The Weird New Bathroom Design Trend

HookedonHouses.net

Double sinks are expected. Low-flow toilets? Practically the norm. But joining these standard master bathroom features is a weird new trend: eliminating the bathtub. In a new Houzz survey, 43 percent of homeowners say they're doing away with the tub altogether. 

I'm kind of shocked: What about bubble baths? Relaxing after a rough day? Wanting to sit down to shave your legs? 

But, according to Martha Fondren, a homebuilding expert, "The emphasis on the giant garden tub is no longer there. Now the emphasis is on, 'What can I do with my shower?' People want a spa experience in the shower." The Houzz survey backs this up: 45 percent of young homeowners want to install rain-style showerheads, 35 percent want a handheld showerhead, and 24 percent want multiple showerheads. 

I agree that garden tubs are a bit of a design faux pas: They're often oddly shaped, surrounded by unattractive tile, and are tough to maintain. (On my recent trip to Israel, I accidentally hit the jets in the hotel tub, and awful-smelling water came spewing out.) But rather than ditching the bathtub entirely, I'd prefer a return to the freestanding tub (ideally, the clawfoot style), a classic option a third of homeowners would consider, according to the Houzz survey.

Want to kick your jacuzzi to the curb? Here are a few tub-free bathrooms I admittedly dig: