I read somewhere that bathrooms are the new den. No matter what a person’s budget, luxury in a bathroom seems to be high on the list of reno priorities. Here are five of the top most prevailing trends in bathroom design, going strong despite the economic slump.
Soaker Tubs
Deep, insulated, free-standing or claw-footed, luxurious soaker tubs are the crowning jewel of the contemporary bathroom. Gone is the noisy Jacuzzi that was all the rage in decades past, as well as the corner-oriented tubs with the wide ledge that offered a lot of wow factor, along with quite a challenge for getting in and out. Replacing that ledge which admittedly served well as shampoo storage are actual side tables, inventive tub trays and other furnishings previously thought to be no-no in a wetroom.
Multi-Jet Luxury Showers
Left: "Could Cover Shower" via International Design Awards blog. Right; House to Home, "Luxury Bathrooms" Gallery.
Tub or shower? Hard to say. The luxury shower is neck-and-neck with the luxury tub, and these days it’s looking more like a human car wash. If you don’t have the space to accommodate the sought after walk-in, you can update your waterworks with the multi-jet shower configuration that embeds right into the wall. In addition to the wall jets, the overhead has gone beyond the wide, round rain head that has become so popular in the past several years, and into the elaborate, ceiling-embedded grid of spray nozzles that actually reduces water consumption.
Walling off the Toilet
"Best Bathroom" from Boston Globe Magazine.
One of the biggest trends in both renos and new construction is privatizing the toilet. I personally know two households that walled off the loo in their master bath, either in an adjacent room, or behind a glass/tile partition. The added convenience of being able to maximize the bathroom facilities is reportedly worth the irritation of moving the plumbing.
Furniture in the Bathroom
Left: PoeticHome.com. Right: Rialto Bathroom Furniture at BagNoIdea.com.
In pursuit of turning the bathroom into the ultimate lounge, furniture that is traditionally found in other rooms is trumping conventional bathroom furnishings. Re-purposed dressers for vanities and storage (a Sarah Richardson favourite), elaborate mirrors, upholstered seating, small area rugs, small coffee and side tables and of course, the chandelier. In the above photo, the bathroom on the left even shows off a fireplace mantle surrounding a marble splash guard around the tub, for added warmth and style.
On-Demand Water Heaters
On a different note, bathroom glam may seem to be pumped up on the outside, however green remains the goal for the inside. One thing added to the list of many new bathroom renos is a tankless on-demand water heater, which fires up and heats water as you need it. With no tank there’s no standby heat loss and the system professes endless hot water with 30%-40% higher efficiency and up to 80% lower NOx (Nitrogen Oxides) emissions.
Has anyone recently renovated their bathroom? Anything to report from the front?
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