Wellness features offer refuge; Wet rooms are on the rise in primary bathroom remodels
September 23, 2025 – Accessibility is a growing priority for renovating homeowners, according to a recent survey from Houzz Inc., the leading all-in-one software platform for construction and design. The 2025 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study* of more than 1,700 respondents found that more than two-thirds of homeowners (68%) considered special needs during their bathroom projects, up 4 percentage points year-over-year. Many are looking ahead: nearly half (47%) anticipate that these needs will arise in the next five or more years, while 31% renovated their spaces to address the current needs of household members.
“Accessibility has become a defining priority in bathroom remodeling,” said Marine Sargsyan, Houzz staff economist. “Driven by demographic shifts and broader market trends, homeowners are increasingly working with professionals to integrate features that make their bathrooms safer, more adaptable and more supportive for all household members now and into the future.”
When addressing special needs today, homeowners most often focus on aging household members (41%, an increase of 4 percentage points). Planning for the future needs of aging household members holds an even higher share (49%). Other considerations include household members with disabilities (11%) and young children (5%). These priorities are reflected in popular design choices such as low-curb showers (52%), additional lighting (31%) and curbless showers (28%), which enhance safety, accessibility and ease of use for people of all ages and abilities.
“There is a role for accessible design in everyday living—whether it’s energetic kids, a loved one recovering from surgery, or the realities of aging in place,” designer and Houzz Pro user Dana Bass of Dana Bass Designs said. “It’s about creating flexible spaces that adapt seamlessly to the changing needs of every household.”
Homeowners are also turning their bathrooms into spaces for self-care and rejuvenation, with more than a third of renovated bathrooms (36%) now including wellness-oriented features such as upgraded lighting (30%), soaking tubs or spa baths (18%) and water features such as fountains or walls (13%). Renovators emphasise factors that support comfort and wellbeing, led by cleanliness (74%), spacious showers (65%), organized storage (59%) and natural light (43%).
The majority of homeowners engage home professionals to guide them through renovations (84%). With homeowners citing project visualization as a top challenge during renovations, pros are turning to tools like Houzz Pro’s 3D Floor Planner, Selections and Mood Boards to help their clients understand the aesthetics and functionality of the new space.
A deep dive on wet rooms
One in 6 renovated bathrooms now feature wet rooms, an increase of 3 percentage points compared with last year. Known for their open-concept design, with little to no enclosure separating the shower or tub from the rest of the space, wet rooms appeal to homeowners for both practical and aesthetic reasons.
- Motivations: Among those who created a wet room, half said it made better use of space (50%), while others pointed to the aesthetic appeal (29%) or increased accessibility (26%).
- Wet Room Walls: Rectangular tiles dominate wet room walls, chosen by nearly 9 in 10 homeowners (89%), followed at a distance by square shapes (5%). Larger format tiles are most popular, with nearly half of homeowners (48%) selecting tiles in the 12×24 inch to 18×18 inch range. Medium tiles (6×6 to 12×12 inches) follow at 29%.
- Wet Room Floors: A brick pattern is the most common choice for wet room floor tile, selected by one third of homeowners (33%). This is notably higher than in other types of bathrooms (20%). Beyond brick, many homeowners opt for grid (22%) and mosaic (12%) layouts in their wet rooms.
Additional trends from the study include custom choices and safety and comfort bathtub upgrades
- Homeowners Favor Custom Choices: More than half of homeowners (55%) chose either a fully custom (33%) or semi-custom (22%) vanity, showing a strong preference for tailored designs over stock options. A similar trend appeared with medicine cabinets, with 14% choosing custom and 12% choosing semi-custom.
- Safety and Comfort Drive Bathtub Upgrades: Specialty bathtub features are on the rise, with 55% of renovating homeowners including upgrades that prioritize safety and relaxation (up 5 percentage points since 2023). Nonslip flooring (24%) and grab bars (23%) are the most common additions. Comfort-driven features also stood out, such as space for two (12%), whirlpool or jets (12%), and built-in seating (7%).
- Horizontal Stack Tile Patterns Surge: Horizontally stacked shower wall tiles are up 5 percentage points from last year, now selected by 18% of renovating homeowners. However, horizontal brick remains the top choice (31%) with vertical stack again ranking second (20%).
- Accent Walls Make Bold Statements: Nearly a third of renovating homeowners (31%) bring personality to their bathrooms with accent walls. Among them, bold patterns (46%) and solid colors (46%) were equally popular, while 45% opted for textured surface materials to enhance visual interest.
You can download the full 2025 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study here.
*The “2025 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study” is a report of homeowners who are in the midst of, are planning or recently completed a bathroom renovation. The online survey was fielded to U.S. Houzz users from June to July 2025. n=1,738.
About Houzz
Houzz, the leading platform for construction and design, empowers industry professionals and homeowners with the tools they need to make every project a success. The company’s cloud-based, AI-powered project management and design software, Houzz Pro (houzz.com/pro), helps pros win projects, collaborate with clients and teams, and run their businesses efficiently and profitably. Houzz Pro also provides pros and their clients with 24/7 access to project information, 3D visualizations and financial tools. Using Houzz, people can find ideas and inspiration, hire professionals and buy products. The Houzz platform is used by more than 3 million construction and design industry professionals and over 70 million homeowners and home design enthusiasts around the world. Houzz and Houzz Pro are available on the web and as top-rated mobile apps. For more information, visit houzz.com.
