Today’s burgeoning bathroom trends range from bold color palettes to high-tech functions. Whether you’re gut-renovating a primary bathroom or freshening up a powder room, you’re bound to find plenty of inspiration at all price points and levels of difficulty.
Keep reading to find bathroom remodel ideas for 2022, plus tips on how to budget for the home spa of your dreams.
8 Bathroom Ideas for 2022
The dominant bathroom trends for 2022 skew modern in nature with clean lines, organic materials, and a lot of warm, natural wood. At the same time, some homeowners are taking cues from their grandmothers, incorporating throwbacks to the 1960s with pink tile and patterned wallpaper. Whichever route you take, there’s little denying these bathroom ideas 2022 have a little something for everybody.
For a deeper dive into the topic, check out our guide to bathroom remodels.
1. Opt for an All-in-One Shower and Bath
Price: Moderate
Difficulty: High
Style: Contemporary
Functionality is at the forefront of many homeowners’ minds. And what’s more functional than a bathtub that doubles as a shower? It saves space and can be more economical than adding two separate bathing areas. Prepare to spend $1,100-$5,500 to remodel a shower alone, whereas a shower-tub combo costs around $1,400-$1,600, including fixtures and modifications.
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2. Choose Earthy, Organic Styles
Price: Low to Moderate
Difficulty: Moderate
Style: Contemporary
Gone are the days when subway tile was the only way to decorate a shower enclosure. In 2022 bathroom trends, tile is more tactile and natural. To mix things up, consider stacking tile vertically during layout, then enclosing it with a horizontal border.
Homeowners are opting for wooden tile for an organic look, often complementing it with white floor tile. Also on the rise: other natural materials in earthy tones that give the bathroom a sense of warmth.
3. Bring the Outdoors In
Price: Low
Difficulty: Easy
Style: Contemporary
In addition to earthy tones, homeowners are adding more plants to their bathroom spaces. Lush greenery is an economical way to mimic the feel of a resort spa. In addition to floor and counter planters, consider hanging plants from the ceiling in locations that enjoy natural light.
If you’ve got the budget to spare, merge indoors and out via a glass wall and outdoor rain shower.
4. Add Twin Showerheads
Price: Low
Difficulty: Moderate
Style: Contemporary
Adding side-by-side showerheads is one of many shower remodel ideas you may choose to add to your bath remodel. Not only does it add symmetry to your shower, but it allows more than one person to shower at a time. That can come in handy if you have children you’re trying to bathe simultaneously, or spouses who get ready for work at the same time.
5. Incorporate Creative Storage Solutions
Price: Moderate
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Style: Contemporary
If you live in an apartment or own a home with smaller bathrooms, finding new ways to add storage is at the top of many homeowners’ priority list. Perhaps you have an unused nook where you can add built-ins for toiletries and linens. Or you can replace a floating vanity with one that has under-sink storage. Built-ins and custom cabinetry can cause your bathroom budget to balloon, but they’re often worth the investment if space elsewhere in your home is at a premium.
6. Switch to a Bold Black Palette
Price: Varies
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Style: Contemporary
Black is back in bathroom trends 2022. Taking a page out of Scandinavian design (which is fond of mixing black with natural wood), interior designers are using black walls, floors, and stone to make a strong statement. Even bathroom fixtures are skewing dark with matte black tubs and faucets.
Love black but don’t want your entire bathroom to be a single color? Use black sparingly instead — on floor tile, a wooden wall covering, or a sink and toilet combo — and incorporating gold fixtures.
7. Go All Out with Color and Pattern
Price: Varies
Difficulty: Moderate
Style: Traditional
On the flip side of the sleek black trend is Grandma’s bubblegum-pink bathroom. Adding a splash of color to your bathroom is one way to up the wow factor. Dare to go all pink — from a clawfoot tub to dusty rose floor tile to a blush-dominant floral wallpaper. Or simply add a pink toilet as a statement piece. Want to test out this bathroom trend but wary of going too pink? Modern wallpaper patterns (think: flamingos and palm leaves) and geometric tile are two ways to walk the line between traditional and modern.
8. Go High-Tech
Price: Moderate
Difficulty: Moderate
Style: Contemporary
As home technology continues to advance, so do homeowners’ desires to operate everything via apps and devices. Many homeowners opt for wall-mounted digital interfaces that operate everything from the shower heads to stereo speakers. Adding heated flooring and high-tech bidets are also among the top bathroom ideas 2022.
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How To Budget for Your Bathroom Reno
When researching materials, start with what you know you need: tile, faucet, paint, etc. For things like tile and paint, plan on purchasing 20% more than your square footage requires. Then consult DIY sites to make sure you include all the necessary incidentals to complete the project. For a DIY tiling project, for example, you’ll need grout, a grout float, thinset, sealant, drop cloths, etc. (Here’s some info on how to keep inflation from blowing your reno budget.)
The most expensive part of a bathroom reno is labor. If you’re hiring a contractor to do the work, expect 75% of your budget to go to the contractor(s). That’s because full bathroom updates require a number of specialists, such as plumbers, electricians, and tile installers. Even for smaller updates, a general contractor can cost $50-$75 an hour. (Learn more about how to find the right contractor.)
Finally, experts recommend adding a 20%-30% cushion to your overall budget to cover any unforeseen issues.
Keep Resale Value in Mind
The good news is that bathroom updates do increase your home’s value — but there are limits. Typical updates recoup about 70% of their cost, while upscale renos have a lower ROI of about 60%, according to the 2022 State of Remodeling in the U.S. survey.
The upshot: You’ll enjoy a better bang for your buck by keeping updates modest and avoiding anything too trendy or unique (ahem, black bathtub).
Consider Your Financing Options
Before you commit to any of these bathroom remodel ideas, you’ll need to figure out how you’re going to finance your home improvement project. A personal loan, credit card, savings, or HELOC are all ways you might finance your bathroom remodel. No matter how you pay for your bathroom upgrades, it’s wise to weigh your options and compare terms, conditions, and interest rates upfront.
The Takeaway
Some bathroom trends for 2022 are on the practical side, such as creative storage and side-by-side showerheads. Others are more daring, like switching to matte black fixtures. Whichever way your tastes lean, make sure you have the budget to do things right. It’s what’s behind the walls that really matters — to your family and potential homebuyers.
Don’t rely on credit cards to fund your reno. With a home improvement loan from SoFi, you can borrow up to $100,000 at a competitive fixed rate, and with no fees. So there’s no need to cut corners on your dream bathroom.
Personal Loan Tips
Tip 1
If you don’t have the cash to renovate or remodel your home, one financing option is a personal or home improvement loan, which can be faster and easier to secure than a construction loan.
Tip 2
In a climate where interest rates are rising, you’re likely better off with a fixed interest rate than a variable rate, even though the variable rate is initially lower. On the flip side, if rates are falling, you may be better off with a variable interest rate.
Tip 3
Just as there are no free lunches, there are no guaranteed loans. So beware lenders who advertise them. If they are legitimate, they need to know your creditworthiness before offering you a loan.
Photo credit: iStock/LeoPatrizi
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