Remember those big jetted tubs everyone seemed to want before the housing bubble burst? Well, life moves on. Those tubs are among the casualties of changing tastes, falling in popularity over the last six years by 9.4%, according to a survey of building trends conducted by the Home Innovation Research Labs and reported recently in the Wall Street Journal.
Stand-alone bidets, which never seemed to catch on with U.S. consumers, fared even worse, falling in popularity by nearly 35% since 2008. Bar sinks were down by 8.5%.
There were also some winners, including separate his and hers shower stalls (up 12.9% in popularity), standard bathtubs (up 9.5%), and chrome lavatory-sink faucets (up 25%).
The Home Innovation Research Lab is a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders and was formerly called the NAHB Research Center. The survey was conducted earlier this year among 1400 builders who were asked about new construction trends in 2013.
Other findings cited in the Journal article:
- High-end homes have declined slightly in size, from 4190 sq. ft. in 2008 to 4049 sq. ft. last year.
- Whirlpool tubs are being replaced by soaking tubs (also high capacity but without the air or water jets) or by another shower stall.
- Bathrooms have become more contemporary, with features such as heated floors, steam showers, and computerized controls.
- Older clients want separate showers, while younger homeowners seem to want one big shower, with his and hers entrances.
- High-end shower features include multiple spray heads and waterproof controls.
- Some homeowners are opting to spend less on guest bathrooms and put more money into the master suite.
“Since the recession, there have been a lot of trade-offs,” Ed Hudson, director of the HIRL market research division, told the newspaper.
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The popularity of stand-alone bidets dropped sharply between 2006 and last year, according to a survey conducted by the Home Innovation Research Labs. Whirlpool tubs also saw a decline.
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Double showers?! Wow, would have never thought about that. Is there any way to incorporate that into our existing plan? http://tradebuilt.ca/tag/floor-plan/
We are building a house 100% through BARTERING, and blogging every day about our experience. We'll have a lot of overlap along the way. Hope you check it out. Thanks!
Simplicity is timeless.
I wonder why bidets have never caught on in the US. Is it because builders make such decisions with their spec home designs or do consumers not appreciate the health value of bidets? I have installed and promoted the merits of bidets and have been told that women who use it regularly no longer have issues with bladder infections. The French knew that a long time ago. Today, there is the option to combine it with the WC, which has been popularized in Asia, instead of separate bidets. For bathroom modernizations I always suggest one or the other. If space allows, I prefer stand-alone bidets.