AD PRO’s Luxury Bath Trend Report 2024

In recent years, the washroom has taken on new and increased functions—sauna, steam room, dressing room, beauty studio—as homeowners crave amenities that help them look, feel, and truly be well. To achieve these goals without scrimping on style, designers have made significant changes to today’s luxury bathrooms, reinventing their layouts, incorporating technology, and exploring a range of finishes and materials both punchy and pristine.

This AD PRO member–exclusive trend report reveals the secrets to designing a visually stunning, future-proofed bathroom that answers your clients’ demands—going far beyond basic hygienic function and expanding the room’s role to improve both physical and mental health. Supported by market analysis, top-notch reporting, and additional expert insights from AD PRO’s global network of industry professionals, this guide offers proven advice, tips, and metrics, including three new bathroom floor plans that will satisfy any discerning homeowner; an exploration of the practical and aesthetic merits of grout, plaster, and seamless stone slab; and the bathroom tech and products worth investment. Soak away the stress: We’re providing all the information you need to create the luxurious bathroom of your clients’ dreams.

WATCH: AD PRO Session: Luxury Bath Trends
Jake Arnold, Heidi Woodman, and Michael Hilal talk about the “material drenching” look taking over bathrooms, share their favorite budget-friendly products, and more in this one-hour panel

3 Layout Ideas for a Beautiful and Functional Bathroom
The hottest trends in bathroom design? A space that does double—or triple—duty. By Jesse Dorris

Here Are the Bath Products Top Designers Keep in Their Arsenal—and You Should Too
We asked 6 AD PRO Directory talents to come clean about their preferred bathroom lighting, decor, storage, and more. Produced by Maya Ibbitson and Lauren Arzbaecher

What Bathroom Tech Is Here to Stay?
Smart toilets and AI controls are in, and interactive mirrors are out (for now), according to designers. By Dan Howarth

Designers Debate: To Grout or Not to Grout?
Pros weigh in on whether classic tiling or a seamless surface wins out in the bathroom. By Alia Akkam

Why Designers Are Turning On to Texture
After years of sticking with the smooth and streamlined look, the primary bathroom is being infused with big, punchy personality. By Nora Taylor

How to Design a Bathroom That Is Truly Good for You
Industry pros unpack the concept of “wellness” and how best to incorporate it in your next bathroom project. By Sophie Aliece Hollis

AD PRO Exclusive Preview: Great Design Awards 2024
Before AD’s November issue hits the stands, we're giving members a first look at the best new bath products out there. Soak them up… By Madeline O’Malley

Given the bathroom’s centrality to some of life’s most important purposes—from the prosaic if essential bodily functions to the more existential, dreamy aspects of dressing—it’s a strange thing that most contemporary bathroom architecture has remained largely unchanged from the arrival of the water closet. That’s finally beginning to shift, however, as designers and their clients start to embrace a trio of layouts redefining both the look and feel of the home bathroom.

Full bathing suites are now de rigueur for many clients with the means, both in square footage and budget, to transform a primary bathroom into a procession of aspirational zones of refreshment. “We often ask clients to tell us about their fondest memories of spaces that relaxed and cleansed them,” says Christine Djerrahian, founder of Montreal’s Future Simple Studio. “It can be a hammam, a spa, a lake.” In turn, these references inspire finishes, fixtures, and even furniture, expanding the role of the bathroom into a mini resort just a few steps from bed.

However, notes New York City–based interior designer Anna Beeber, “Some of my clients have private spas elsewhere in the home that provide the relaxing bathing experience.” If you’ve already transformed your basement into a Turkish bath, à la Gwyneth Paltrow, you might “prefer the bathrooms to be focused on getting dressed and ready,” she continues. In this case, an ensuite dressing room is the right fit. “Our clients own beautiful clothing collections, and we design boutique-style wardrobe displays connected to bathrooms through shared millwork style, lit cabinetry, and heated floors,” Beeber says. “Sometimes we include cosmetic refrigerators and bespoke safes.” New York–based Le Whit principal Corey Kingston agrees that a closet near the bathroom offers easy access. “But unless the closets are designed well,” she says, “the storage can become quite messy.” Chicago designer Erin Shakoor counsels designing ensuite storage “to avoid that one large hallway linen closet that often proves difficult to keep neat and organized, because it turns into one huge catch-all for multiple bathrooms.” In other words, your wardrobe deserves a room of its own. “And there needs to be adequate venting in order for steam not to affect any clothing,” Kingston adds.

For clients without their own spa or the square footage for ensuite options, a wet room satisfies the functional end of a soothing bathing ritual. “Clients love a wet room that includes a shower, tub, and steam room so that it feels like a spa,” says Kingston. Djerrahian says clients are excited by orienting the room around the shower. “A wet shower area is large, a feature element, and baths, sinks, and toilets are finding their way in and around that wet area,” she says. “They are quite fab,” agrees Shakoor. “It becomes a conversation space. While one person is taking a bubble bath, the other is showering or using the spa features. Sounds pretty sexy to me.”

Less sexy, but vital, are issues of upkeep. In a wet room, Shakoor says, “the tub area could feel not as glam if the showering area is used the most, which would keep everything covered in water spots.” She recommends a whole-home water filtration system and ventilation in that case. “A powerful exhaust system will quickly dry the area and avoid that steamy, watery look on the surfaces.” And speaking of surfaces, Kingston advises making selections based on “longevity and durability, with a serene classic palette for the primary bathroom. The powder room gets to have the fun!”

For clients that prefer to go all-out, Shakoor is on board. “The flooring choice should be jaw-dropping in color, pattern, texture,” she says, “to further create that luxurious feel you get when featuring a free-standing tub.” Why stop at the tub? For a recent project in Quebec City, Djerrahian installed “a large, handcrafted sink basin as one enters the main area.” All this doesn’t come cheap, of course. “Given that most bathroom components, like faucets and toilets, come in standardized colors, making a bespoke bathroom is very expensive,” she says. But for many homeowners, the chance to push the boundaries of a room so significant is priceless. —Jesse Dorris

When it comes to blinging out the bathroom, the possibilities can be overwhelming. We asked six designers from the AD PRO Directory—Hommeboys Interiors, Young Huh Interior Design, Amy Studebaker Design, Post Company, Atelier Davis, and Aquilo Interiors—to come clean about their preferred bathroom lighting, decor, storage, and more. Browse their complete edit on AD’s shopping channel.

Hommeboys Interiors

Hommeboys Interiors fuses California cool with daredevil details—and each time, they leave us wanting more.

Young Huh Interior Design

Industry vet Young Huh knows a thing or two about how to make a bathroom uniquely your own.

Amy Studebaker Design

St. Louis, Missouri–based Amy Studebaker can charm any room with her playful eye for pattern.

Post Company

Whether designing homes or hotels, Brooklyn, New York– and Jackson, Wyoming–based Post Company always curates showstopping spaces.

Atelier Davis

From Atlanta and New York City, Atelier Davis punches up even the most petite powder room with a dose of derring-do.

Aquilo Interiors

Ready to make a statement? California’s Carmen René Smith isn’t afraid of bold stones, polka dots, or botanical wallpaper in the bathroom.

During the pandemic, the bidet attachment turned bathroom technology into a hot topic. But in the slew of home remodels since, several other innovations have crept into this most personal space. Which ones will match the bidet’s staying power? Those that contribute to homeowner ease, designers say.

While toilet paper hoarding and general pandemic panic may have contributed to the bidet’s newfound mass appeal, its individualized function and sanitary nature have kept it around. “Once someone has used one, they rarely go back!” exclaims New York City–based designer and AD PRO Directory member Andrew Torrey, who now plans bidet attachments for all his projects stateside. Most can be installed under the seat of a standard toilet with controls for adjusting the spray and pressure at the side. A T-valve splits the water supply between the toilet tank and the bidet spray, and the pipe network’s water pressure is enough to make it spout—no electricity required.

Some homeowners who have come to truly love theirs are now upgrading to the smart toilet, many of which incorporate bidet functions as well as seat warmers, air dryers, and carbon filters for absorbing unwanted odors. Bay Area designer Michael Hilal, who has long included such products on big-budget projects, attests that smart toilets have “become more mainstream” since the pandemic. “There are definitely more options these days, and not only in the high-end market,” the AD PRO Directory member says. Some are designed to resemble standard toilets, while others come in sculptural futuristic shapes.

In-home steam showers and saunas are also becoming commonplace, says Hilal, and combined with an increase in requests for small home gyms, this wider focus on wellness is dictating which tech is prioritized. “With one client we’ve repurposed unused closet space to add a steam element” for use after workouts, adds Hilal, who is also experimenting with infrared lighting in bathrooms. This can be installed as a heat source in a shower so it’s quicker to warm up, more comfortable to sit in, and cheaper to install than a traditional standalone sauna. Along with smart showers and touch-pad-operated radiant heated floors, the integration of these technologies into homes points to a transformation of our everyday bathrooms into full spa experiences.

What’s out, at least for now? All-in-one products are moving a little too fast for homeowners’ tastes. Interactive mirrors with integrated screens and controls “feel like more of a gimmick to me,” Hilal notes. “It’s nice to have that technology, but it’s just not there yet.” Torrey has noticed a shift away from centralized controls that run a home’s full tech system and toward individual controls for different rooms or products. “Today, most clients (myself included!) want standalone controls for each component,” he says.

In general, designers have to remain keenly aware of the speed at which bathroom technology advances. This requires installing any control panels in areas where they can be easily replaced when an upgrade is due or removed entirely if the tech becomes obsolete. “The most important thing we do is not build tech panels into hard-to-change millwork or metalwork,” Torrey advises. Offering clients such future-proofing flexibility “will always be very appreciated,” he adds. Rather than having a client trial a novel product still in development, designers should always test new tech before recommending it to assure it’s useful. “It’s important that something is 100% ironclad and consistent before I would bring it into a project,” Torrey explains.

For any technology to become a permanent fixture in our bathrooms—as heated floors and towel rails have—a discreet look is key, says Hilal, who is desperate “to get away from the giant iPad on the wall.” Instead of such unsightly panels for adjusting lighting, shading, and temperature, Torrey is beta-testing systems like Josh.ai. This AI-controlled home system responds to natural interfaces like voice and touch, using a network of pinhole microphones and facial recognition cameras that can easily be hidden. Perhaps more importantly than in other areas of the home, bathroom tech ultimately needs to “function in a way that doesn’t look cheesy,” says Hilal. To feel truly contemporary, the bathroom of the future “has to look like there is an absence of technology.” —Dan Howarth

Tilework can be a hero feature of a beautiful bathroom, imbuing floors, walls, vanities, and showers with enticing hues and tactility. But it also comes with a tradeoff: grappling with inevitably darkened grout lines. Does the ease (and expense) of maintaining sleek slabs and tadelakt outweigh the upkeep rituals demanded of the more conventional options? We asked designers to weigh in.

Gang Grout-Free

For Washington, DC–based Zoë Feldman, dingy grout is a no-go—which is why she gravitates toward tadelakt. “Even with regular cleaning, grout often needs to be replaced every few years,” the AD PRO Directory member says, adding that it’s particularly true of lighter options—and even a good sealant can’t prevent it. “What’s great about tadelakt is how it transforms your space into a luxurious retreat. [It] gives a spa-like feel, especially in enclosed showers, with its elegant plaster look and subtle irregularities. It offers more movement than traditional tiles and is perfect for wet environments.”

Meanwhile, Great Barrington, Massachusetts–based designer Jess Cooney juxtaposed a slatted oak ceiling and walls in the primary bathroom of her own Berkshires lake house with a slab stone vanity and sink because “the look is incredibly clean and modern, but it can also be more rugged and rustic by honing or leathering the stone surface,” she explains.

Tadelakt and seamless slab are pricey but promise longevity: The former is particularly resistant to mold and mildew and the thickness of the latter means “it’s less prone to staining or chipping,” adds Cooney.

Team Tile

Christie Ward and Staver Gray, the AD PRO Directory designers behind New York studio Ward + Gray, prefer to spec marble for bathroom floor and wall tiles. “It has been used for centuries so it has a more classic feel to us when we're trying to honor a building's history or make a space feel like it's been there forever,” says Ward. “Given marble is a natural material, it has imperfections and variations, which add a lot of personality.”

Consider the West Village town house bathroom for which the studio sourced Arabescato Corchia, Nero Marquina, and Breccia Viola tiles to conjure the floor of the Roman church where the homeowner got engaged. It’s “the hero design element,” Gray says. “We pulled the Nero Marquina from the floor and repeated it on the architrave around the shower door. The tile also informed the ebonized wood finish and style of the vintage cabinet.” AD PRO Directory designer Annie Downing also turned to marble for the primary bathroom of an Austin new-build, swathing the space in Bianco Carrara balanced by “warm concrete tile on the floors. It’s unexpected and harmonizes with the hardware and drapery selections,” she says.

Concrete, ceramic, and Zellige tiles are more durable alternatives to porous marble, and Rachel Bullock of AD PRO Directory practice Laun Studio in Los Angeles is a fan. Versatile ceramic tiles “are great for creating some visual interest through pattern, since they are typically quite uniform in size and shape,” she explains. But Zellige, distinguished by its characterful, artisanal feel, stands out in simple layouts. For a project in Silver Lake, Laun sourced an unglazed version for the bathroom’s earthy ceiling and commissioned local artist Sara Bright to hand-paint them. Likewise, Los Angeles designer and Directory member Jennifer Miller embraced light beige Zellige in the shower of a Montecito abode, pairing it with veined marble on the vanity. “The glaze and unevenness of the tile makes it feel original to the architecture of the building,” says Miller. “The marble helped bring in that old-world quality and acted as a smoother foil.”

Some designers on Team Tile pointed out that a little creativity—and even leaning into imperfection—can go a long way. Miller, for instance, notes that different shades of grout can be utilized to offset “a patterned tile scheme, which makes it look more intentional.” Bullock agrees, and points out that Laun typically shuns white grout for custom hues so that “tile can become a field of color.” “You can either create patterns with a contrasting grout or lean into the same tones.”

When designing in older buildings, Ward + Gray also loves how grout can accentuate, say, “chiseled stone edges to make the tile feel aged and worn like a true antique material,” says Ward. But, Gray explains, grout is ultimately functional: “Grout's job is to showcase the tile; we don’t like to go too loud or make a statement with it.” —Alia Akkam

As the most private of the private spaces, the primary bathroom tends to reflect how residents want to feel rather than what they want to project. Thus, it is often relaxing, spa-like, or an oasis within the home, while experimentation is confined to the powder room. But these roles may be changing. A rise in designers specifying Roman Clay finishes, funky tile designs, and bold lighting for the primary bathroom sends the signal: Texture is back in a big way, and it’s not solely relegated to maximalists.

“Bathrooms are the kind of transient areas where you don't necessarily spend hours every day, so it's a great place to experiment with bolder ideas,” designer Linda Boronkay posits. However, even small additions of texture can breathe life into a loo that prioritizes function over form. “It’s so easy for bathrooms to come off as sterile because they are built for durability,” says Nasozi Kakembo, founder and designer of xN Studio. “They are made to withstand years of use and humidity, but adding texture into that equation transforms a bathroom into an extension of one’s home and aesthetic.”

For many designers, clients don’t need convincing. Though they may not use the term “texture,” they come to the first design meeting with it top of mind. Miminat Shodeinde, founder of Miminat Designs, says that hers have been moving towards “sensory-rich” spaces that often include textural decorative elements. Kakembo adds objects made of natural materials to the bathroom, including traditional items like hampers and more experimental ones like a wall of baskets.

Materials and finishes can also lend a helping hand. Kakembo is thrilled to see the rise of ones that “convincingly mimic architectural details.” AD PRO Directory talent Mimi Shin clad her personal bathroom with Portola’s Roman Clay paint for depth and a Clé brick that she “keeps returning to” for client projects. In addition to sourcing wallpaper and compelling colors of paint, Boronkay uses paneling in bathrooms for a sense of architectural richness. “Interesting marbles for vanities and floor finishes with a distinct pattern” extend texture beyond walls, she adds.

While stone and wood are popular textural elements for a bathroom, Victoria Sass of AD PRO Directory firm Prospect Refuge Studio notes that one overlooked element is tile. “It’s not just about using tiles with a textured surface; it’s about how the arrangement itself creates texture. Small mosaics or penny rounds can mimic the feel of pebbles, while a pattern of square tiles can resemble a woven fabric,” she says. “The glaze, grout color, and whether the tile is handmade or factory-produced all offer beautiful opportunities to introduce texture and depth to your space in subtle but impactful ways.”

Execution is a big part of the equation, of course. “The key to highlighting texture is contrast,” she points out. “A textured cabinet detail stands out more against a simple stone top. Cast bronze hardware feels richer when paired with a sleek, painted cabinet.” Layering and bringing disparate elements together can all help to create texture in a space without always relying on unconventional materials, or give more unique materials a sense of place.

And a final perk of this approach? Clients’ personalities can shine through, says Shodeinde. To her, the bathroom is becoming “somewhere clients are wanting to push the boundaries of convention to create something truly one-of-a-kind.” —Nora Taylor

Since the pandemic, the word “wellness” has been a resounding gong shaking up industries far beyond healthcare and fitness. For architects and designers, the trending term has translated into increasing client demand for personalized spaces that improve health. Where better to do so than in the most intimate room of all? The bathroom, while still utilitarian at its core, presents a testing ground for the many facets of wellness—respite, relaxation, ritual, hygiene. Its design offers an opportunity to peel back the buzzword’s layers and identify truly effective practices.

Wellness design begins with a holistic approach. In fact, Rockwell Group partner Greg Keffer claims that the two are inextricably tied. “Our wellbeing, and the planet’s,” says Keffer, “are a result of a holistic approach to design.” This sentiment is echoed by Carmel, California–based architect and eponymous studio founder Mary Ann Schicketanz, who adds that the main focus of her practice has always been to create “healthy interiors.” To do so, she says, one must be mindful at all scales, “from the use of non-off-gassing materials to understanding the more esoteric aspects of how color, light, and proportion of a room affect one’s well-being.”

The growing popularity of the term is met with criticism from Page design director Darrell Long. Its overuse in mainstream marketing, he says, is akin to the “elusively ambiguous holistic characteristics of ‘literally’ and ‘like.’” As the old saying goes, the more you repeat a word, the less it begins to mean, “but that is no reason to avoid it,” he counters. “Critical design equations tell us space (mass, plan, organization) is the crucial first step in creating an experiential opportunity for a healthier physical and mental diagram.”

While the holistic design principles behind the label of “wellness” may not be new, homeowners are beginning to seek their results everywhere. According to the American Society of Interior Designers’ (ASID) 2024 Trends Outlook Report, “health and wellness tourism is growing: 94% of affluent travelers are incorporating wellness and self-care into their trip.” These hospitality experiences can impact residential design as well, according to English architect and designer Richard Parr. “Our clients often cite experiences from travel and holidays as inspiration for their homes,” Parr says. “The purpose of hospitality is to escape from the day-to-day—a retreat, a form of self-pampering…. When designing a home, it is like a hotel—for life! Achieving a better physical and mental state must be the goal.”

In practice, Parr’s London- and Cotswolds-based studio allocates “more space in the home to make [the bathroom] a place to sit, relax, and retreat,” he says. “Features like steam rooms, flotation tubs, or plunge pools are all popular trends.” According to the group of designers we surveyed, clients are increasingly requesting elements of sensorial immersion, in addition to hydrotherapy, hot and cold therapy, aromatherapy, chromatherapy, and audio therapy. Kohler, the bathroom products giant, confirms a growing demand for in-home spa products, and Stephanie Krickeberg, the company’s director of wellness product marketing, points to Kohler's recent acquisition of Klafs, a German sauna maker, as “a dominant signal for where the company is heading.”

Beyond innovative products, “We're seeing a lot of ‘the outside coming in,’ by which we mean increased natural light, softer edges, and nature-inspired colors, materials, and finishes” in wellness-focused bathroom designs, says Krickeberg. “Exposure to natural light…and incorporating biophilic elements…has been shown to boost mood and energy levels,” explains Khoi Vo, CEO of ASID. For the Honolulu-based Philpotts Interiors, clients are seeking “a deeper connection where nature nurtures and heals,” say partner Marion Philpotts-Miller and senior designer Anne Tanaka. Blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces, the firm often integrates “the natural landscape into private oases dedicated to relaxation and rejuvenation that act as extensions of the bathroom.” Today’s homeowners are taking note of the positive way they feel outside and craving it inside the house.

While no singular definition for wellness design exists, there are a number of international initiatives promoting holistic practices. Within the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence, the “Design for Wellbeing” category considers physical, mental, and emotional effects on occupants and the community. Additionally, the International WELL Building Institute has developed the WELL Building Standard, which considers 10 core concepts—air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind, and community—to create “a set of strategies—backed by the latest scientific research—that aim to advance human health through design interventions and operational protocols and policies and foster a culture of health and well-being.” For WELL-accredited architect Diane Rogers, of IA Interior Architects, this standard comes in handy when trying to convince a client out of skimping on important design elements. “It gives us data to bolster our choices,” like “why it really is worth the money to install that skylight, or why specifying a ventilation system that provides cleaner air above and beyond the code requirements is the better value over time,” says Rogers.

As wellness metrics and standards continue to evolve and gain traction, the bathroom has become the ubiquitous place to enact them. —Sophie Aliece Hollis

Calming Serums

Freshened Up

Beauty Treatments

—Madeline O'Malley