Another 2015 trend worth noting is the use of encaustic cement floor tile, which has found its way from Mediterranean- and Moroccan-style homes into all sorts of spaces. Its vibrant patterns, which are also turning up on ceramic tiles, offer designers a chance to make a big impact underfoot.

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Vanity paint: custom (similar: Black Blue, Farrow & Ball); mirror: Made Goods; lighting: Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.; hardware: Liz’s Antique Hardware; floor tile: Eastern Promise in Tangier Pallazzo, 6¾ by 6¾ inches, Martin Lawrence Bullard for Ann Sacks

Etelamaki Architecture

Teak. In this bathroom, a vanity made of quartersawn teak veneer plywood adds warmth and heft while standing up to moisture. Coordinating mats under the counter, a platform under the tub and accents on the wall tie the room together.

Medicine cabinets: Kohler K-2936-PG; vessel sinks: Larissa, Toto; floor tile: quartzite in Spa White, Velvet finish, Stone Source; wall tile: Graphite Slate, Stone Source; mats: CB2; pendants: Solitaire, Niche Modern; towel bars: Delta Trinsic, Home Depot

Anne Sneed Architectural Interiors

Farmhouse style. Houzzers were drawn to details like stained-wood vanities and mirrors, tongue-and-groove or beadboard paneling and other homespun touches.

The bathroom in this equestrian-inspired California ranch house had more than 85,000 Houzz users clicking the save button.

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Faucets: Salinas vessel lavatory faucet trim only, California Faucets; lights: Maria pendant, Cisco Brothers; vanity: custom; hardware: San Diego Hardware; counters: Calacatta marble

Interior Therapy

Vintage-modern mix. Also popular were nostalgic vintage touches like pedestal sinks, subway tile and even wood toilet seats, though homeowners balanced them with elements such as clean lines and frameless clear shower enclosures. Engineered oak floors enhanced the look.

In this bathroom, a framed tea towel made from the homeowners’ wedding invitation adds a personal touch.

Tea towel: Wedding Tea Towels; tile: Cotswold in Grafito, size 150x75, Tile Giant; towel bar: Vogue Regency traditional towel rail; window shade: Allia in Graphiite, Designers Guild; engineered oak floors with dark black stain: Furlong Flooring

Tanya Capaldo Designs

Eclectic touches. The mirror is a wonderful opportunity to add unique style to the bathroom. In this renovated Boston brownstone, an antique French mirror steals the spotlight, and brass faucets and frames pick up on its warm gold finish. Carrara marble adds elegance, while clear glass makes the room feel larger.

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Wall paint: Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball; unlacquered brass fixtures: Waterworks

Large hexagonal tiles. Hex tiles blew up this year, literally and figuratively. We saw 6-to-9-inch versions bringing in a modern look as they spread across floors and up the walls of many bathrooms. The tiles add pattern through their honeycomb-like compositions.

More: Hex Tiles: Big and Bold in the Bath

Laura U, Inc.

Chic coastal style. Designers went more subtle when going for coastal style. Rather than creating a shell-a-palooza, elements like distressed paint, driftwood tones and shiplap brought in the beach. In this beach house bathroom, the team at Laura U used an oversized porthole mirror as an intriguing focal point.

Mirror: Noir porthole mirror, Candelabra; sconces: Congress 1-Light sconce, Hinkley Lighting

Carriage Lane Design-Build Inc.

Shades of gray. Gray remained one of the top color choices for bathrooms in 2015. All sorts of variations on it were used hand in hand with another popular element, Carrara marble tile. Designers paired the beautiful gray veins in the marble with gray tiles in the bath.

Another great design move worth noting in this bathroom is the open shelving made of reclaimed wood. There wasn’t room for a closet door, and cabinet doors would have been awkward in this space.

Shower tile: Saltillo Imports

LiLu Interiors

Cantilevered vanities. Vanities mounted to the wall free up floor space and make a room feel bigger. Note the way they let more of the large-format tile cover the floor of this room; had the vanity on the right extended to the floor, the scale would not have been as successful.

Counter: Cambria Durham 2240 quartz; art: This Is the Beginning, Sugarboo Designs; porcelain floor tile: 12x24 in Essex Silver, Tile x Design; accent glass mosaic tile: Artistic Tile; paint: HC-169 Coventry Gray in Aura Bath and Spa formula, Benjamin Moore; faucets and shower head: Jason Wu for Brizo

Beth Webb Interiors

Antique and repurposed vanities. Houzzers loved the idea of adding personal style by using antique vanities or repurposing unique pieces to serve as the vanity. This one is a 19th century French antique found at Scott Antique Markets in Atlanta.

Hanging light: Urban Electric; sconces: Nolan single sconce, Restoration Hardware; wallcovering: Metallic Paper Weaves in Titanium, Phillip Jeffries

Brown Design Group

Open-concept master suites. This was a controversial topic for Houzzers but one that many embraced. There are several key factors to keep in mind when choosing this option. For one thing, make sure you have a separate water closet for the loo, as well as the same wake-up time as your partner so you’re not banging around in the bath while they’re trying to sleep. Ventilation for the steam is also important.

For their bedroom, designer Ryan Brown and partner Diego Monchamp were inspired by a hotel they visited in Thailand. Brown designed a large tongue-and-groove room divider that separates the spaces while maintaining an open luxury spa feeling.

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LMK INTERIOR DESIGN

Floor-to-ceiling tile. Perhaps it was the growing popularity of wet rooms that inspired this trend. The room seen here extends vein-cut honed Haisa marble tile across the floor and up the walls for a luxe look.

Other trends of 2015 can also be seen in this bathroom: the lighting underneath the vanity and the waterfall countertop that wraps around it.

Quartz tub deck and counter: Caesarstone; sconces: Hubbardton Forge

Jordan Iverson Signature Homes

Dark and moody. While spa-like, light and airy and bright were terms we could (and often did) use to describe many of the most popular bathrooms on Houzz, they certainly don’t describe all of them. While the Houzzer jury is still out on black bathrooms, medium to charcoal grays as well as deep chocolate browns were very popular with this year.

Another popular feature, seen in this room, was pebble tile on the shower floor. It adds a unique, natural-looking touch and feels great under the feet.

Teak bench: Teakworks4u; shower surround tile: Strands line in Twilight, Emser; shower floor and accent strip: Rivera flat pebbles in black, Emser

Concrete sinks. Houzzers took to the industrial look of concrete. In this bathroom, the sink’s trough-like shape, the hanging bulb lights and the aluminum-clad windows emphasize the look, while beautiful teak wood adds warmth. Another trend on display here is the space-saving move of placing the bathtub and shower in one open area. After all, it doesn’t matter if the tub gets wet.

Concrete sink: custom, SlabHaus; pendant lights: NUD; faucets: Brizo; bathtub: Signature Hardware

Lisette Voute Designs

Open vanities. Things can have a more open look without getting messy. This furniture-like piece adds style to the bathroom and keeps a tight space feeling more open. Neat piles or rolls of towels and pretty baskets help corral things underneath. If you do opt for open, you’ll need to pay attention to the look of the sink’s p-trap underneath since it will be exposed.

Vanity: custom by Lisette Voute Designs, painted Light Blue No. 22 by Farrow & Ball; wall color: Pale Powder, by Farrow & Ball; faucet: Classic Connaught lever basin mixer, Lefroy Brooks

SGS International

Porcelain floor tiles that resemble hardwood. While we also saw hardwood floors in some of the most popular baths, many homeowners opted for digitally printed porcelain tiles in long, narrow planks that add the colors and even the grain of wood in a more durable, wipeable material.

This bathroom is modestly sized at just 5 by 12 feet, something most of us can relate to. The long tile planks help emphasize the length and suit the room’s scale.

Floor tiles: Nihon Goma 4x24, Fiandre; shower tiles: French Clay Lumiere 4x12, Fiandre; backsplash tile: Arabesque with Carrara pencil marble edge, Merola; faucets: 8-inch widespread two-handle high-arc in oil-rubbed bronze, Kingston Brass; tub: Maui 5-foot in white enameled steel, Bootz Industries; paint color: Heirloom Shade (DEW 395), Dunn-Edwards; shower curtain: West Elm

Celtic Home Gallery

Free-standing bathtubs. Whether a classic claw-foot or a sculptural contemporary tub like this one, Houzzers loved the way these pieces stand on their own. They also create other design opportunities, such as interesting tub fillers that come up from the floor and the chance to add a stool, side table or bench.

Cabinets: Medallion Cabinetry; wallcovering (similar): Thibaut

Denton Developments

Subway tile. I’m sure this is not earth-shattering news to any of you. I wasn’t sure it was possible, but subway tile was more popular than ever in 2015. However, it’s not so much a trend as a classic. It goes with all kinds of styles, from vintage to industrial.

Vanity: custom, Beach Kitchens; floor tile and subway tile: Daltile

Mosaic Architects Boulder

Rough stone. Typically we associate smooth surfaces with bathrooms — glass, marble, mirror, porcelain, polished metals and the like. But that’s exactly why throwing in rougher natural textures has such a strong and pleasing effect.

Here, all the stone in the room is in similar colors. But the contrast comes from the finishes — rough travertine up the walls, honed travertine on the floors and polished Crema Marfil marble on the countertops. The room is earthy yet elegant thanks to this beautiful balance.

Stone tile: travertine ivory split-face Cambria strips (ST TVISFCS), Capco Tile; floor tile: Sant’Agostino & Marmi Italiani, SATAV 124, 12-by-24-inch Travertino tile in Avorio, honed, Apco Tile; bathtub, Zuma; wall sconce: Tubolaire wall sconce, Alico Lighting; sinks: rectangle ceramic semi-recessed vessel sink, Ronbow; Weng cabinetry, custom, Bruce Jaffe Design

iPhotographyHOMES

Textured tile. 2015 continued the trend of interesting 3-D tiles in all sorts of patterns. These are a great way to add interest in a bath with a monochromatic scheme.

Shower wall tile: Porcelanosa; pendant lights: Frost mini pendant, ET2 Lighting


Tell us: Did 2015 bring any new bathroom trends you liked? Reaffirm any long-standing favorites? What kinds of elements would you add in a 2016 bathroom renovation? Please let us know in the Comments.

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