ACME’s Marlena Maidhof is featured in US News. Read here.
7 Bathroom Design Trends to Watch in 2025
by Liz Brumer-Smith
Your bathroom may be small, but it holds a lot of value in your home, especially in the current real estate market. As home prices remain elevated and interest rates hover near 7%, buyers are looking for move-in-ready homes with updated spaces.
One space of particular importance in a home-buying decision is the bathroom. Whether you’re simply looking to give your bathroom a makeover this year or interested in improvements that add value to your home ahead of its sale, experts believe these seven bathroom trends will be big in 2025.
1. Color
Painting your bathroom a trending color is an affordable and easy way to give the space a modern, fresh feel. Over the last few years, cool grays and pale blues have taken a backseat to earth tones. Brighter, bolder colors also made their way into the bathroom space, particularly with textured limewash paint.
“People are really into limewash right now, but instead of creams or whites, I’m seeing a lot of roses or dusty sage greens. It still gives a natural spa-like feel but with more of a deeper color,” says Marlena Maidhof, a real estate agent with Acme Real Estate in San Diego.
Trending colors in 2025 for major paint companies Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore all fall in the earth-tone families with varying shades of bright or deep greens, mustard yellows, browns and aubergines. The Pantone Color Institute, a global leader in color trends, selected Mocha Mousse as its 2025 Color of the Year.
2. Wet Rooms
Wet rooms made a strong comeback in 2024 and continue to be a sought-after feature in high-end bathrooms. This design combines the bathtub and shower into a single shared space designed to handle moisture. It can be partially enclosed with a glass partition or fully enclosed, but the key feature is that the entire space –including both the shower and tub – is intended to get wet during use.
Maidhof feels wet rooms won’t last long as a trend because they are not very functional. “But there are a lot of buyers asking for that,” she says.
Jenny Slingerland, the owner and principal designer of Black Ink Interiors in Scottsdale, Arizona, also thinks wet rooms will be a short-lived trend. “I think wet baths are great in bathrooms where you don’t have enough space for a bath and a shower and you really want a bath, but I don’t love them,” Slingerland says.
3. Natural Elements
Natural elements in homes are huge right now. They’re turning up in everything from flooring materials and paint colors to cabinet materials and countertops – and the bathroom is no exception. Spa-like bathrooms became hot in the wake of the pandemic. They are still desirable, but homeowners are also creating peaceful retreats in new ways.
“We’re seeing warm wood stains for bathroom cabinetry instead of painted wood. This adds warmth and pulls out the colors in natural stone, particularly marble,” says Slingerland. Marble and other natural materials are also huge in bathrooms right now. Zellige and other handmade clay tiles are really popular because of their organic feel.
“They are dried in the sun with imperfections. The sizes are a little off on each one because they are all hand-cut, but the finish and uniqueness of each piece are so beautiful,” Slingerland says.
4. Vanity Backsplash
Marble is popping up in unusual ways in bathrooms. Many homeowners and designers are installing large all-marble sinks and countertops, complementing them with a uniquely shaped marble vanity backsplash. “The backsplash can be cut into any shape – for example, scalloped on the edge. The vanity backsplashes are more character-driven and less modern,” Maidhof says.
She believes it gives more of the “one-of-a-kind feel” people are looking for today.
5. Stone Tiles
If you can’t tell, stone, particularly marble, is having a moment. Natural stones like marble and quartzite with large veining are being installed on bathroom floors and carried up onto the walls. “No two pieces are alike. The veining and colors can be so different,” Slingerland says. “There’s also the charm and patina that comes with use. Marble creates a space that feels more inviting and warm.”
The most common use for these stones is in large-format tiles, which have fewer grout lines, making them easier to clean. Large tiles are most commonly used with freestanding tubs and in higher-end homes. However, they fit in virtually any bathroom as long as it aligns with your budget.
Los Angeles CA Real Estate & Homes for Sale