If you’ve walked through a newly renovated home in Barrie or the GTA lately, chances are the shower stole the show. Bathrooms have quietly become one of the highest-impact rooms to renovate – not just for resale value, but for how they make a home feel. At Will-Stone Inc., we spend most of our days elbow-deep in grout lines and large-format tile, so we get a front-row seat to what homeowners across Simcoe County are actually asking for. Here are five trends we’re seeing again and again this year.
1. Large-Format Tile, Minimal Grout Lines
Homeowners are moving away from small mosaic tile on shower walls in favor of large-format porcelain slabs. Fewer grout lines mean a cleaner look and less maintenance – no one wants to spend a Saturday scrubbing grout with a toothbrush. The tradeoff is that large-format tile demands near-perfect substrate prep and precise leveling; even a slight dip in the wall becomes obvious at that scale. It’s one of the reasons careful layout planning matters as much as the tile itself.
2. Floating Benches and Built-In Niches
A floating bench – one that appears to hang on the wall with no visible support – has become a signature feature in custom showers. Paired with a recessed niche for shampoo and soap, it creates a shower that looks like it belongs in a boutique hotel rather than a builder-grade home. These features aren’t just cosmetic; they require careful waterproofing and structural blocking before a single tile goes up, which is exactly where a lot of DIY and lower-end renovations run into trouble down the road.
3. Stone Veneer Feature Walls, Indoors and Out
Stone veneer isn’t just for exteriors anymore. We’re installing it as a feature wall behind fireplaces, in entryways, and even as an accent wall inside walk-in showers. It adds texture and warmth that tile alone can’t replicate. Outside, stone veneer facades continue to be one of the most requested upgrades for homes across Barrie and the GTA – it’s a relatively fast way to completely change a home’s curb appeal.
4. Warm, Earthy Tile Tones Over Stark White
For years, all-white subway tile dominated bathroom design. In 2026, we’re seeing a real shift toward warm neutrals – taupe, sand, soft greige, and even deep charcoal paired with brushed brass or matte black fixtures. It’s a more grounded, spa-like aesthetic that photographs beautifully but also just feels nicer to be in every morning.
5. Curbless, Zero-Threshold Showers
Curbless showers – where the shower floor is flush with the rest of the bathroom – are increasingly popular, and not only for accessibility reasons. They give small bathrooms a more open, seamless feel and make cleaning easier. Getting a curbless shower right is entirely dependent on the framing and drainage work happening before tile is even considered, which is why this is a feature best planned early in a renovation rather than added as an afterthought.
Getting It Right the First Time
Trends come and go, but the fundamentals of a shower that lasts – proper waterproofing, correct slope to the drain, solid substrate, and clean tile work – never change. A beautiful design only holds up if the installation underneath it is done properly.
If you’re planning a bathroom renovation, custom shower, or exterior stone facade anywhere in Barrie, the GTA, or Simcoe County, we’d be glad to walk through your space and talk through what’s possible.
