Ever since the recession hit, home-building in America has changed quite a bit. Rob Wetli owns Structures Design Build, a Hurst, TX, bathroom remodel group, and explains that bathrooms are a more-than-appropriate place to look for answers when trying to comprehend how the ethos surrounding private living has shifted in America during an economic downturn.
Over the last four years, Wetli has noticed that the “big giant bathrooms for the master bedrooms have begun to go away.” In the wake of those humongous royalty-sized private baths, a desire for more intimate spaces has taken hold. That doesn’t mean people don’t want luxury anymore; they still want luxury when they plan a bathroom remodel in Hurst, TX. Before, when bathrooms were built ultra-spacious, that generosity of square-footage was the luxury people were paying for. Now, when people want smaller, more intimate bathrooms, they seek the same magnitude of luxury but in the architectural details. For example, people want new bathrooms with high-end trim and high-end faucets. People are throwing in the big soaker tub for a nice walk-in shower. Instead of a huge empty bathroom with expensive tile, people are paying for walk-in closets that have customizable shelving and cabinets.
As Wetli explains, “It used to be that the bathroom itself was big. Now that space is being pushed into a master closet.”
Wetli admits that part of the reason for the shift in the Hurst, TX, bathroom remodel trends is that people don’t have as many financial surpluses as before. However, a big closet and high-end faucets still cost money.
What’s changing though is how people think their money should be spent. For instance, Wetli says that people these days have more clothing and shoes than they did four years ago, so they’re more interested in bigger closets for bigger storage, not bigger bathrooms. Overall, however, the shift is in-line with the shrinking of house sizes. While he’s been working in the Hurst, TX, bathroom remodel industry over the last four years, Wetli has generally seen the sizes of houses reduced. Whereas before people might have wanted a TV in every room, now they’re dedicating single spots to nicer television sets.
“The days of overdoing it seem to be over somewhat,” Wetli puts it. People are getting more practical. Big bathrooms aren’t practical, but big closets are; having TVs in every room is not practical, but a designated space for a single high-end TV is. Only time can tell if this trend will continue into periods of more job security.