2022 Bathroom Trends: Wet Rooms?

The open floor plan first gained popularity by combining the kitchen, living, and dining areas into one cohesive space. Now it's making its way into the full baths with 2022's next big thing: wet rooms. In its simplest form, it's exactly what it sounds like: a room that's designed to get wet. The main thing to look for is the lack of separation between the shower and the rest of the bathroom floor, both in height and partitions. By doing so, it creates a more efficient and spa-like experience centered around bathing. Read up on all the pros, as well as a few cons, below.

Less is more, and this trend is proof. Taking down barriers like extra walls smooths out traffic flow and increases efficiency, while abandoning elements like mats and curtains cut down on visual clutter. The point? Removing all these physical distractions creates more space, no matter the actual size of your bathroom. More points to consider: With the minimalist design and materials, the acoustics are likely louder than you're used to. Also, dry areas like bathroom storage need to be water-resistant as shower splashes are common.

Did you know that the bathroom is one of the most dangerous places in any residence? Whether due to aging or disability, we all reach a point when tasks like bathing become more time consuming and difficult. In this case though, because the shower is leveled with the rest of the bathroom, there's nothing to step over. Having less things in general also helps keep movement uncomplicated through the years. Tip: Since you're renovating anyway, if you're in your forever home this may be time to consider other accessible elements like grab bars or motion sensor lights.

One major benefit of a wet room setup is all water can be directed to a single drain, so no one's stopping you if you decide to take your handheld showerhead to the soaped-up floor (or maybe even the tiled walls). But know while tiled walls are a traditional wet room element, it does increase reno costs. Another pro to cleaning a wet room is given the minimalist design, there's less stuff and sleeker lines to take care of.

Those hot, steamy showers you love so much create the perfect environment for mold, mildew, and water decay. But with a wet room, there's not as much humidity because the bathing area isn't enclosed (though in a bigger bathroom, this does mean you may feel a little colder). Another perk is because wet rooms are technically one big shower, the space is completely waterproofed, ensuring leaks and water damage are nonexistent. 

A wet room is hard to say goodbye to, but if you do ever sell your house, you can expect to recoup 56-64% of the renovation costs. While this data refers to all well renovated bathrooms, between the style, functionality, and minimal maintenance, any buyer will consider a wet room a win.

Drawbacks?