Modern homeowners ask a lot of their bathrooms. Spa-style amenities, customizable lighting options, integrated technology, storage solutions — and ample space for these features — all surfaced as top trends in the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s 2026 Bath Trends Report.
The group surveyed 688 NKBA members including dealers, specialists, manufacturers, kitchen and bathroom remodelers, contractors, showroom runners, architects and designers, the last of which made up 61% of respondents. Their answers were collected and analyzed to determine what the future of bathroom design might hold.
Here are the results:
Wellness
Incorporating hospitality-inspired wellness features will be a popular choice in 2026, according to 77% of respondents. These amenities fall within the intersection of hotel-style comfort and mindful health trends.
“Primary baths are being treated as personal spa areas,” NKBA wrote. “Hot stones, heated dry towels, steamy hot towels, chilled towels, refreshment bar, lounge area, amazing tiles and patterns, hand printed wall coverings, fixtures with personalized finishes and bidets that have multi-functions are all common requests.”
Walk-in showers with clear glass doors that are separate from the tub will be preferred, according to the report. Of those surveyed, 78% forecasted that walk-in will be the preferred shower door style and 74% believed frameless shower glass to be the preferred style of the future.
Technology
Many homeowners want to outfit their bathrooms with smart features. Half of designers surveyed expect smart toilets and bidets to rise in popularity, while 25% think smart mirrors will take off.
Smart-glass shower frames are becoming more popular.
For showers, 28% of respondents anticipate a rise in popularity of smart-glass shower frames that can switch from clear to opaque with a tap. A generational breakdown showed that 87% of respondents expect Gen Z to embrace AI bathroom features and 78% believe that the generation will prioritize eco-friendly and sustainable building materials.
Older technologies like heated floors and towel racks, chromotherapy lighting and steam showers will continue to rise in popularity, respondents forecasted.
“Homeowners are looking for ways to have better control in their space. They want better control over their lighting, their shower experience and even their toilet experience,” the report explained.
Storage and footprint
With expanded expectations for bathroom amenities comes the need for more storage and space. Buyers are willing to expand bathroom footprints to make way for wellness features and increased storage, 72% of respondents said.
Allocating home space for a primary bath took top priority for 89% of respondents. Notably, over half prioritized having a large shower over having a bathtub.
Light and color
Green dominated color trend predictions, with sage (64%) and olive (43%) expected to be the preferred shades.
Sage and olive might be the trendy colors of the future.
Bold, moody colors may be headed out of style, with teal/turquoise and emerald/juniper only being flagged by 19% and 16% of respondents, respectively.
Accessibility
The report identified a burgeoning trend — accessibility that allows aging-in-place. Respondents reported an increased interest in incorporating grab bars, curbless showers, benches, wider doors and similar accessibility features.
Accessibility features promote aging in place.
Of those served, 32% agreed that aging-in-place features are already a mainstream trend, while 48% think the trend will likely be mainstream in the future.
Looking forward
The bathroom of the future will have to blend comfort, space, technology and accessibility — and do so seamlessly, NKBA. Plus, with bespoke features becoming more popular, homeowners will continue to expect more of their bathroom spaces.
“Today’s bathroom design strikes a balance between luxurious wellness features and practical accessibility,” the report concluded. “[T]omorrow’s design will need to appeal to the younger, eco-minded, tech-forward homeowners.”