Baths are Back in a Big Way
by Kimberly Lord Stewart

Recent renovations in tubs, showers, sinks, fixtures and faucets turn blah baths into soothing spas that relax body and soul.

Perhaps it’s because we shared a bathroom with siblings while growing up or recall miserable midnight treks to dorm restrooms that we’re no longer satisfied with a simple shower, sink and toilet.

Bath designers are making nicer memories for today’s homeowners by creating spaces that resemble spas more than bathrooms of the past. In-home spas are a sophisticated way to live a less stressful lifestyle, says Vickie Brown, a designer at Boulder’s Studio 3 kitchen and bath design firm. “Natur-ally, many homeowners prefer the ease of in-home spas, rather than a public day spa,” she says.

Indeed, bathroom fixtures, décor and design parallel ritzy resort spas. “Much of what you might see for in-home spas is a combination of features taken from upscale health clubs, spas and sports-team therapy rooms,” says Brian Terry, manager and co-owner of Greybridge Home Co.

Technology for in-home spas is even more advanced than that at resort spas. Hydro-massage tubs by manufacturers like BainUltra feature air jets that release millions of tiny bubbles to soothe tension, and mechanisms that hold up to the rigors of bath salts, essential oils and mudpacks. Some tubs even have colored LED lights for chromatherapy, a form of light therapy believed to positively affect biorhythms. Others feature massage-table lids so you can go straight from the table to a soothing soak.

No matter what shape or height you are, there’s a bathtub model to fit your decorating and soaking style. Choose from old-fashioned, freestanding claw-foot tubs, tubs for two or the ultimate in luxury, Kohler’s s¯ok tub. An overhead spout fills the s¯ok tub to overflowing, allowing you to soak chin-deep as water spills over the perimeter, like an infinity-edge pool.

If rain forests and waterfalls appeal to you, consider rain-like showerheads and steam showers. For a good soaking, plumbers can install a dinner plate-sized showerhead or multiple overhead showerheads (as many as 50) in a shower ceiling. Hand-held showerheads are useful for bathing small children and the family dog after a muddy jaunt.

You can also find showers with luminotherapy lights used to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and jet lag.

Steamy Situations

For many homeowners, steam showers represent the ultimate in relaxation. Although similar to standard showers, a steam shower has doors that extend floor to ceiling to contain the mist. Some steam showers also have hydro-massage—powerful jets that shoot water from the wall to target stress points. The Nordic Sauna has every steamy feature imaginable, including a steam bath, waterfall, tropical cloudburst, water massage and gentle showerheads. The company also builds custom teak-lined saunas for home use, the same found in many hotels and day spas.

Bathroom cabinetry is often in stylistic contrast to furnishings in neighboring rooms, but manufacturers like Forms + Fixtures make vanities that elevate bathroom cabinets to fine furniture. From the company’s Portofino line featuring sleek inlaid wood cabinets and Tuscan brass pulls to the Kyoto’s Asian-inspired lock-and-key drawers, each vanity makes a statement meant to blend, not clash, with home décor.

“Why not walk into a bath and see a beautiful interpretation of fine furniture?” says M. M. Reynolds, president and designer at Forms + Fixtures. “The bath environment should be created to reflect the home’s décor and the individual’s preferences.” But choose products that tolerate that environment, she adds, noting that some woods split in humid conditions.

Top a vanity with a vessel sink made of glass, pottery, concrete, stone or granite, and you’ve essentially got functional art instead of a mere washbasin. Sinks can also be flush with countertops, balance on pedestals or jut from the wall, as if suspended in air. Denver-based Vitraform specializes in glass sinks that can be under-mounted and backlit, freestanding or wall-mounted.

In casual contrast, sinks from Sonoma Cast Stone are modeled after those in Tuscan villas and Napa wineries. The company uses concrete to form sinks shaped like stoneware bowls, ramps and waves. The next time you dine at PF Chang’s China Bistro at FlatIron Crossing or Elway’s, John Elway’s restaurant in Cherry Creek, check out Sonoma’s contemporary wave sinks in the restrooms. You can also find Sonoma sinks and many others at McGuckin Design Center.

Designers are embracing concrete, says Sonoma president Steve Rosen-blatt, “because it has a depth of color and warmth, and with hundreds of colors, it’s easy to match a color to décor.” Concrete also gives structural flexibility that’s hard to accomplish with materials like marble and granite.

Bath fixtures are as tantalizing as sinks. Take THG’s fixtures, for ex-ample. The company’s Jean Claude Delepine Art Déco Collection in-corporates black onyx, lapis lazuli, malachite, red jasper and other stones and jewels into bath fixtures such as faucets and knobs. “It’s like adding jewelry to the bathroom,” Brown says. The company also offers waterfall fixtures reminiscent of water features in that bath waterspills over a distinctive plate instead of through a faucet.

To enhance these artistic accessories, Terry says many homeowners prefer frameless shower doors—the ultimate in sophistication—rather than ubiquitous metal-trimmed panel doors.

Terrific Tile

No in-home spa is complete without tile, which has made inroads into the shower. Preformed showers and baths are passé, Terry says, and many clients now prefer tiled enclosures built on site.

Tiny glass tiles are popular for shower walls and backsplashes. Impervious to water, these sparkling tiles are reminiscent of beach glass washed up on the shore. If your tastes are more Old World, Romanesque tiles are available in porcelain, which is less porous than travertine. In addition, tile installers can use laser-cutting tools to create intricate inlaid and mosaic patterns once reserved for pricey mansions.

To keep floor tile from freezing your feet, think about adding heated floors. Heated tiles are expensive for

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