Homeowners are spending more time in their bathrooms following renovations, and focusing on self-care, according to the latest survey from Houzz, Inc., a leading AI platform for construction and design. The 2026 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study* of 1,619 U.S. homeowners found that half of all renovating homeowners spend more time in their bathroom following an upgrade, most often for beauty and pampering routines (28%) and rest and relaxation (23%). Smaller shares turn to steaming (4%), while cold plunges, red light therapy, sauna sessions, and even recording beauty tutorials each are enjoyed by 1% of homeowners.
Study criteria
*The “2026 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 in August 2026. n=1,619.
More than three-quarters of homeowners (76%) say the most relaxing feature of a renovated bathroom is its cleanliness, followed by a spacious shower (71%) and organized storage (67%). Natural light and dimmable lighting (40% and 39%, respectively) help homeowners unwind, and more than a quarter seek relaxation in the form of a comfortable bathtub (26%). Water features, such as waterfall faucets and rainfall showerheads, rose by 6 percentage points from the previous year to 19%. Greenery and music were most relaxing for 12% and 6%, respectively.
“Homeowners want their bathrooms to work harder for them to support both daily routines and self-care,” said Marine Sargsyan, Houzz’s Head of Economic Research. “That’s showing up in the numbers—with median spend rebounding to $15,000—and nearly half of homeowners making their showers bigger. Pros are helping their clients to reconfigure layouts and make more room for the features that elevate everyday comfort.”
While the majority of bathrooms (82%) keep the same overall footprint after a renovation, those that do go bigger typically expand through an addition (32%). Among homeowners who expand into an existing space, more than a quarter choose to reduce or lose a closet (27%), while more than a fifth of homeowners (22%) absorbed part of a bedroom.
Bathroom projects generally include multiple structural changes, with 40% of homeowners reworking the layout and 38% modifying the walls, but shower enlargements were the fastest-growing major change this year. Nearly half of renovating homeowners (49%) increased the size of their shower, up 10 percentage points year over year. In fact, the majority of the 26% of renovating homeowners who removed a bathtub used the reclaimed space to enlarge the shower (79%), and 24% relocated the shower entirely.
Along with significant structural work, more homeowners are bringing in professional help. Nearly nine in 10 renovating homeowners (89%) hired at least one pro for their bathroom project, up 5 percentage points year over year, with general contractors the most sought after (52%), followed by bathroom remodelers and cabinetmakers (23% each).
Median spend on bathroom projects rebounded to $15,000 nationally in 2025, after falling to $13,000 in 2024. Spending on major remodels (those in which at least the shower was upgraded) also rose. The overall median reached $25,000, while the top 10% of projects were nearly three times as much at $70,000. Larger bathrooms (100 or more sq. ft.) commanded even larger budgets: median spend was $30,000, up 20% from 2024, with the top 10% of projects reaching $75,000 or higher.
Additional trends from the study
Pattern edges out color on accent walls.
About a third of renovating homeowners (34%) upgraded an accent wall, and pattern (53%) has overtaken color (48%) as the top way to make one stand out, followed by surface material (45%) and texture (25%). Blue and white tie as the most popular accent wall colors, at 19% each.
Wet rooms keep rising in popularity, particularly for accessibility.
Wet rooms now account for 18% of renovated bathrooms, up from 13% two years ago. Better use of space (41%) and accessibility or universal design (40%, up 14 percentage points) are the top motivations.
Vanities go wider with more built-in features.
Vanities larger than 72”, the widest option, rose 7 percentage points to 21% and are now more popular than 60” (18%) or 72” (17%) models. Soft-close hardware remains a favorite feature on drawers (83%) and doors (76%). Built-in features are less common, though electrical outlets (32%) and hair tool organizers (19%) each rose by 7 percentage points. Drawer organizers (25%) sit between them.
Double sinks become the standard.
Along with the larger vanities, installations of double sinks jumped 17 percentage points year over year (64%, up from 47% in 2025). The most popular style is undermount basins (68%), which also saw a substantial increase in popularity this year, up 11 percentage points.
Bidets take a seat at the top of specialty toilet features.
Nearly half of renovating homeowners now include specialty features in new or upgraded toilets (47%), up 9 percentage points. Bidet toilet seats (31%), adjustable water pressure (30%), and air dryers (28%) each rose 10 percentage points, followed by heated seats (27%), up 8 percentage points. Convenience features gained as well. Self-cleaning functions (22%) and nightlights (20%) each rose 6 percentage points, with self-deodorizers (14%) up 5 points.
You can download the full 2026 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study here.
About Houzz, Inc.
Houzz, Inc. is a leading AI platform for construction and design, empowering industry professionals and homeowners with the tools they need to make every project a success. Houzz helps people find ideas and inspiration, hire professionals and get advice for their projects, with more than 3 million pros and over 70 million homeowners and home design enthusiasts around the world relying on it today. Houzz Pro is an all-in-one software for construction and design professionals that puts AI trained on real industry data to work helping pros collaborate more effectively with clients and teams, deliver exceptional projects, and run more efficient, profitable businesses. The platform gives pros and their clients 24/7 access to project information, 3D visualizations, and financial tools.
