Rapidly evolving home technology stands to reshape the modern bath, as personal lifestyles drive design decisions

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA | KBIS), the world’s leading trade association for the $228 billion kitchen and bath industry, representing nearly 55,000 North American kitchen and bath industry professionals, has released its 2026 Bath Trends Report.

Comprised of data generated from a survey completed by nearly 700 industry experts, including designers, manufacturers, remodelers, architects, and more, the report provides a comprehensive look into current and upcoming trends in residential baths that will have the biggest impact in 2026 and beyond.

According to the report, the bath design landscape is currently in a state of flux – the evolution of bathroom technology marks an upcoming shift emerging in the home. As residential tech continues to present more opportunity and innovation, three areas of growth in the bath are standing out:

• Technology in Design Inspiration: Younger homeowners are turning to AI for design inspiration that integrates smart features, sustainability, and style.
• Technology in Fixtures: Smart home integration is expanding rapidly through intelligent showers, lighting, and energy systems.
• Technology for Wellness: Health-oriented features, stress-reduction tools, and aging-in-place innovations are becoming mainstream.

Beyond technology, personalized tastes and lifestyles are continuing to be the driving force behind color, style, and materials selection, as well as storage configurations and bath layout. “Bath design is becoming deeply personal,” said Bill Darcy, Global President & CEO of NKBA | KBIS. “Beyond considerations like resale value, designers are focusing on how spaces support a homeowner’s individual rituals, preferences, and self-care routines. This perspective encourages creativity, niche trends, and designs that truly reflect how people live today.”

The full report is available at NKBA.org with free access for NKBA members. Key findings include:

Colors & Materials: What’s In, What’s Out

• Light Neutrals Win: In near total agreement, 96% of respondents identified neutrals as the most popular bath colors, with off-white (58%), light brown/tan (54%), and white (40%) earning the dominant response ahead of dark brown (30%), black (18%), and dark gray/slate (18%).
• Shades of Green: Brown-based greens – sage (64%) and olive (43%) – are expected to be popular choices, while bolder hues – teal/turquoise (19%) and emerald/juniper (16%) – received far less
• Timeless Design: Transitional/timeless design tops the list, with 70% of respondents naming it as a popular style in the next three years. The style is followed by organic/natural (65%) and contemporary/modern/minimalism (57%) designs.
• Removing Fine Lines: Homeowners are looking for smaller or no grout lines on the floor, according to 89% of those surveyed. Additionally, 91% agree that durability and practicality to minimize upkeep is the top consideration for choosing a flooring material, supporting 80% who believe large format flooring will be the most popular over the next three years.
• Natural Materials: Wood-faced vanities (62%) have overtaken painted (53%) in popularity as biophilic design continues to be prioritized in the bath.
• Polished Is Out: For faucets, matte (54%), brushed (51%), and satin (46%) were all more popular than a polished finish (39%), playing into organic, natural design cues.

A Growing Footprint

The overall bath footprint will increase to make room for wellness-centered spaces, universal design considerations, and efficient storage solutions, according to 72% of respondents. Meanwhile, the space allocation in the primary bath is a top priority according to 89% of respondents. More than half (55%) say a larger shower size is more important than having a bathtub, which allows for more spa-like features and amenities within the shower, including steam options, saunas, aromatherapy, chromotherapy, and integrated seating and shelving.

Hospitality Inspiration for Wellness

Tying bath design to a homeowner’s hotel or resort experience is expected to be a popular practice, according to 77% of respondents, supporting the unification of wellness, technology, and sustainability into a singular, cohesive design philosophy. This isn’t about one individual feature like a smart toilet (though 51% agree smart toilets will rise in popularity over the next three years) or a new tile color (patterned and textured tiles are gaining prominence, according to 66%). Instead, it’s a fundamental shift in how we perceive and use the primary bathroom. It’s moving from a purely utilitarian space to a sanctuary dedicated to physical and mental well-being, while also being smart and environmentally conscious.

Spreading the Light

Lighting quality is a top consideration when it comes to bath design, according to 91% of respondents. In practice, this means prioritizing layers and levels of lighting:

• Task Lighting: 92% agree that task lighting should always be included in the primary bath
• Mood Lighting: 51% predict mood lighting in shower will gain prominence
• Time-of-Day Lighting: 80% are including nighttime-specific lighting, and 88% list natural lighting as a top priority
• Aesthetic Lighting: 47% favor integrated lighting in mirrors over the next three years

Custom Bath Solutions

On a growing scale, smart technology is being integrated to achieve a more individualized daily ritual and as a tool to impact overall well-being. On a simpler level, custom storage solutions with configurable modules to simplify life are being thoughtfully integrated into bath vanity and cabinetry design.

Item-specific storage includes built-in storage for hair tools, makeup, and medications, electrical integration, custom dividers and organizers to maximize drawer efficiency, and charging stations for electronic devices within vanity cabinetry. Coupled with personalized style inspiration, these considerations represent a deep shift towards bespoke living.

Accessibility is Elegant

Aging-in-place design elements have become so mainstream that in addition to function, these universal design fixtures prioritize beauty as well. Grab bars, curbless showers, shower benches, barrier-free shower entries, and wider doors are subtle, crucial safety features that make a primary bath look more luxurious and elevated. Of those surveyed, 32% agree that aging-in-place is now a mainstream trend; 48% agree that it’s on its way to becoming one.

NKBA Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online among 688 respondents, who are members of the NKBA community and targeted occupations including designers (which make up 61% of responses), showrooms, dealers, specialists, manufacturers, kitchen and bath remodelers/contractors, and architects. If not qualified as the previous occupations, fabricators, home centers, honorary members, and installers were excluded from the field. Respondents must have designed, specified, or sold products for at least one bath project in the past year. All ages qualified and gender was allowed to fall naturally. The NKBA sample-sourced, self-administered survey was augmented with a third-party sample interviewer-administered survey.