BATHROOM REDUX
Add value and comfort to your home BY JOSEPH PUBILLONES
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THINK Spring
CREATORS.COM
Joseph Pubillones’ weekly column, “The Art of Design,” is available at creators.com. -Creators.com
Special Supplement to The Gazette | March 2013
ON THE COVER: ISTOCKPHOTO/LORDRUNAR
A new bathroom can add both perceived and actual value to a home.
Nothing embodies a sense of luxury more than nicely appointed bathrooms and powder rooms. This is one of the best improvements that can be done to any home, townhouse or condominium, since it can add both perceived and actual value. Since the times of ancient Rome, baths have been a great place for cleanliness and for establishing a connection among body, mind and spirit. Baths were a refuge for one to go and think clearly and even, in some cultures, to negotiate the finer points of a business deal. In our world today, bathrooms are more private, but, nonetheless, just as important. Today’s bathrooms are not just functional rooms, but also an extension of one’s living space. Designs for these spaces have gone in many directions, and can include saunas, hot tubs, massage tables and even exercise areas. Gone are many of the materials once used in bathrooms—ceramic tile; traditional fixtures; and tones of mint green, cherry pink and sky blue (unless you are involved in a historical restoration). Replacements feature warmer tiles, slates and marbles in a variety of incredible colors. Some have textures; others are cut with a laser for intricate designs. Stones are mixed with glass and mirrors, and tiles and fixtures that glow in the dark are available. Some newer bathrooms rival the size of their en suite bedrooms. Larger spaces are now in favor over the typical 5-by7-foot bathrooms of yesteryear. Many homeowners are willing to eliminate a spare room to use the extra square footage in their
new bathroom. Lounging areas are de rigueur, and this means space for a chaise or a pair of club chairs and an ottoman. Traditional fixtures, such as toilets and tubs, are available to fit in with most conventional, architectural styles. Some are also available in sleek versions that look as if they have been designed by aeronautical engineers. Materials for fixtures have evolved to include the traditional porcelains and enameled irons, as well as newer materials, such as resins and polyesters, that can easily be molded into any shape and have the same sheen as earlier models. Custom cabinetmakers can make bathroom furniture in any style to fit your decor and lifestyle. The one caveat is to use materials that are not affected by direct contact with water or humidity. Today’s styles range from floating, wall-mounted cabinetry to furniture-like pieces that completely conceal the fixtures. The whirlpool tub was the must-have 10 or 20 years ago. Today, high-end plumbing fixtures are all the rage. Most whirlpool tubs are being removed for lack of use and are being replaced with larger showers that feature multiple massage sprays, rain showerheads and spa-like steam options. These features, once found only at therapeutic clinics and spas, now are commonplace as people search for antidotes to their hectic lives.