Older fashions may have a habit of coming back in style, but unfortunately that doesn’t include your living room’s shag carpet or your “classic” kitchen linoleum. Sorry! You’ll need to be proactive with your flooring upgrades in 2026 to make sure your living space is on trend. Prepare for warm and cozy vibes, subtle finishes, and the return of certain classic wood patterns.
In the years leading up to 2026, flooring trends were dominated by a cooler, more neutral aesthetic. This year is the time to warm things up! Instead of tones such as stone, slate, or steel, consider tones of honey, caramel, and chestnut. This is happening as a complement to the overall design trends skewing toward organic and inviting shapes and colours.
Named for its resemblance to the herring’s skeletal structure, this timeless pattern for wood floors is poised for a renaissance in 2026, according to professional interior designers.
Herringbone pattern floors have been around for centuries. It exudes luxury and dynamic movement while remaining practical; the interlocking pattern provides stability and can be found in a number of flooring materials.
Featured Collection: Ambiance by Pravada
Another design trend at the intersection of style and practicality, expect plenty of new room designs in 2026 to include wide-format wood planks or flooring tiles. This option helps make spaces look more airy and open, especially in open-concept floor plans. From a practicality standpoint, wide planks and tiles make for fewer seams and gaps, allowing for easier cleaning and maintenance.
Featured Collection: Ingenious Plank by Armstrong Flooring
Whether you’re going with hardwood, vinyl, or tile flooring, opt for softer matte or satin finishes rather than shiny, glossy looks. This design trend for 2026 is in line with the overall shift toward organic, natural elements, as well as a growing adoption of aesthetics with practicality built in.
Flooring patterns with a matte finish are less likely to show every little speck of dirt or pet hair as a high-gloss surface might. And if you’re the type to walk around indoors in socks or slippers, shiny floors can be downright treacherous!
Featured Collection: The Air Series by Olympia Tile + Stone
Clearly, the cool, neutral grey tones and high gloss looks of recent years are out. 2026 is the time draw more inspiration from nature, with warm tones and softer finishes. It’s also the time to embrace function over form, with surfaces that are easier to clean and maintain. Want to know how this fits into your renovation vision? Book some time with a Barton Bath + Floor expert to plan out the right flooring – and the fixtures to go with it – for the perfect on-trend design!
If you’ve got plans for upgrades to your kitchen in the new year, but are having a bit of trouble getting inspired, this is the article for you! We’ve got our eyes on upcoming trends in kitchen design and have assembled some of the top looks for 2026.
A kitchen needs to be clean and functional, and too often we take that to mean plain and sterile. There’s no reason it needs to be this way! For 2026, fluid, organic elements are going to drive aesthetics for kitchen renos. This could mean:
…and your life easier
For many of us, hearing the words “smart kitchen” elicits a negative reaction. You’re probably already thinking “why would I want a fridge that connects to the internet?” But come 2026, you’ll see that the tech options to improve your day-to-day kitchen duties extend far beyond appliances that email you shopping lists. Here are a few examples of how you can take advantage of AI and smart home technology:
Designers setting the renovation trends for 2026 recognize that not every kitchen is a sprawling open space, with storage for days and countertops bigger than some dance floors. If you have a compact kitchen, you can find plenty of inspo to make your small space work beautifully for you.
Your kitchen is one of the hardest working rooms in your house. Every day it’s pulling double or triple duty, serving as a cooking space, dining space, and living space for your family. If you’re settling with the same fixtures, appliances, and storage as when you moved in, you’re doing your kitchen, and your household, a disservice!
Barton Bath + Floor is the place to get started with your next-level kitchen reno. With top brands like Baril, Delta, Hansgrohe, Anatolia, and Ceratec (just to name a few), we have the stylish, modern designs for you to take advantage of 2026’s biggest and best design trends. Book your appointment with a BB+F expert today!
Home designers are tapping 2026 as the year to make a real statement with your bathroom décor, to take it from functional to fashionable. Top bathroom brands are introducing great innovations, with product lines that provide comfort, style, and ingenuity, all without compromise. So if you’re feeling bold, read on and get inspired!
Proper lighting is a must in your bathroom, considering you use this space to prepare for your day. You can dress up this functional necessity with standout fixtures and – wait, are those lamps?
Yes! A growing trend for your bathroom is to beef up your lighting by placing lamps on side tables or atop cabinets. Just make sure they’re as safe as they are stylish, by using cordless, waterproof, or at least bathroom-rated items. Especially if they’re near tubs or sinks.
You can also add life to otherwise sterile overhead and vanity lights with sculptured bulbs and oversized fixtures like you might see in living rooms or dining rooms. They can create a new focal point in the bathroom while making it feel cozier and more inviting.
BB+F Brands to check out: Kalia, Madeli, Robern
Bathroom walls and floors are often tiled out of necessity, to prevent unwanted water retention and mold growth. Leave that thinking in 2025 and embrace the daring trends of 2026! Make these surfaces your playground for experimentation.
Create an air of serenity with organic, stone-like textures. Go for a chic, ultra-modern feel by experimenting with microcement finishes. Play with multiple patterns and layering for something eye-catching and ostentatious. It’s all on the table for tile in 2026.
BB+F Brands to check out: Anatolia, Ceratec, Midgley West
Historically, wet rooms have been a way to make the most of a non-traditional bathroom space. The shower floor can extend through most or all of the bathroom with subtle, clever drainage, letting you do more with less square footage.
For 2026, a wet room is your method for transforming your bathroom into an opulent spa-like environment. With coordinated hardware and heated floors, you can create a cohesive environment that looks as luxurious as it feels.
BB+F Brands to check out: Schluter, Warmup, Zitta
Feel spoiled every time you step into your bathroom. Add an oversized soaker tub and coordinated freestanding hardware to create the perfect escape from the stresses of your day-to-day routine.
While this bathtub setup may already be popular, one trend you’ll see in 2026 is adding a statement rug by the tub to create a stunning focal point for the bathroom. Designers are also suggesting bathtubs with a view will be a thing! If you have a bathroom window that offers nice scenery (and privacy), consider placing that soaker tub close to it in your next reno.
BB+F Brands to check out: Bagno Italia, Victoria + Albert, Axor
Just because they’re smaller doesn’t mean guest bathrooms or powder rooms can’t have personality! These spaces are becoming the place for homeowners to experiment, since they’re not used as often as primary bathrooms. And since guests will be the ones using them, they become showpieces and conversation starters!
Mix and match the above trends to create a standout bathroom. As the smaller, less-used space, the risk and budget tend to be a little lower.
BB+F Brands to check out: Baril, Kohler, LaLoo, Marathon
Leave the generic tiles, layouts, and fixtures to shopping malls and hockey rinks! For 2026, make your bathroom an outlet for your creativity, an extension of your personality. It’s where you start and end every day, so make it the space where you can feel relaxed, comfortable, and inspired.
When you’re ready to level up your bathroom to something unique, audacious, and on-trend for 2026, make an appointment with one of our experts to get started!
If you’re planning a bathroom renovation, you’re likely doing so to improve organization and storage, level up your style, or both. In this case, bathroom niches are the perfect addition to your design! They offer practicality and a unique aesthetic to your layout. If you’ve never considered niches before, or don’t know where to start, consider this your guide.
You need to make a few niche-specific considerations when working on your bathroom reno, so be sure to consider the following when developing your layout and budget:
After you’ve given some consideration to how you’re going to use bathroom niches in your next reno, the next step is to check out the unique ways you can customize your bathroom niches, and by extension, your entire bathroom reno.
If you’d like to add a little drama to your new bathroom, you can illuminate your new niches! A small, energy-efficient LED strip can give an eye-catching effect to any bathroom decor, while subtly brightening up a room that is sometimes starved for lighting.
Depending on the height of niche you choose, and the items you plan on storing, you might want to have multiple tiers within your niche. You can streamline the process by purchasing a prefabricated bathroom niche with shelves built in.
If you opt for a prefabricated niche, don’t worry about being restricted to a single layout. We mentioned that 12” by 24” is considered standard size, but many manufacturers offer a range of widths and heights for niche inserts. Narrow and tall, square-shaped, long and wide, you’ll be able to find the ideal niche to suit your bathroom needs.
A niche can add dimension and sophistication to your new bathroom, while also boosting functionality and practicality. It also adds complexity to the design, calling for careful planning. If you’re ready to integrate this exciting design element into your layout, but are unsure about the process, stop by our Hamilton showroom and talk to a bathroom expert. We’ll make sure you have the plans and materials in place to create your dream bathroom, niches and all!
Studying the effects your living space can have on your mental well-being sounds like pseudo-science. But it’s not! Environmental Psychology, a social science that has been gaining ground in recent years, examines the relationship between human beings and our surroundings. It considers how we as people shape our natural world and built environments – and how those environments shape us in turn. It’s an ages-old concept that is finally gaining traction as a field of study in psychology. If you’re aware of certain environments or environmental factors having calming or anxiety-inducing effects on you, then it’s worth your while to carefully review your kitchen design. Considering it’s central to many homes, and the place where homeowners want everyone to feel welcome, you’ll want to make sure that you feel welcome there as well!
Clutter in any space can make anyone anxious. With the kitchen being the centre of activity in most homes, a mess in this space can make the whole house feel untidy. As dishes accumulate in the sink, mail piles up on the kitchen table, and groceries take over the countertops, anxiety can rise accordingly among members of the household.
Making an effort to keep your kitchen tidy has a cumulative positive effect on your mental health. Cleaning up small amounts of clutter right away, before they become mountains of clutter, keeps your mind occupied and productive. Having plenty of storage options, including boxes on the table for your mail, or bins in your pantry for designated grocery items, will make organization a snap.
Do you notice kitchen designs on social media that you want to use in your own space, even though you’re seeing these spacious areas online, and your own kitchen has nowhere near the same footprint? It’s fine to be ambitious with your kitchen layout plans, but trying to bring an unrealistic design will only be frustrating and stressful.
Start with a realistic perspective on the kitchen space you have available to you. Prioritize your must-haves, and consider what you’ll be sacrificing in order to get those. For instance, a nice big fridge will cost you some precious counter or cabinet space, when that’s already at a premium.
Because clutter is the enemy of a positive headspace, you’ll want to keep your counter space clear and thus get creative with storage. Hang your cookware from a suspended pot rack, store your lesser-used appliances when not in use, and find some space-saving fixtures, such as a combination range-microwave. Being able to optimize your space so well gives a good sense of organization and accomplishment.
The study of psychological effects of various colour combinations is used virtually everywhere. Take advantage of this knowledge while planning out the colour scheme for your kitchen. We all may have our own specific emotional reactions to colours, but science has given us some general guidelines:
Whatever colour scheme you choose, it needs to suit the space as well as the kind of energy you want to create with your kitchen. Virtually everyone who enters your house, from family members to guests, will likely spend time in this space. The colours you choose will have an effect on their moods too!
Many studies have documented the positive effects that a natural setting has on our mental well-being. As we mentioned above, green has a calming effect on our psyche. Incorporating greenery in your space, whether it’s houseplants or even some nature-inspired linens or wallpaper, can help you feel more relaxed and centered in your kitchen. Additionally, natural elements are remarkably versatile and can complement just about any decor!
The psychological links between elements of our environment and our mental health are too well-documented to be ignored. If you’re planning to renovate your kitchen, you have the perfect opportunity to elevate your emotional well-being while at the same time creating a beautiful living space. Take the opportunity to employ some science in your design, and craft a new kitchen that can greatly improve your well-being!
Making environmentally conscious decisions during your reno, while also staying true to your design vision, sounds like an impossible task. But it’s easier than you think! You have a range of materials available that are aesthetically pleasing, versatile, and on-trend, while still being eco-friendly.
As a flooring material, bamboo is a great choice both visually and environmentally. Bamboo forests replenish remarkably quickly - a bamboo tree only takes three to five years to fully mature, while hardwood trees can take decades. It has many of the same qualities as hardwood, though: it’s remarkably durable, and can be stained to match your design vision. The one caveat about bamboo is the ecological cost of harvesting and transporting it, since it only grows in select subtropical locations.
Much like bamboo, cork as a resource replenishes itself rapidly. The material comes from the bark of cork oak trees, so the trees themselves stay standing while the bark regrows over the course of about three years. Additionally, cork holds up very well to recycling procedures, meaning your cork flooring could come from old wine bottle tops! Cork even has health benefits, being great at repelling mold and allergens in your home.
Imagine if your floor could tell a story. Reclaimed wood may have origins in an old barn, shipping container, wine cask, or another wood structure. It offers more character than just about any other flooring material available. Reclaimed wood is generally harder and thus more durable than newer wood, and offers a responsible alternative where deforestation is a growing concern. This look is best suited to a rustic or eclectic design, though; if you have a more contemporary design in mind, check out other eco-friendly materials on this list.
Don’t want to make your home look like a warehouse, you say? Not to worry! The ability to add personal touches with dyes and etching has helped boost the popularity of concrete flooring for the home. It’s exceptionally resistant to wear, doesn’t consume natural resources, and inhibits mold, mildew, and odours. It’s also a prime candidate to add in-floor radiant heating, allowing you to heat your home more in a more cost-effective manner.
Upgrade your eco-friendly reno with a modern take on this centuries-old practice. Terrazzo consists of discarded granite and marble chips mixed with a binder (traditionally concrete, but more contemporary creations involve epoxy resin) to form a one-of-a-kind mosaic pattern. While the creation and installation of terrazzo can be expensive, it’s incredibly durable and virtually maintenance-free, giving your home a stunning floor for many decades. Terrazzo is also a perfect example of diverting waste materials from landfills into something beautiful.
If you’ve made it a goal to make your next reno as eco-conscious as possible, let the knowledgeable team at Barton Bath + Floor help you achieve it. Between the selection of sustainable flooring products in our showroom, and expert advice on managing budgets and installations, you can do some great things for your home and the planet at the same time!
We believe tile will play a big part in many home transformations this year. Designers and homeowners alike will take advantage of this durable and stylish medium to create bold statements in design, which will be a popular move in 2024. Read on to see how you can bring tile to your next reno project to make it luxurious and on-trend!
Whether as your material of choice or as an inspiration for your desired patterns, natural stone tile will be influential and inspirational for design in 2024. Raw, organic textures and subtle vein details make natural stone a compelling, eye-catching choice for flooring.
These materials are also suitable for another trend expected to take hold this year: large-scale tiles. This bold option lends a cleaner, more spacious look to any room.
Inspired by classic looks, such as mosaics or checkerboard patterns, the intricacy and movement that comes from a geometric tile motif is due for a modern refresh. By playing with colours and shapes, your geometric flooring design can be as subtle or ostentatious as you wish to make it! No matter which direction you take your tile pattern in, it will no doubt be an attention getter.
If you’re ready to make a statement in 2024 by adding a gorgeous, trendy tile floor to your next project, come by our Hamilton showroom to get started! We have the hottest collections from leading brands, such as Anatolia, that will take your flooring from functional to unforgettable.
You’ve mapped out everything for the perfect bathroom reno, but you’re looking to take this project from excellent to transcendent. Why not have another look at your plans for the shower? You have some exciting options that can completely transform your shower experience.
You’ve likely opted for tile walls in your shower, and maybe you’ve even found an unconventional style or pattern to make this shower reno uniquely yours. Why not take it a step further and go beyond tile?
If you’ve never seen vinyl panels as an option for shower walls, you’re in for a treat. They can be printed with a near-endless range of high-quality designs, and are available in dimensions fitting most standard shower sizes. Get inspired by the designs on display at Miraluxe!
The panels are full-length fitted sections with minimal seams, making them easy to clean and maintain. No more scrubbing gross mildew out of the grout!
Glass shower doors have come a long way. You may still think of them as clunky, ill-fitting, hard to clean, and extremely dangerous in the event of a slip in the shower. Modern shower doors, such as ones you’ll find in the Kalia Koncept Evo series, are here to change your mind.
If your space (or preference) dictates a shower door that either slides or opens, you’ve got options. You can select hardware to match the rest of your bathroom experience, and even save space with functional and ergonomic handles that double as towel racks. These beautiful glass panels are specially coated for easy cleaning and to safely contain glass shards in the unlikely event of fall and breakage.
An elevated shower design can be brought back to earth quickly with an uninspired shower base. You may think you need to sacrifice style for function just to make sure you don’t end up flooding your bathroom, and opt for something mismatched and clunky, with high edges.
Modern shower floors, like the Kover and Lauza series from Kalia, are ingeniously engineered to eliminate the need for compromise. The base of your new shower experience can coordinate beautifully with your entire bathroom reno, and remain nearly flush with the rest of the flooring. This stylish design consideration is also safer for those with mobility challenges.
Does underfloor heating sound like a complicated, expensive, over-the-top luxury add-on to your dream bathroom? If so, we encourage you to do two things before passing judgment:
Wait - did we get off track with the shower experience? Don’t heated bathroom floors cover everything but the shower? This is the best part: your in-floor heating system can actually extend all the way under your shower floor, creating an unmatched feeling of luxury!
The expansive showroom at Barton Bath + Floor showcases brands like Kalia, Muraluxe, and Warmup, that will utterly transform your shower experience. What was once a mundane routine becomes an opulent escape, a spa day contained in a single moment in your busy day. Call or visit us today to get started!
When you’re planning your dream reno, be it a next-level kitchen for your culinary creations, or an opulent bathroom oasis, you’re likely strategizing down to the finest detail. Be sure to include your hardware in these plans! The right knobs, pulls, and handles can be the missing piece of a perfectly realized vision, or can help transform a decent renovation into an unforgettable masterpiece.
Visually, kitchen and bathroom hardware pieces serve as accents to the overall look of the room. Functionally, however, they’re integral to how you’ll go about your daily business. How else are you going to open your drawers and cupboards? To make sure you have the hardware you need for your dream reno, start with the following:
Knobs are the most simple, unobtrusive type of hardware, commonly used for cabinet doors. They should be easy to grip and stay out of your way.
Pulls are primarily used for drawers. You should be able to grab the pull with your hand and open and close the drawer without any trouble.
The hardware options for your cabinetry are virtually endless! How do you find the ones best suited for your renovation? We’ve got some suggestions to help narrow it down.
Complete the look
If your design plan is more classic or traditional, go with more ornate hardware, with stylistic flourishes and a polished metal look, like silver or brass. If you’ve got a more modern, contemporary aesthetic in mind, choose hardware with simple, clean lines, and a solid, matte finish. If you’re planning a rustic, country home vibe, a brushed metal like copper would fit in nicely.
Stay consistent or mix it up
There are some general rules to follow when selecting hardware. For example, knobs will generally go on cupboards and pulls go on drawers. And when selecting a finish, the hardware should match other metal elements like fixtures and accessories. But rules are made to be broken, right? If your new bathroom or kitchen vision is something extra-modern or eclectic, a little mixing and matching can elevate your design. And “matching” doesn’t necessarily mean “identical”; a solid, flat finish can coordinate nicely with polished fixtures.
Do consider practicality
Form really does need to follow function, no matter what. If you choose hardware that looks cool but makes life more difficult - like a knob that’s hard to grip or a pull that keeps snagging your clothing - you’ll end up wasting time and money when you decide they need to be replaced. If you have millwork that ranges in size, most hardware manufacturers will have you covered with a range of sizes. No sense in getting a narrow little pull for a huge cupboard door!
Hopefully you’ve been able to narrow down your hardware options to the few specific styles ideally suited for your new bathroom or kitchen. Your next step is to head over to the Barton Bath + Floor showroom in Hamilton where our expert staff will help you make the final selection. We’ve got a staggering variety of hardware options on display for your reno, from top manufacturers like Richelieu, Top Knobs, Atlas Homewares, and Marathon. Be as understated or ostentatious as you please; finish your cohesively traditional look, or shoot to be a creative trendsetter. Barton Bath + Floor will have the hardware you’re looking for, and our knowledgeable and friendly associates will help you find it. Once you’re ready to put the finishing touches on your dream bathroom or kitchen, we’ll be ready for you!
Are you currently planning to upgrade your bathroom? We suggest you consider a wall-mounted vanity for your next bathroom renovation. This sleek, flexible design option is on-trend while still being functional. Here are some ways a wall-mounted vanity brings style and practicality to your bathroom reno.
When you install a wall-mounted vanity, you free up the floor space beneath it. In small bathrooms, where every inch counts, this can be a game changer. Since these vanities don’t touch the ground, they create the illusion of more space. Your cozy little bathroom will feel noticeably more open.
Traditional vanities are limited by their form factor; you can only customize the dimensions and configuration so much when the vanity still needs to be mounted to the floor. Wall-mounted vanities offer far more options for shapes, sizes, finishes, and materials. With greater control over the style, height, and placement of your vanity, you can design it to suit any bathroom theme. Whether you want a modern, minimalist look, or a classy vintage vibe, there’s a wall-mounted vanity setup that will be perfect for your reno.
Cleanliness is key for the bathroom! Traditional vanities are bulky and hard to clean around, allowing mildew, dust, and grime to build up. The compact form factor of a wall-mounted vanity makes it easy to keep the surfaces and surrounding walls and floor clean. And by being elevated off the floor, they offer greater accessibility for those with mobility issues, such as elderly or disabled people.
Turn your functional, convenient wall-mounted vanity into a statement piece! Install lighting such as an LED strip along the bottom to create a subtle, ambient glow and punch up your bathroom’s style. The space-saving design of wall-mounted vanities are on-trend and will give a modern edge to your bathroom design, while its practicality ensures the look will be a lasting one. It offers you the option to keep your bathroom aesthetic clean and contemporary, or use the extra space to add accent pieces for a truly luxurious experience.
Since wall-mounted vanities are anchored to the wall with a sturdy bracket or mounting system, they’re much more durable than traditional vanities. They won’t wobble or shift, making them less prone to damage over time. Being off the floor keeps them away from water damage, ensuring their safety from the rot or corrosion that can plague traditional vanities. Wall-mounted vanities are an investment in the longevity of a bathroom, keeping it functional and stylish for years to come.
If you’re looking for a practical, space-saving, and stylish bathroom solution, then wall-mounted vanities are the way to go. This modern bathroom piece offers benefits for contractors and interior designers alike, from space-saving capabilities to design freedom, easy cleaning and maintenance to improved accessibility. If you’re inspired by the versatility, practicality, and aesthetic appeal of a wall-mounted vanity, come into our showroom to get started on your dream bathroom renovation!
COVID-19 NOTICE
Our showroom hours are 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday to Friday, and 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Saturday.
We strongly recommend making an appointment with one of our sales staff.
Barton Bath + Floor is practicing social distancing between staff and customers to ensure a safe environment for all. Masks are not required.
To order products, schedule an appointment, or if you have any questions, please call 905.561.3521 or email us at info@bartonbathandfloor.com.
We look forward to continuing to assist our customers in any way we can, safely.