
Five Tech Trends To Boost 2024 Wellness-Related Bathroom Design
The article explores five key technology trends that are set to enhance wellness-related bathroom design in 2024, drawing insights from the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s (NKBA) 2024 Bathroom Trends Research Report and expert opinions from five prominent design professionals: Christopher Grubb, Julee Ireland, Anne-Marie Brunet, Sandra Diaz-Velasco, and Jaque Bethke. The overarching theme is the integration of smart home features to create more spa-like, comfortable, and safe bathroom environments.
The first trend highlighted is Personalization Enhancement, where technology allows for tailored bathroom experiences. Designers like Anne-Marie Brunet observe increasing client requests for features such as digital shower controls and smart toilets. Sandra Diaz-Velasco notes the personalization extends to heated floors, lighting, and sound systems seamlessly integrated into home automation. Julee Ireland's clients are seeking motion-activated faucets, smart mirrors with fog-free technology, built-in lighting, electrical features, and voice-activated sound and light systems. Christopher Grubb’s clients are adopting smart glass for privacy, which can switch between a clear view and an opaque setting, and floor heating to ensure comfort, even in warmer climates.
Smart Lighting is identified as the second significant trend. The NKBA report indicates that LED technology now accounts for 100% of lighting products specified for bathroom remodels, driven by both energy efficiency and wellness benefits. Sandra Diaz-Velasco's clients are particularly interested in circadian lighting for health and pathway illumination for safety, as well as chromotherapy for mood enhancement. These lighting systems can be integrated into smart home systems, allowing for programmed scenes like ‘Nighttime Relaxation’ or ‘Morning Start’ via a single click or voice command. Anne-Marie Brunet incorporates circadian lighting and programmable moods in high-end projects, emphasizing customizable task lighting for activities like shaving or makeup application, and safety lighting for nighttime use. Julee Ireland's clients request floor and cabinet illumination, sensor and dimmer controls, and multiple layers of lighting. Christopher Grubb details innovative applications such as lights in shower niches, under floating benches, strip lighting in toe kicks, and motion-activated night lights under wall-mounted vanities, along with internal cabinet and drawer lighting.
The third trend focuses on Smart Showers, which integrate advanced technology for a more luxurious and therapeutic experience. Sandra Diaz-Velasco explains that integrated technology allows users to program and automate various water effects, such as rainfall, cascade, or mist, with synchronized lighting to enhance the spa ambiance. Anne-Marie Brunet notes a strong interest among her Canadian clients in remote shower starts. Julee Ireland states that smart showers, particularly with smart controls, are now considered a necessity by her clients. Christopher Grubb adds an extra exhaust fan in shower areas to improve ventilation, contributing to a healthier environment.
Smart Tubs constitute the fourth trend, with the NKBA report showing a significant adoption of touch pad (47%), voice-activated (25%), and mobile app (24%) controls. Sandra Diaz-Velasco highlights the benefit of mobile app controls for second home owners, enabling remote monitoring, pre-arrival preparations, and maintenance scheduling. This capability likely includes leak and overflow protection with automatic shut-off features, preventing water damage, especially crucial for properties prone to freezing. Jaque Bethke observes a high demand for remote control features that allow tubs to be filled and brought to temperature from a distance, addressing the previous inconvenience of waiting for tubs to prepare.
Finally, Smart Toilets represent the fifth trend, with a substantial 60% penetration in residential bathroom projects, according to the NKBA report. Jaque Bethke notes that heated seats and dryers (often referred to generically by the Toto bidet seat brand name, Washlet) are highly sought after, indicating that smart toilets are now a mainstream feature. Sandra Diaz-Velasco’s clients value self-cleaning and bidet options for comfort, and dual flush systems for water conservation. Anne-Marie Brunet's Canadian clients are enthusiastic about features like personalized spray wands, stainless steel cleaning wands, heated seats, lighted bases for nighttime use, hands-free seat covers, digital flush controls, hands-free flush controls, and individual preference recall. Christopher Grubb's Southern Californian clients request similar features. Julee Ireland emphasizes heated seats, motion-detection self-flush, auto-wash, and built-in bidet features, particularly for elderly clients, recognizing the luxury and enhanced ease of use despite the higher cost. #WellnessDesign #SmartHomeTechnology #BathroomDesign #LEDLighting #SmartShowers #SmartTubs #SmartToilets #HomeAutomation #InteriorDesign
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