Bathtubs Are Going Out Of Style In 2025 - Here's The Trend Taking Over Bathroom Design
Rubber ducks, bubble baths, and Calgon commercials once made bathtubs feel like a non-negotiable fixture in every house. The image of unwinding in a tub full of bubbles was directly proportional to luxury and comfort (even if most of us only used it occasionally). Eventually, concerns about water usage and the effort required to clean tubs seemed more like trouble and less like comfort. And this perspective is becoming increasingly common in recent years. A 2024 Angi report confirmed it — homeowners are moving away from tubs and replacing them with groutless showers.
The reasons for this shift go beyond convenience. Showers are accessible to people of all ages, pet-friendly, and easy to enter without the step-over barrier of a tub. And if they are groutless, then even better. Showers also open the door to modern upgrades like rainfall shower heads, sleek fixtures in black or gold, and dual sprayers that make the bathroom feel more like a spa retreat. These features blend practicality with indulgence, and turn everyday routines into something more enjoyable. A design trends report by NKBA (National Kitchen & Bath Association) supports this shift. According to the study, homeowners are replacing tubs with walk-in showers. Along with being stylish, this replacement is also strategic.
Out with the tub, in with the groutless shower
Traditionally tiled showers require frequent and sometimes strenuous scrubbing of grout lines because, if left unclean, they harbor mold, mildew, and harmful bacteria. Groutless showers eliminate these problems entirely and make the bathrooms more hygienic. Materials like marble, porcelain slabs, and sintered stone support grout-free surfaces. An additional benefit is an illusion of a larger, more cohesive bathroom.
Installation is another advantage. Solid surfaces like a large sheet of any material is different from laying down mosaic with hundreds of tiny tiles. Groutless showers can be installed in just one to two days, which reduces installation time, should you choose to remodel or design a new bathroom altogether. Strong and long-lasting materials like porcelain don't damage easily, so your shower keeps looking new for years on end. This also means you don't need to scrub tirelessly every weekend (like you probably did with bathtubs).
Thus, replacing a bathtub with a large grout-free shower provides a more accessible design, improved water efficiency, and definitely elevated aesthetics. With groutless showers, homeowners gain a space that is easy to use, easier to clean, and also aligned with contemporary design preferences. This year is giving way to groutless showers – a great bathtub alternative that will never go out of style – which proves that the future of design is open and efficient.