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Behind the Hottest New Home Trend: Open Bathrooms

Unless you’ve been living deep in a cave someplace, you’ve no doubt heard that the home trend of the decade is the open kitchen. Maybe you’ve even joined the ranks by knocking down the walls that once enclosed your cooking area so that whoever’s slaving away chopping onions, roasting freekeh, or scrubbing pots will feel like he or she is still part of the merrymaking going on in other parts of your home, rather than like a lonely manservant or scullery maid.

But guess what? Open kitchens are so been there, done that. And they’ve earned some serious backlash among those who cling to the notion that behind-the-scenes cooking activity is best kept behind the scenes.

So we’re wondering what the reaction among those haters might be to the newest, hottest, most revealing home trend: open bathrooms.

In retrospect, this design wave washing across the U.S. isn’t surprising. Cooks, after all, aren’t the only ones who crave a little chitchat while they multitask. People sitting on the john can feel isolated, too—and no matter how many issues of Us Weekly magazine might be on hand for entertainment, boredom (and sadness) can quickly set in.

An open bathroom solves this problem: You can do your duty and simultaneously catch up with family members, friends, and cable TV repairmen in your living room. Talk about a time-saver! No doors to open and close, or locks to fiddle with, in the pursuit of antiquated notions of privacy. Flush away those awkward pauses in heated conversations about the election year that get cut short with an “excuse me” where someone runs to the loo. Now the oh-so-topical debate can continue without a hitch!

Those old-timers concerned about olfactory obstacles can relax: Newly designed open-bathroom ventilation systems have dials that go up to 11, sucking up any last whiff of off-putting odors. And rather than settle for a half-bathroom with just a toilet and sink, consider going full monty and adding an open bath or shower. Openness and transparency are all the rage these days. So why shouldn’t our houses be a reflection of the times? Your home isn’t your castle to hide in, but a stage where all is revealed.

In case you need any more convincing, open bathrooms are hot commodities with celebs, including Kim Kardashian and Salman Rushdie.  

But this nascent trend already has its share of vocal naysayers, including a blogger who penned a diatribe called “I Hate the Open-Plan Bathroom and I’m Not Alone.” As she put it, “Remember Julia Child’s famous quip: If you drop something, ‘you can always pick it up if you’re alone in the kitchen. Who is going to see?’ Well, same goes for whatever gastrointestinal calamities are happening in the bathroom. Come on, guys, this is disgusting. Wake up and keep that bathroom wall right where it is. And the lock, too.”

Still, this anti-open-bathroom advocate is a lone voice among many who’ve fallen in love with the look.

“I honestly wouldn’t even consider buying a home anymore without an open-plan bathroom,” says first-time home buyer Clare Quilty. “It’s totally changed my life. It’s brought me closer to my kids and my wife. Now, I feel I could share anything with them. Anything.”

Honestly, folks, what do you have to hide? Before visitors (and potential home buyers) turn up their noses at the fact that they can’t see your toilet from the couch, grab a sledgehammer and get to work. But before you do that, maybe check the date on this article first.

The post Behind the Hottest New Home Trend: Open Bathrooms appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice – realtor.com.

Source: Real Estate News and Advice – realtor.com » Real Estate News