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Make A Big In The Bathroom

Written by peter    Sunday, 11 January 2009

Make A Big In The Bathroom The news is out: people want bathrooms to be bold, beautiful, and— especially comfortable. It wasn't always that way. The first wooden bathtubs, scenes of the painfully elaborate Saturday night scrubs immortalized by Western movies, appeared in the mid 1800s. Soon these leaky vessels were replaced by cast iron tubs essentially horse troughs with legs. The bathroom as we know it came indoors only in the 1920s, and with no great fanfare. Health and privacy concerns, not aesthetics, prompted the move. A new but mandatory 5 by 7 foot space a "terraincognita" now appeared on architects' and tract builders' plans. Today, whether due to the development of two earner families, or simply to the whims of the "me" generation, homeowners are requiring their architects and designers to give new thought to the use of this space. The bathroom is no longer an "out of sight, out of mind" proposition; it's a rewarding part of the good life. The new bathrooms tend to be bigger. They tend to be compartmentalized for multiple uses. And many are geared for relaxation as well as efficiency. The whirlpool tub a trimmed down version of the outdoor spa has become a focal point for many designs. The "master suite"a formal integration of bedroom, bath, and auxiliary spaces is perhaps the crowning expression of the bathroom's new found identity. Exercise rooms, saunas, steam showers, grooming alcoves, walk-in dressing wings, even indoor atriums are all new master-suite options As with contemporary kitchen design, there's a freer mixing of materials and styles; an emphasis on artificial lighting and an appreciation of natural light expressed in the use of windows, skylights, and glass block; an interest in raised ceilings and soffit details; and a new creativity in approaches to cabinetry Antique fixtures and fittings are being treated with fresh respect, but they're teamed with a huge assortment of new styles and finishes. There's a new attention to water conservation. Manufacturers are offering ultra low flush toilets, low flow shower heads, and sink faucets that save water or shut off when the user's hand is withdrawn. Safety is a concern. It’s now much easier to find sturdy grab bars, nonskid fixtures, and shatterproof materials. You can buy pressure-balancing or temperature limiting plumbing fittings to prevent scalds. As the population ages and we gain new awareness of the needs of the physically challenged, the barrier free bath is receiving deserved attention. Besides easy access, a major goal for today's barrier free bath is aesthetic: it shouldn't look like a barrier free bath. Brainstorming a new bathroom is a threefold process: planning the space, defining a style, and choosing components. That's the sequence this book follows. You can tackle these steps in order or browse freely, using the book as a detailed planning resource or simply choosing images and ideas to help your architect or designer understand more clearly what you want.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 25 February 2009 )

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