The Elevated Bathing Experience
When we speak of a personal retreat that serves as a place of peace and a source of strength, we’re not talking about some vacation get-away. Why can’t such a lavish and luxurious experience be had right there in the owner’s suite at home? The perfect bath blends high-end style and sensual beauty with personal wellness.
Think Wood and Warmth
Blurring the lines between living areas and outdoor areas is no longer something just to consider with regard to the family room! A panoramic view from the bathroom is all part of the desired spa-like ambiance, meaning nature-inspired material choices are on trend.
One of the hottest trends is duckboard flooring—the slatted wood pieces you often see in saunas and boats. No need to avoid wood out of maintenance fears any more, thanks to new advancements in protective finishes.
As discussed in our recent feature on surfaces, tile is trending in warmer neutrals—beige now trumps white. Large format tiles not only are stylish and space-enlarging, they are also easier to keep clean.
Make a Statement
Cabinetry in the bathroom is equally important than it is in the kitchen and elsewhere in the home. Likewise, the light fixture and hardware choices in the bath suite are as important as the statement-making fixtures in the main living areas of the home.
Explore New Space Designs
Similar to a wet room, the two-in-one shower and bath concept is receiving a much-needed modern makeover. What was once a tight space confined to tub-sized dimensions has now become an expansive “wet area.” The tub and shower are separated by a partition, giving the space a stylish, modern vibe while separating it from dry areas of the bathroom.
Inside the bathing area, the tub can provide a beautiful, tactile, usable work of art. For the shower, two or more showerheads are designed to provide an array of water spray and accommodate two bathers.
Make Smart Decisions
The modern bathing experience allows control and customization through connected smart home devices. Use a remote or your cell phone to personalize the shower temperature and faucet flow rate. Fill the tub to a preset level and temperature. Auto-sensing touchless and self-cleaning toilets, adjustable privacy glass, chromatherapy lights and floor heating systems are some of the other connected bathroom stand-outs.
Left: This space design is open yet offers privacy. Nobilia’s Sierra oak-styled fronts from the Structura collection deliver a balanced warm aesthetic.
Left: Rainstick’s WiFi-enabled circular shower that saves 80 percent water and up to 80 percent energy while maintaining almost twice the flow rate compared to a traditional low-flow shower. The unit starts with fresh grid-supplied water; however, instead of going down the drain, RainStick uses proprietary recirculation technology to capture, circulate, and clean the water, all in real-time to avoid waste. Its three-stage process removes hair and debris, disinfects water, and kills bacteria and viruses through long-life UV-LED technology.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Bathrooms have risen in status far from their once purely utilitarian use to the point of becoming one of the top selling points of the home.
