5 Ways Your Bathroom Is Secretly Aging Your Home—and What to Do About It

We use our bathrooms every day, so updating them can feel like a huge inconvenience. In many cases, it's easier to ignore our outdated bathroom designs, leading to a space that functions poorly and sinks your mood.

To help you avoid a dated bathroom space, designers are sharing the bathroom features that make your space appear out of style—and what to do instead. This list will help you prioritize items in a bathroom remodel and avoid dated fixtures that might still be on the shelves.

1. Say Goodbye to Cold, All-White Bathrooms

While they can be pretty, the popularity of subway tile and white marble has stripped bathrooms of any personal style in favor of a clean aesthetic. This look is losing favor partly because the deluge of decorative materials is alluring to today's more design-inclined consumer. "The bathroom has been somewhat sterile and functional," Kuhn says. "People are trying to warm that up."

"Patterning is in—whether it’s checkerboard floors, decorative tile or patterned mosaics," Kuhn says. "White marble tile is still an important aspect, but people are adding a decorative element to it."

Homeowners are also opting for decorative mirrors, furniture-style vanities, and pretty wallpaper to make bathrooms feel less like a laboratory and more like a room.

2. Update the Farmhouse Aesthetic

The strict application of farmhouse design codes is a portal to the past. "Apron sinks, subway tile with harsh grout, barn doors, and shiplap are all elements of the farmhouse style of 2015," Zborowski says. Many people identify with this rustic aesthetic, but thanks to its rampant proliferation, certain elements look overplayed and impersonal.

To update farmhouse bathroom, Zborowski suggests rethinking the aesthetic. "Current rustic consumers are loving handmade tiles, swapping out farm sinks for concrete or oversized stone options, and mixing in clean lines," she says. "If you have a vintage vanity opt for a clean lined tub instead of a claw foot." Mix your take on rustic style with modern elements for a fresh look.

3. Reconsider Your Bathtub

"The most common thing people want to update in their bathrooms is an apron-front bathtub," Kuhn says. Apron-front tubs, with no space between the tub and the floor or the surrounding wall, took off in popularity in the 1930s when they came out in sweet pastel colors. The easy-to-clean style remained the tub of choice through the 20th century, growing in square footage in the 70s when soaking and jets became popular.

Recently though, people are avoiding this clunky style. "They may take out the tub completely, or, if the space is large enough, then it’s always a freestanding bathtub," Kuhn says. Elegant freestanding tubs and large walk-in showers are taking the place of visually hefty apron-front bathtubs.

4. Replace Linen Closets with Cabinetry

Deep linen closets are helpful for storage, but many are realizing they might be too helpful. With deep closets, items can easily get lost (and expire) within their depths.

"Today, the linen closet goes away and gets replaced with a cabinet style," Kuhn says. This change signifies the move away from clinical, sanitary bathrooms in favor of more decorative, personal spaces. "If there’s room, people are bringing in a decorative style of furniture, or if we are doing cabinetry, we try to make it look like a piece of furniture," she says.

5. Goodbye Vessel Sinks

Let's be honest, vessel sinks aren't the easiest to use or clean. These splashy sinks were popular in the '90s and during the mid-aughts DIY era, but they don't contain much water and there is that tough-to-clean crevice where the vessel meets the countertop. To replace vessel sinks, integrated and console sinks are much more timeless and far easier to clean. If you still want your sink to be a special moment, look for large-scale stone sinks or an apron-front sink in a fun but subtle color.