While opinions about current trends and hot products for the bath may vary, bath designers agree that today’s customers are looking for products and design elements that will add a distinctive touch to the room’s overall look. To achieve this goal, designers are working with materials, finishes and accessories in entirely new combinations.

Providing a custom look has become more challenging as trends continue to move away from ornate applications to sleeker, simple lines. “The look is transitional,” comments Jason Smith, president, Prestige Renovations, in Elk Grove Village, IL. “Everything has clean lines.”

By no means does this trend toward clean and simple translate to boring, however. With today’s product choices, clients can still achieve the “wow” factor they are looking for, complete with custom details that make rooms stand out.

This trend continues to be influenced by today’s luxury spas. Dark woods, neutral stone and tile, metal and glass all figure into Zen-inspired design.

An added bonus to this type of design – and a critical reason for its popularity, according to many designers – is ease of upkeep. “People just don’t want to have to maintain anything,” comments Smith.

One way to customize a bathroom is with tile and stone. Some rooms offer a cohesive look throughout, while others get their personality from a mix-and-match style.

“Tile is something you can completely customize,” observes Shannon McPherson, lead designer/store manager, Wooden Thumb Inc., in West Allis, WI. “Tile can be highly detailed, and you can add color there, as well.”

Stone remains a popular choice for showers, walls and floors, with marble experiencing a resurgence in popularity.

Matthew Quinn, co-owner, Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio, in Atlanta, GA, notes, “We’re doing a lot of slabs of marble as the floor, especially in the shower. It’s very European.”

“I think travertine has become the new marble,” reports Smith. “It offers a matte finish, and you can create such a tight grout line that it’s almost invisible. And that lends itself to the spa look that so many people desire.”