From Powder Room to Personal Spa

By Jill Becker

Maude Jacobs is sweating it out in the steam room. Next she'll take a long soak in the oversize Whirlpool tub while listening to a soothing soundtrack, then grab a heated towel from the towel warmer. Sounds like Maude is pampering herself with a day of relaxation at an upscale spa. But she's not. She's pampering herself in her very own bathroom.

To battle the stresses of the day, not to mention perk up one of the plainest rooms in the house, more and more homeowners are commanding bathroom redos that feature luxuries like soaking tubs, towel warmers, and even high-definition televisions.

That means things like the addition of an electric makeup mirror right next to the sink so mom can easily put on her mascara each morning. And adding a steam room so dad can sweat off last night's client dinner just like he would at the gym.

Over in Naples, Florida, DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen co-owner Meriam Reed is seeing clients invest in spa-type items like Whirlpool baths and pulsing shower sprays. "Where we are, the people redoing their bathrooms are very active, mostly retired or semi-retired, who play a lot of golf and tennis," says Reed. "They want to soothe their sore muscles, or perhaps treat minor arthritic pains, and it's much more convenient to have the resources right there in their house rather than having to make a trip to the spa."

Many of these homeowners are even taking space away from other rooms to complete their at-home spa. "There's a lot of changing of walls," says Richard Spann, owner of a DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen franchise in Santa Barbara, California. They want the extra square footage for creature comforts like double sinks, walk-in showers, dry saunas, and most importantly it seems, a separate water closet.

Indeed, everything about the bathroom is changing, from the lighting to the floors to the fixtures. The approach today, just like at those four-star spas, is about pampering, privacy, and personality.

Gone, for one, is unflattering artificial light. In its place are features like skylights, bay windows, and glass-block walls that let in more natural light and, in some homes, scenic views. Even simple fixes like converting from standard on/off switches to dimmer switches offers a more pleasing effect. In older homes, aging windows are being replaced with newer models to allow for added quiet and privacy. Gone, too, are a lot of the traditional building materials you used to see in bathrooms like plastic laminate counters and tile. Homeowners are opting instead for richer materials such as brushed metal, marble, granite, quartz, and a variety of exotic woods (vertical grains are especially popular).

"The trend in cabinetry is to have more of a furniture look," says Reed. "So you'll see lots of dark cherry, walnut, and the like."

Where homeowners are really going crazy is with the fixtures. An ordinary showerhead or standard tub just won't do anymore. To create your own in-home spa you've got to, for one, "glamorize your shower," as Reed calls it. That means installing everything from a walk-in double shower big enough for two to temperature control systems (so you never scald yourself again!) to personal handheld sprayers. As for the bathtub, even the once-coveted clawfoot is getting the boot in favor of fancy whirlpool tubs that could fit a family of five. Toilets, too, are getting the treatment. Today's models are much quieter and are being raised to "comfort height" so they're easier to get on and off of.

Of course, no respectable at-home bathroom/spa is worth its weight without all the little accents and touches you find at those high-end health resorts. For instance, how relaxing would it be if after a long soak in the tub you had to touch your tootsies to the cold, hard floor? No, the floors need to be heated. (A low-voltage heating element installed under the floor does the trick.) Your towels should be warm and toasty, too, so go ahead and get yourself that built-in towel warmer. And what's a proper bath without a little music? So relax to some Bach or Beck — whichever gets you in the mood — on your remote-controlled stereo system.

"The amount of gadgetry is limitless," says Spann, who's currently installing a high-definition television in one customer's bathroom. "He's a businessman who needs to keep up with current events, especially the stock market, as much as possible." To him, it's not so much a specialty item as a convenience. Something that will make the rest of his day a little easier. Which is exactly the point of an in-home spa.

"You've got to get the idea of the boring old five-by-eight room out of your head," insists Spann. "The bathroom simply isn't that anymore." And to that we say, "Ahhhhhhh."

Jill Becker is an Atlanta-based writer and editor who dreams of one day having her own in-home spa.