The Trendy Bathroom Feature Zohran Mamdani Wants To Install In The Gracie Mansion

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has officially moved into Gracie Mansion, the formal residence of the city's chief leader since 1942. Many a politician has called the Federal-era building their home, each leaving their own mark on its architecture and decor. New York's latest mayor hasn't shared much about his plans for the interiors and exteriors of Gracie Mansion, except for one curious detail.

"We will be installing a few bidets," Mamdani told journalists during a press conference marking his and his wife, artist Rama Duwaji's, move into the historical building (per NYC Mayor's Office). He added, "That's an aspirational hope. Let's see if we can actually get it done." Although the bidet trend has finally caught on in the U.S. in recent years, it's not surprising that the bathrooms of Gracie Mansion, which was built in the 18th century, more or less concomitantly with the widespread use of bidets in Europe, aren't equipped with one. 

Americans have historically rejected this fixture. The modern bidet, as a dedicated washing bowl, had its origins in 18th century French royal courts, but its association with intimate, particularly feminine, hygiene quickly made it a symbol of promiscuity. However, the opposite is true in Mamdani's Muslim faith, where thorough hygiene after using the toilet is incredibly important, especially before prayer. Regardless of religious fervor, faith-based rituals tend to evolve into cultural traditions and integral daily routines. But in the U.S., all it took was for toilet paper to run out during the COVID-19 pandemic for Americans to give bidets a try, and, just like much of the rest of the world, they were finally converted. Now bidets, particularly bidet attachments for the toilet, are in demand.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani may be the first to bring bidets to Gracie Mansion, but many of his fellow Americans have been introducing this fixture in their bathrooms. CNN reported in 2024 that sales for bidets on dedicated website Bidetking.com maintained a stable increase in 2022 and 2023 after an initial surge in 2020. While separate bidets are still an anomaly, smart toilets with integrated bidet functions are set to be one of the bathroom trends that will be taking over in 2026.

There are many benefits that make a bidet toilet combo the perfect buy for your bathroom. Instead of taking up precious floor space, which is one of the main reasons even Europeans are now moving away from traditional bidets, this solution integrates a water stream into the toilet seat. The growing popularity is part of a general trend to make domestic appliances and fixtures smarter and more environmentally friendly. The tech, which was first commercialized and popularized by Japanese company TOTO in the 1980s, can be customized for each member of the household. With just the touch of a button, you can adjust water temperature, spray pressure, and nozzle position, bringing a sense of luxury to your toilet experience, in line with the spa bathroom trend.

As for the environment, reports about the impact of toilet paper production on natural resources differ. However, bidet brands like TOTO argue that the process of growing trees, cutting them down, turning them into pulp, and into toilet paper, that then needs to be packaged in more paper or plastic, and shipped to retailer shelves, is more wasteful than the 20 ounces of water in a single bidet stream, even if the above-mentioned customizations can impact those numbers.