Landson Construction Blog | Minnesota Bathroom Remodeling

Bathroom remodeling has moved well beyond swapping out fixtures and picking new tile. Homeowners across Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding suburbs are rethinking how their bathrooms function day to day, and the 2026 design data backs that up. Industry research from the National Kitchen and Bath Association and Houzz points to a clear shift: showers are taking priority over tubs, wellness features are becoming standard rather than a luxury add on, and homeowners want spaces that feel calm and intentional. If you are planning a bathroom renovation in the Twin Cities this year, understanding these trends can help you make choices that hold up in daily use and resale value for years to come.

Quick Answer In 2026, the leading bathroom remodel trend is the move toward larger, curbless walk-in showers instead of traditional tubs, with wellness features such as heated floors, built-in seating, and steam options becoming common requests. Full wet room layouts are also on the rise, and homeowners are choosing warm, natural materials over the cool gray palettes that dominated the last decade. For Minnesota homeowners, pairing these design choices with proper ventilation and moisture control is essential given the region’s humidity swings and cold winters.

Curbless Walk In Showers And Wet Rooms Lead The Way

The single biggest shift in bathroom design this year is the rise of the curbless, walk in shower, often built as part of a full wet room. Instead of a step over a tub edge or shower curb, the entire bathroom floor slopes gently toward a hidden drain, so the shower area blends seamlessly into the rest of the room. Frameless glass panels, large format porcelain tile, and minimal grout lines all support this open, uninterrupted look.

Wet rooms are popular for a practical reason as much as a stylistic one. A step free entry works for everyone in the household, from young kids to aging parents, which is why designers describe this style as future proof. It also tends to make a smaller bathroom feel larger, since there is no shower enclosure breaking up the sightline.

Showers Are Winning Over Tubs

More than half of homeowners renovating a primary bathroom now say a larger shower matters more than keeping a bathtub. That is a meaningful change from just a few years ago, when a soaking tub was considered a must have in most primary suites. The tub has not disappeared entirely. Many homeowners are keeping one tub in a secondary or kids’ bathroom while converting the primary bathroom entirely to a spacious shower.

If resale value is a concern, it is worth keeping at least one tub somewhere in the home, since some buyers still search for that feature. A remodeling contractor familiar with the Twin Cities market can help you weigh that tradeoff against your own daily habits.

Wellness Features Move From Luxury To Expectation

A growing share of renovated bathrooms now include a dedicated wellness feature, whether that is a steam shower, a heated floor, built in aromatherapy, or simply layered lighting designed to support a calmer morning and evening routine. What used to be reserved for high end spa renovations is increasingly showing up in standard remodel requests.

• Heated tile floors, which pair especially well with Minnesota winters
• Steam shower systems built into an existing shower footprint
• Dedicated wellness corners with a bench, plants, or a small sauna unit
• Sound systems and dimmable lighting controlled from a wall panel or app

Built In Seating And Accessible Design

Built in shower seating is one of the most requested features in new shower designs this year. A tiled bench or fold down seat adds everyday comfort and also supports aging in place, since it gives household members a place to sit without needing to retrofit the space later. Combined with curbless entries, grab bars designed to match the fixture finish, and comfort height toilets, these choices let a bathroom look high end while quietly building in long term accessibility.

Warm Materials And Layered Lighting Replace Cold, All Gray Palettes

The all white, all gray bathroom that dominated the last decade is giving way to warmer, more textured palettes. Wood tone vanities, earthy stone look tile, and matte black or warm brass fixtures are showing up in place of cool chrome and stark white. Lighting has also become more layered, combining an ambient ceiling fixture, task lighting at the mirror, and a smaller accent light to avoid the flat, clinical feel of a single overhead fixture.

2026 bathroom design trends by share of homeowners or design professionals reporting each feature. Sources: NKBA 2026 Bath Trends Report, Houzz 2025 Bathroom Trends Study.

What This Means For Minnesota Homeowners

Every one of these trends works especially well in Minnesota, provided the underlying construction accounts for our climate. Heated floors and steam showers both require proper exhaust ventilation to manage the humidity that builds up in a sealed, well insulated bathroom during winter. Curbless showers need a correctly sloped subfloor and a waterproofing membrane rated for freeze thaw conditions, since a poorly built wet room can lead to moisture problems in the framing below. This is one area where it pays to work with a contractor who has built these systems locally rather than following a national trend list without adapting it to our climate.

Bringing These Trends Into Your Home

Landson Construction has spent more than 20 years remodeling bathrooms, kitchens, and living spaces for homeowners throughout the Twin Cities. Our design and build team can help you translate these 2026 trends into a bathroom that fits your household, your home’s layout, and Minnesota’s building requirements, from a simple shower conversion to a full primary suite renovation. We offer free consultations for homeowners ready to start planning their project.

Whether you are drawn to a spa style wet room, a wellness focused shower upgrade, or simply a warmer, more current look, the best starting point is a conversation with a local remodeling team who can walk your space and talk through what is realistic for your home.