This decade gave us jetted corner tubs, frilly shower curtains and more.

By Donna Heiderstadt

As NKBA celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2023, we’re taking a retrospective look back at major kitchen and bath design trends over the seven decades since our founding. This week, we’re revisiting what happened in bath design in the last decade of the 20th century — 1999-1990 — as we continue to work backward in time until we highlight the top trends in the kitchen and bath spaces in the early 1960s.

1. Spacious primary suites were in demand.

After decades of sharing a main bath with their kids, couples buying a new home or doing a major renovation or addition enthusiastically embraced the concept of a spacious primary suite. As the suburban “McMansion” era of the 1980s continued, not only was attention being paid to the size of the primary bedroom (fitting a king bed was key), but also to suite amenities such as a generously-sized bath and functional walk-in closet. 

2. Large jetted corner bathtubs and small enclosed showers were a thing.

Who doesn’t love a good jetted tub? In the 1990s, they dominated bath floor plans by being placed at an angle for dramatic effect. This often relegated the shower to a smaller space. When ’90s bathtubs weren’t in a corner, they were typically boxed into a raised beige or white tile surround, making them the focus of the bath space.

3. Vanities, whether oak or ornate, mimicked kitchen cabinetry.

Oak in the ’90s, with its orange-tinged honey finish, was a popular choice for vanities. This material lent itself to the decade’s popular farmhouse aesthetic, which would eventually lead to the “modern farmhouse” trend of the 2000s rooted in black and white. Ornate Tuscan-inspired dark wood vanities and mirrors also created a moody ambiance, as did brass fixtures and shower enclosures.

4. Patterned fabrics were used in excess.

Valances, ruffles and florals, oh my! Whether it was a little bit country or over-the-top Victorian, the prevalence of frilly shower curtains with draping worthy of a 19th-century boudoir was a ’90s phenomenon that carried over from the bedroom to the bath. Border wallpaper also replicated the romantic bed-and-breakfast ambiance popular in the decade. But this look didn’t always work in the family bath, so homeowners also embraced a more playful vibe, choosing shower curtains and bath accessories featuring multi-hued tropical fish patterns.

5. Glass blocks and square or rectangular tiles created a neutral backdrop.

The glass-block trend — whether as a privacy divider, shower wall or window — carried over from the late 1980s and was joined by a penchant for large square or rectangular wall and floor tiles, mostly in neutral beige or white. This created a blank canvas that allowed for the decade’s love of floral flounces.