Supersize Me! Our Bathroom Renovation Priorities
Find out who's doing what when they renovate their bathroom, in the revealing Houzz Australia 2017 Bathroom Trends Study
No matter the size of our budget, we all want an easy-to-clean but beautiful bathroom, with plenty of natural light and ample storage space to stash our stuff. Renovating the bathroom almost always results in a change of style, no matter what our age or living situation. The style we choose, however, often varies according to whether we’re a baby boomer, millennial, or somewhere in between.
Discover which features are at the top of homeowners’ lists when planning a bathroom renovation, how much we spend, and whether our home’s resale value is still an influential factor – the answers may surprise you.
Discover which features are at the top of homeowners’ lists when planning a bathroom renovation, how much we spend, and whether our home’s resale value is still an influential factor – the answers may surprise you.
While contemporary and modern styles trumped any other, style preference also came down to which generation a homeowner belonged. Baby boomers, for example, leaned slightly more towards traditional-style bathrooms, while millennials favoured Scandi style more than older generations. Eight per cent of millennial respondents also factored romance into the renovation equation, three times the number of over-54s who felt the same.
“Most millennials (under 35) tackle bathroom renovations shortly after buying a home and want to personalise and romanticise the space,” explains Houzz Australia country operations manager Tony Been. “Homeowners older than 54 are motivated by lifestyle triggers, such as family changes, and/or physical triggers, such as something breaking or wearing out.”
See more Scandi-style bathrooms
See more Scandi-style bathrooms
Top bathroom priorities
Almost 80 per cent of renovators prioritised a stylish and beautiful bathroom over all else, but a bathroom that added to their home’s resale value was also highly important for 45 per cent of respondents. Other priorities included an abundance of natural light (39 per cent), a bathroom that’s easy to clean and disinfect, and one with plenty of storage that makes things easy to find.
Almost 80 per cent of renovators prioritised a stylish and beautiful bathroom over all else, but a bathroom that added to their home’s resale value was also highly important for 45 per cent of respondents. Other priorities included an abundance of natural light (39 per cent), a bathroom that’s easy to clean and disinfect, and one with plenty of storage that makes things easy to find.
Tubs for two
Several features stood out on the most-wanted list for bathroom renovators. Among those upgrading their tubs, the leading bathtub feature across generations is one that has room for two (22 per cent). Many more millennials (26 per cent) than baby boomers (19 per cent) listed a tub for two as a priority.
Freestanding tubs beat built-in tubs as the tub of choice, but only by 6 per cent.
Several features stood out on the most-wanted list for bathroom renovators. Among those upgrading their tubs, the leading bathtub feature across generations is one that has room for two (22 per cent). Many more millennials (26 per cent) than baby boomers (19 per cent) listed a tub for two as a priority.
Freestanding tubs beat built-in tubs as the tub of choice, but only by 6 per cent.
Supersized showers
Among those upgrading their shower, over two thirds of renovating homeowners increased its size (68 per cent). Top shower feature upgrades include rainfall showerheads (64 per cent) and handheld showerheads (62 per cent).
Among those upgrading their shower, over two thirds of renovating homeowners increased its size (68 per cent). Top shower feature upgrades include rainfall showerheads (64 per cent) and handheld showerheads (62 per cent).
Showers designed to accommodate two people were also popular, particularly among millennials (26 per cent versus 10 per cent of baby boomers). Overall, 12 per cent of homeowners chose this option.
Not only showers are being supersized; a third of homeowners increased the size of the bathroom as a whole during a renovation.
14 Twin Showers to Double Your Fun
Not only showers are being supersized; a third of homeowners increased the size of the bathroom as a whole during a renovation.
14 Twin Showers to Double Your Fun
Colour choice
White has long been the top colour of choice for bathrooms and remains the preferred colour for walls, vanities and benchtops. Almost half of predominantly white bathrooms have a grey floor, and they’re tiled with porcelain or ceramic tiles 74 per cent of the time.
Of those who upgraded their bathroom basins and vanities, almost one-third opted for a double sink. Despite the rise in popularity of black, bronze, brass and coloured taps, the top-three tap finishes are shiny chrome (54 per cent), matt chrome (14 per cent) and stainless steel (13 per cent).
White has long been the top colour of choice for bathrooms and remains the preferred colour for walls, vanities and benchtops. Almost half of predominantly white bathrooms have a grey floor, and they’re tiled with porcelain or ceramic tiles 74 per cent of the time.
Of those who upgraded their bathroom basins and vanities, almost one-third opted for a double sink. Despite the rise in popularity of black, bronze, brass and coloured taps, the top-three tap finishes are shiny chrome (54 per cent), matt chrome (14 per cent) and stainless steel (13 per cent).
Bathroom costs
Small bathrooms (less than five square metres in size) cost an average of $9,700 to renovate. Bathrooms larger than this cost renovators an average of $13,200. Bathroom renovation spend varied somewhat by age, with homeowners over 54 spending $11,900, 35- to 54-year-olds spending $12,700, and the under-35s spending an average of $9,100.
Small bathrooms (less than five square metres in size) cost an average of $9,700 to renovate. Bathrooms larger than this cost renovators an average of $13,200. Bathroom renovation spend varied somewhat by age, with homeowners over 54 spending $11,900, 35- to 54-year-olds spending $12,700, and the under-35s spending an average of $9,100.
“It is quite noteworthy that the majority of Australian homeowners in any generational group plan to stay in their home for at least 10 years, partly explaining the large scope and investment in bathroom renovations today,” says Been.
Browse more bathroom photos
Browse more bathroom photos
High-tech features
Technology is finding its way into just about every area of our lives, and the bathroom is no exception. High-tech toilets, for example, are on the rise. These toilets can be self-cleaning, have overflow and anti-clogging protection as well as motion-activated lids and heated seats. They can also feature a built-in night light, are often self-deodorising, and feature hands-free flushing! So far, only 12 per cent of toilets are considered high-tech, but stay tuned for next year’s survey – with those kinds of features now available, who wouldn’t want a high-tech loo?
Other high-tech features finding their way into bathrooms include showerheads with LED lighting and built-in speakers, built-in bathtub sound and vibrations, and a built-in scented mist dispenser in the bath.
Tell us
Are you planning your own bathroom renovation? Share your plans in the Comments below. And if you found this story helpful, like it, bookmark it, save the photos and share your thoughts below. Join the conversation.
More
Read the full Houzz Bathroom Trends Study
Technology is finding its way into just about every area of our lives, and the bathroom is no exception. High-tech toilets, for example, are on the rise. These toilets can be self-cleaning, have overflow and anti-clogging protection as well as motion-activated lids and heated seats. They can also feature a built-in night light, are often self-deodorising, and feature hands-free flushing! So far, only 12 per cent of toilets are considered high-tech, but stay tuned for next year’s survey – with those kinds of features now available, who wouldn’t want a high-tech loo?
Other high-tech features finding their way into bathrooms include showerheads with LED lighting and built-in speakers, built-in bathtub sound and vibrations, and a built-in scented mist dispenser in the bath.
Tell us
Are you planning your own bathroom renovation? Share your plans in the Comments below. And if you found this story helpful, like it, bookmark it, save the photos and share your thoughts below. Join the conversation.
More
Read the full Houzz Bathroom Trends Study
It should come as no shock that the top reason we renovate our bathrooms is that we can no longer stand the old one! Coming in a close second was a bathroom that no longer functions well, and third, that we finally have the means to be able to renovate. Ninety-two per cent of the 1700 homeowners surveyed completely changed the style of their bathroom during a renovation – or planned to. The surveyed Houzzers were all either in the middle of, were planning, or had recently completed a bathroom project.