By Deborah L. O'Mara
The bathroom has become an oasis, complete with luxurious whirlpools and spas. One indication of this trend: Tubs are no longer relegated to a hidden area; they are the focal points of rooms that increasingly resemble spas.
That's no coincidence, either. Today's bathrooms are all about "destressing," says Ann Roever, senior product manager, Bathing Products for Kohler Co. "With a day at the spa costing $400 or more, you can instead invest this money in your home and benefit over the long haul."
Ann adds that consumers can choose the type of personal water experience they prefer--from soothing relaxation to invigorating jet massage. Some can be personally customized at the touch of a button to provide an enhanced water experience by regulating everything from lighting in the bath to the type of water flow or massage.
Bathtubs can create the illusion of a limitless fall of water all around, sport fixtures that double as waterfalls, or provide chromatherapy -- colored lighting to further enhance or promote a mood or feeling.
No more utilitarian bathrooms
In higher end homes, bathrooms have become more of an extension of the home or master suite, adds Tom Graham, CKB, CKD and chief operating officer, Airoom Architects & Builders, Lincolnwood, Ill. Airoom specializes in home renovation and remodeling in the Chicago area.
Tom says in every part of the bathroom, a furniture look dominates, including wet areas. Whirlpool baths can now be dropped into cabinetry to match or complement the sink vanity. Hardware accessories now also take their cue from furniture, as well. The tub, Tom adds, might include claw feet or other ornate footings to continue a design theme.
"In addition, there's a move away, especially in larger rooms, from placing spa tubs and whirlpools along outer walls, instead using islands or solo tubs in the middle," Tom notes. While plumbers might cringe at running water pipes to the room's center, he says that if such a feature is planned in the initial design stages, it can be accomplished quickly and effectively.
Here are some features that Tom sees as popular with consumers in their luxurious whirlpools and spas:
- Large soaking tubs, often as islands or on platforms in the center of the room.
- Hydrotherapy tubs. This may include a number of different varieties on the market, including water-jetted or air-jetted products. Some models may combine more than one type of water propulsion technology.
- Chromatherapy or colored lights in the bathtub that can be set to glow red, yellow, blue, etc. and provide a soothing and individual bathing feeling.
- In some cases, separate vanities have evolved into his-and-hers bathrooms with a shower on his side and a large whirlpool or soaking tub on hers.
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