From the purely utilitarian bathrooms of the past to today’s modern and luxurious in-home sanctuaries, new technologies, fixtures, and finishes are today’s must-haves in creating the ultimate bath. Create a spa-like oasis in one of your home’s most essential rooms by inviting it to join the 21st century, with new technologies designed to pamper and invigorate you without ever leaving home.
What are the must-have elements that transform your bathroom? Steam showers rise to the top of the list of must-have amenities. No more whittling out time from an already hectic schedule to visit the spa when you can steam away daily stress, relieve sore muscles and clear pores while enjoying the benefits of aromatherapy and chromotherapy right at home.
Activated from a remote app or voice command, smart technology delivers steam through your shower system’s steam head before you ever enter the room, with personalized settings for temperature and steam shower duration. Slip away from the chaos of the outside world as you drench yourself in a spectrum of mood-boosting light selectable from a digital color wheel, and pipe in music or meditations from your Bluetooth device as the aroma of essential oils permeates your shower.
Frequently used in tandem with steam showers, curbless walk-in showers with sleek, frameless enclosures are next on the list of must-have bathroom design elements. Offering a contemporary, minimalistic design, walk-in showers offer a seamless flow between bathroom zones, giving the impression of a dramatically grander and roomier area than actually occupied by the space.
Heightening the bathing experience even further, rainfall and dual-zone showerheads are must-have inclusions for many homeowners. As if standing under a natural waterfall, rainfall showerheads deliver the same natural experience through selectable water patterns, while two shower heads allow for an intimate, communal bath. Bathroom designs chalk up bonus luxury points for extending interior space to include an outdoor “alfresco” bathing area that blends natural elements of stone, plants and fresh air into a one-of-a-kind natural bathing experience.
The must-have list wouldn’t be complete without including standalone soaking tubs that replace the once envied but obsolete whirlpool tubs of yesteryear. Whether defined by a window with a breathtaking view or placed in an offset extension in the bath, soaking tubs are deeper and wider than their standard builder-grade cousins and provide a spa-like feel while incorporating contemporary, architectural aesthetics. Available in various high-end finishes with many holding heat more efficiently than others, highly favored materials include enameled cast iron, brass, copper, and soapstone.
Wall-mounted and bucket-style towel warmers make the must-have list for offering a pleasurable luxury while reducing harmful molds and allergens that often breed in damp towels. It’s hard to compete with this creature comfort when you find yourself swaddled inside a toasty warm towel or bathrobe after an invigorating shower or soak in the tub.
And, while speaking of toasty warm, raise your personal sanctuary to another level by including radiant heated floors to your must-have list of bathroom amenities. Heated floors provide quiet, consistent warmth without kicking up mold and allergens while delivering heat efficiently from floor level up.
Touchless, infrared fixtures rate high on the must-have list, with infrared motion sensors turning faucets on and off and opening and closing commodes. Other features include commodes with heated seats that self-clean through the use of electrolyzed water, with both faucets and commodes providing convenient night light effects that guide you through the dark.
From heated floors and towel warmers to infrared and Bluetooth technologies designed to thrust your bathroom into the 21st century, create a spa-like oasis in one of your home’s most essential rooms – the bath. Pamper yourself like never before as you steam and soak away the chaos of the outside world by including one or more of these must-have luxury technologies, fixtures and finishes in your bathroom design. You deserve it!
