See the Latest Trends in Bathroom Faucets, Showers, Tubs and More

Mix-and-match finishes and essential-oil-infused showers were two standouts at the 2020 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show

Mitchell ParkerJanuary 25, 2020

Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.

There was plenty to ooh and ahh over at the 2020 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show held in Las Vegas on Jan. 21-23, but when it came to bathrooms, several features and ideas stood out among the rest. How about an essential-oil-infused shower experience? Or a faucet base you can top with interchangeable plates in materials such as walnut, marble and glass? Here are those cool ideas and more that grabbed attention at the bathroom remodeling industry’s biggest North America event.

The Age of Customization and Mix-and-Match Details

There were a few buzzwords and phrases being tossed around at the big show. Key among them were “customization,” “personalization” and the ability to “mix and match” styles, finishes and other elements to give homeowners more flexibility in choosing bathroom products and the sense of creating a personal design aesthetic.

For example, the Miscelo collection from Rohl offers five laminate inserts, shown here, on faucet bases, shower controls and tub fillers in three finishes: polished chrome, satin nickel and matte black. (Miscelo translates to “I blend” or “I mix” in Italian.)

The insert looks include barnwood, natural stone and matte white, which is a finish we saw a lot of at the show and one we’ll return to later in this article.

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The Eclissi bath collection, also by Rohl, has a mix-and-match component in four finishes: polished chrome, satin nickel, matte black and satin gold. In the sink faucets, for example, the ribbon spout and outer ring of the handle can be one finish and the handle’s inner accent piece can be another. The name of the line is inspired by an eclipse. (Eclissi means “eclipse” in Italian.)

In the photo shown here, the matte black spout in the middle is paired with a center knob of satin gold surrounded by a circular band of matte black. There are 16 possible handle combinations to create.

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Here’s a look at an Eclissi wall-mounted faucet in matte black with satin nickel inner knobs.

Similarly, the MyEdition faucet line by Axor, a Hansgrohe brand, offers plenty of options for customizing. Choose one of 17 finishes for the faucet base and handle — polished black chrome, polished red gold or satin black, for example — and then choose from one of 21 interchangeable top plates, such as black or white marble, mirror glass or polished brass. Shown here is the walnut top plate.

Here’s an Axor plate in gray Nappa leather.

And here’s a look at some of the other plate finishes.

At its booth for the show, Kohler introduced its T handles in a variety of finishes, including white marble, pictured, and black marble. Homeowners also can choose various spout and handle styles to create a personalized combination.

Kohler debuted the Unwind bathtub under its Sterling line of products. The tub style allows homeowners to choose whether they want the tub to sit flush against the wall, as shown here, or pulled away as a freestanding bathtub.

One of Kohler’s bigger announcements, though, was the debut of six new lighting collections. They include 200 products, with plans to double that number by the end of the year. The six collections — Artifacts, Memoirs, Damask, Simpalo, Components and Modern Farm — feature modern, transitional and classic sconces, pendants, flush-mount fixtures and chandeliers.

The lighting collections allow homeowners to choose from a range of styles in finishes that will match and complement existing Kohler product finishes, such as on sinks and shower fixtures.

Here’s an example of a traditional-style light fixture in Kohler’s new Damask collection.

American Standard launched its Studio S Collection, shown here, which features soft contemporary styles of vanities, tubs, faucets, toilets and accessories that homeowners can mix and match.

For example, the vanities in the collection can be configured as separate single-sink vanities or combined with a storage insert, pictured, to create a double-vanity look. The vanities can be wall-mounted or have legs added to become freestanding.

Here’s a look at the vanities with the legs added, which creates more of a furniture-style look. The collection also includes a 17-inch-deep soaking tub and a low-profile tankless toilet, as well as faucet, tub filler and shower fixtures that can all be coordinated in the same finish and style.

The Future of the Shower Experience

Showering has changed dramatically in the last few years as companies introduced fancy new features such as steam, dual shower heads, waterproof speakers and more. But looking at the displays at KBIS, it’s clear that companies have pumped a lot of investment into research and design to develop even more captivating and better-performing features.

Moen, for example, debuted its Aromatherapy hand shower, pictured, which allows the user to insert pods or capsules of essential oils into the shower head to infuse the spray with, for example, lavender, tea tree and vanilla oils to create a calming experience. If you want a more energizing shower, swap in a capsule filled with essential oils of lemon, Scots pine and cistus (an aromatic flowering shrub). You can adjust a dilution setting to increase or decrease the amount of oil released into the spray.

The fragrance capsules will be made in France and the essential oils curated by master perfumer Jean-Charles Sommerard. “Scents play a powerful role in our mental state and impact our emotional well-being, from relaxation to reinvigoration, and each of these fragrances have been specially composed to provide specific sensory experiences,” Sommerard said in a press release from Moen. “Warm water dilates the pores, allowing you to enjoy the various benefits of the essential oils both on the body and through inhalation. After the shower, you can linger a little longer in the olfactory bubble that will persist in the bathroom to continue this moment of luxury.”

The company says the capsules will not leave scent or oily residue on the tub, hair or skin.

There was a lot of focus at the show on shower sprays and their ability to conserve water while delivering flexible, quality coverage.

Moen partnered with a startup company called Nebia to introduce a shower head that includes atomization technology that splits drops of water into tiny droplets so there’s more coverage using less water.

The shower head, shown here in action, is available for preorder on Kickstarter and will be more widely available in March and April.

Kohler’s new Statement shower heads, shown here, use air-induction technology to create large drops while using less water — 30% less than the federal standard. The shower heads will be available in April in three finishes: polished chrome, brushed nickel and matte black, pictured.

Meanwhile, Hansgrohe won the KBIS Impact design award for its new Rainfinity shower system, shown here.

The adjustable, pivoting shower head offers various spray modes that create a powdery spray, intense-rain effect or a chunkier rain pour.

A shower control panel for the Rainfinity features large-format buttons that deliver a satisfying click when choosing the spray.

The collection comes in chrome, brushed nickel or matte white, which, as mentioned, was an emerging finish seen at this year’s show.

There was also a sense at the show that smart-shower features are getting, well, smarter and easier to use.

Moen’s U by Moen smart-shower display rarely had less than a small crowd gathered around for a demonstration of its features. The idea that you can wake up and say “Good morning” and have your Alexa- or Google
Assistant-connected shower turn on to a precise temperature and spray setting is one that’s becoming increasingly hard to dismiss.

Kohler offers a similar experience through its Konnect line.

Kohler also generated lots of buzz at the show with its updated Bluetooth- and Alexa-enabled shower head speaker called Moxie, shown here. While Kohler has had a shower head speaker for a while, the company more recently partnered with speaker maker Harmon Kardon for its newest design, a larger, higher-quality speaker designed to be heard above the white noise of the shower spray.

The speaker base magnetically connects to the shower head and can be removed and taken with you and placed in, say, a car cupholder.

Delta launched a colorful Hydrographic printed collection of camouflage-patterned shower heads.

Some of the Hydrographic designs displayed at KBIS.

And here’s a closer look at a vibrant floral-patterned shower head by Delta.

Finally, it seems modular has gone a bit micro. A couple of easy-to-install kit showers and bathrooms were featured at KBIS.

Sterling’s Traverse bath-shower wall kit, seen here, features four subway-tile-patterned wall panels that install with simple tongue-and-groove interlocking joints that don’t require caulking. There’s even a built-in shelf that hides a panel seam.

Katerra’s Kova bath kit includes all materials, fixtures and finishes to complete a bathroom installation by two people in about four hours. The kit, which is assembled off site at a warehouse and then delivered to the job site, includes a full bathtub with surround structure, a toilet and a vanity with a sink, quartz countertop and faucet. Fasteners, paint, caulk, mirrors and towel racks are also included in the kit.

Fantastic New Bathroom Finishes

At the beginning of 2018 we reported that matte black was a finish destined to take off. At KBIS 2020, its popularity was clearly evident. You’d be hard-pressed to find any kitchen or bath company that didn’t offer matte black as a finish choice. What will the next “it” finish be? Several companies are wading into the bath water with contenders.

One that stood out was matte white. Several companies featured this clean, crisp, low-luster finish, which pops against dark sinks and shower walls. It’s a departure from the typical glossy, reflective white surfaces typically seen on faucets, bathtubs and sinks.

Hansgrohe offers the finish in its Rainfinity line, mentioned earlier, as well as in faucets like the one shown here.

Victoria + Albert debuted its Barcelona bathtub in a new matte white finish, shown here.

Kohler’s new Kallista Argile freestanding tub and matching decorative vessel sink, both designed by Workshop/APD, will be available in April in matte white.

But matte white wasn’t the only standout finish. Grohe debuted three new finishes for its Essence collection of kitchen and bath faucets.

Hard Graphite, shown here, is a sophisticated and strong look that pairs nicely with elegant white-toned marble, concrete and light woods.

Angular Faucets Are Having a Moment

It was hard not to notice the proliferation of square and angular faucet styles at this year’s show. They were everywhere, eclipsing the more traditional curvy, swooping and organic spout shapes.

Axor unveiled its Edge faucet, seen here, created by French designer Jean-Marie Massaud. It’s composed of several cube-like structures created from a diamond-tipped tool that precisely cuts 45-degree angles. (An Axor representative at the booth said the machine is so sensitive that nobody can be in the room when it’s cutting because even the slightest movement could affect its precision.)

Here’s another look at the finely squared Edge faucet by Axor.

Riobel’s Parabola faucet, shown here and available in spring 2020, features a mix of curved and straight lines in four finishes: chrome, polished nickel, brushed gold and black.

Kohler’s Parallel faucet features a rounded square design.

Art Deco Style Returns

Several companies decided to usher in the new decade with a cloche-hat tip to the 1920s and Art Deco style.

DXV introduced its Belshire collection, pictured, modeled after the vintage look that celebrates lavish style and fine craftsmanship. The collection includes faucets, fixtures and furniture that can all be customized to create a more personal look. For example, you can choose from high- or low-profile faucet spouts paired with lever, cross or cushion handles in satin brass, platinum nickel, brushed nickel and chrome finishes.

The Carrara-marble-topped handmade vanity cabinets come in walnut or oak and feature brass metal bases and detailing.

Similarly, Kohler’s Robern brand launched its first freestanding vanity, also in an Art Deco style, shown here.

Tell us: Which of these designs would you consider for your bathroom? Share in the Comments.

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