Design Trends · San Francisco

Top 7 Bathroom & Powder Room Design Trends for San Francisco Homes in 2026

By Solid Bay Construction SF | Updated 2026

The bathroom is where SF homeowners spend the most per square foot — and the powder room, in particular, has become the one place people are willing to take a real design risk. Here's what we're actually specifying on current bathroom remodels.

1. Zellige and other handmade tile

Handmade Moroccan zellige tile — with its irregular surface and iridescent glaze variation — remains the most-requested tile in SF bathroom remodels. It reads as intentional and custom in a way that perfectly uniform tile can't.

2. Fluted and ribbed surfaces

Dimensional, fluted panels are showing up on vanities, shower niches, and even full accent walls. It adds texture and shadow play without introducing another color into the room.

3. Freestanding soaking tubs in primary baths

Where space allows, freestanding tubs have overtaken built-in tub/shower combos in primary bathroom remodels — usually paired with a separate curbless shower rather than a single combined wet area.

4. Unlacquered brass fixtures that patina over time

Unlacquered brass — left untreated so it darkens and develops character with age — continues to replace polished chrome and nickel as the finish of choice for faucets and hardware.

5. Book-matched stone slab feature walls

Two adjacent slabs of stone cut and installed so their veining mirrors across the seam creates a dramatic, symmetrical feature wall — most often used behind a freestanding tub or as a full shower wall.

6. Curbless, zero-threshold showers

Beyond the clean aesthetic, curbless showers are becoming the default request for both new bathrooms and aging-in-place remodels, since they eliminate the step-over hazard of a traditional curb. They do require careful floor slope and waterproofing detailing, which is why they're best built by a contractor experienced with SF's older, often-uneven subfloors.

7. Bold, saturated powder rooms

The powder room has become the one room in the house where clients want drama — deep saturated paint or wallpaper, a statement vessel sink, and bold hardware. Because it's a small, low-use space, homeowners are far more willing to commit to a look here than in a primary bathroom they'll use daily for years.

For real cost ranges on SF bathroom remodels, see our bathroom remodel cost guide.