Bathroom trends come and go, but 2025 is all about personalisation and not touching anything, according to Ane Constructions’ latest renovation report. 

“Voice-activated controls are becoming increasingly popular in smart bathrooms … from adjusting the lighting to playing your favorite music, voice-activated controls can enhance the ambience and functionality of your bathroom,” says the report.

Anyone who lives in a strata lot knows that renovating bathrooms is time-consuming – what with approval times, pesky waterproofing, co-ordinating all those trades, you need to choose wisely before you splash out to renovate a wet area. 

High-end bathroom specialists Kohler “believe every shower is a canvas” and you should invest in statement glass boxes where you can have a statement body spray squirt you in just the right place, while steam and music pipes through the walls, all of which can be fine-tuned by voice commands.

We apparently haven’t gotten over the touchless fetish that began with COVID-19-inspired infection controls – bathroom specialists Reece are selling hideaway sensor buttons so you don’t even have to touch the toilet to flush it anymore.

If we want to get more rustic and down-to-earth, perhaps we can look to the way this log cabin in the wilds of Oregon has been personalised with a pair of side-by-side his and hers toilets.

Before you ask, are you sh*tting me, I am not. See photographic evidence below, complete with a salmon-brown coloured carpet that could hide a multitude of sins.

At least the his and hers thrones are better than the glass-walled ensuites that were built into the Paddington Central apartments back in 2003. 

What were BKH architects thinking when they designed those? Still, the 2-bedroom unrenovated apartments sell for close to $2 million, even with a see-through bathroom in the main bedroom. 

Whatever your preferred bathroom style – glass box, hands-free or side-by-side dunnies – make sure your bathroom renovation choices last longer than any trend. The next owner of your apartment (and the executive committee who have to handle the paperwork, approvals and certification) will likely thank you.