Bathtubs Are Out for 2026 — and This Bathroom Trend Is Replacing It, According to Zillow

Bathtubs Are Out for 2026 — and This Bathroom Trend Is Replacing It, According to Zillow

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Zillow just released its 2026 Home Trends Report, which analyzes millions of homes listed for sale over the past year to determine what’s in, what’s out, and what’s new in the world of home buying and selling. As it turns out, more and more people are looking to bring their self-care home — specifically, to their bathroom.

The Biggest Bathroom Trend in 2026, According to Zillow

Zillow’s 2026 Home Trends report reveals that “spa-inspired bathrooms are appearing 22% more often” on listings, and “mentions of wellness features rose 33%.” This isn’t exactly a shock; Zillow’s 2025 Home Trends Report, also covered by Apartment Therapy, has tracked the change in what buyers and sellers want in their bathrooms. 

That 2025 report found that “wet rooms” were “featured 19% more often in listings on Zillow” compared with the prior year, and in general, people who list their homes were more 16% inclined to talk about the property’s “wellness features.” The fact that these trends continued to hold strong the following year makes sense, but they haven’t just persisted; they’ve become even more popular. It’s safe to say the pursuit of a luxurious bathroom experience isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. 

From the name alone, a “wet room” may conjure images of damp countertops and puddles on the floor. Don’t worry, it’s much more luxurious than that. Wet rooms are a more compact style of bathroom historically more popular in other countries like Sweden. If a standard American bathroom setup is a cubicle, a wet room is an open-plan office. 

This means instead of a distinct shower/tub combo, or a totally separate shower and tub that have nothing to do with one another, the whole bathroom is kind of like one big shower. “As you are not as confined to the standard sizing requirements of showers and tubs, you can create a much more open, airy, and uncluttered bathroom layout,” interior designer Tamarra Younis told Apartment Therapy in 2023. They can also be easier to clean, since you can just spray everything down. Plus, folks might have a tub in the corner of a wet room, making a luxurious shower/bath combo an entire experience.

Why Spa-Inspired Bathrooms Are on the Rise

It’s not just about wet rooms; Zillow’s newest report mentions the broader category of “spa-inspired bathrooms,” which can mean anything from a wet room to a sleek groutless shower to a bathroom with an upgraded showerhead, candles, and towel warmers.

Choosing a bathroom with an expansive groutless shower instead of a bathtub isn’t just for those seeking extra luxury or making the most of a small space. It can also be more accessible: Since you have to step into a tub, it can be dangerous for people with mobility issues and might not make sense if you’re in the last home you ever plan on owning. With a wet room, you don’t have to maneuver in or out of the shower, and in some smaller rooms (like this one remodeled by Portland-based Hammer & Hand), the toilet can double as a shower seat.

Are Bathtubs Really Disappearing?

For all the people eyeing a wet room or spa-like bathroom remodel, there are plenty of others who are perfectly content with their tub. It can also have its own kind of “wellness features.” As Andrew Hancock, president of Gilman Heating, Cooling & Plumbing told Apartment Therapy in 2024, bathtubs are “evolving into a luxury feature rather than a standard one,” and the right soaking tub can “turn a bathroom into a real retreat.” 

Ultimately, you can do whatever you want with your own space. If you want to hold on to your beloved claw-foot tub, please do. But at the same time, if you’ve been considering tearing it all down for the sauna-inspired shower of your dreams (or of the buyer who will buy your house one day’s dreams), now’s a prime time to get your feet wet. 

Santa’s North Pole Home on Zillow Has Been Upgraded with Pandemic Amenities

Santa’s North Pole Home on Zillow Has Been Upgraded with Pandemic Amenities

The Arctic may be frigid, but the housing market way up north is apparently sizzling hot: Santa’s remote log cabin and toy-making workshop is now worth more than $1 million, according to a cheeky estimate from Zillow.

The real estate site has a fictional “home details” page for Mr. and Mrs. Claus’s estate, which has been available to virtually tour for several years now. What’s changed is the selling price and amenities that showcase how the Claus’s home has transformed during the pandemic.

Since Dec. 2020, the home value estimate has gone up by roughly 150K, which is really no surprise as sellers continue to dominate the market. In addition to that extremely pandemic-influenced number, Santa’s A-frame is filled with modern day must-haves, from a stationary bike (with a red finish, of course) to a newly adopted pup and an upgraded WFH setup that lets him virtually communicate with elves.

“We created this immersive experience using a real-life cabin in Leavenworth, Washington — known as the Capital of Christmas — and digitally added all the new pandemic-era accessories we envisioned Santa and Mrs. Claus would have at home,” Amanda Pendleton, Zillow home trends expert, tells Apartment Therapy. 

According to the Zillow page, the lot is 25 acres and the property was built in 1822. There’s multiple 150-square-foot cottages on the property for Santa’s elves, plus a state-of-the-art toy workshop, reindeer stables, and a big garage for sleigh parking.

If you’re interested in finding all the other pandemic-related upgrades throughout Santa’s village, check out this landing page where his elves drop hints. You’ll learn a thing or two about Santa along the way.

Zillow is forecasting that the North Pole home will appreciate nearly 14 percent over the next year, on par with home value appreciation predictions across the United States. Let’s just hope Santa doesn’t tap into that equity to retire anytime soon! 

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Arielle Tschinkel

Contributor

Arielle Tschinkel is a freelance pop culture and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared on Shape.com, WomansWorld.com, FirstforWomen.com, Insider, HelloGiggles, and more. She loves all things Disney and is making her way to every park around the world, and is a die-hard Britney Spears fan for life. She’s also obsessed with her Bernedoodle, Bruce Wayne.

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