For some, the ideal bathroom is a quiet and understated retreat, while for
others, it’s a luxurious space created for pure indulgence. But in either case, today’s bathroom has come a long way since its humble, utilitarian beginnings. Now bathrooms are the most frequently redesigned and renovated rooms in the home, and the master bathroom boasts both impressive size and amenities worthy of its place as a private retreat. Along with this evolution of status in the home, baths create a personal space, filled with details and choices that give it a personality all its own. Design features, once reserved for showier rooms in the home, have been reinvented for the modern bathroom.
The difference in today’s master bath is that it is not shared with visitors or guests. It is solely for the use and enjoyment of the owner – YOU - and should be created for your pleasure alone. From fixtures to flooring, from furniture to lighting and accessories, the options available for the bath are limitless. As such, many homeowners today are looking to create that room which will give them a quiet retreat from their hectic, fast-paced lifestyle. It is the attraction of a spa-style bathroom that helps cleanse the mind, as well as the body, from the harshness of daily life. Creating this spa bathroom is easy once you examine the range of choices available.
The spa bath is first and foremost a place to relax and unwind. It is an experience for all the senses and a retreat for body and soul. Relaxing with the movement of water as you ease into an oil-scented bath can be the beginning of the spa therapy. Feeling the smooth tile underfoot as you wrap yourself in a thick, soft, plush terrycloth robe, while listening to quiet music and taking in the fragrance of aromatic candles continues the treatment. This is the spa bath experience.
A spa bathroom incorporates natural materials, lighting, and understated calm to create a restorative environment, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t full of interesting detail. Marble, wood, or stone and clean, simple tile become backdrop elements in the spa bath. Calming shades are used to color the room – tranquil blues or greens, serene whites, and any earth tone. Each detail mimics the calmness of the sky, the water, and the earth in this tranquil setting. At the core of a spa bath style is the essential element of water which refreshes, cleanses, and cools. Larger baths may contain air tubs, saunas, or showers with massaging jet sprays. Waterfall faucets, rainhead showers, air and whirlpool tubs all bring water to the forefront. While the colors of water can help set a palette, the reflective nature of water is shown in surfaces such as mirror, glass, and chrome. While the master bath is a possibility for some, any bath, regardless of size, can create the spa experience by keeping in mind the relaxing, calming nature one is trying to recreate.
Plumbing and lighting fixtures play an important role in creating a spa bath – whether modest or spacious. Finishes of chrome, polished nickel or oil-rubbed bronze set the standard, bringing to mind earth’s elements. Glass sink bowls and stone tubs bring the outdoors in and help you reconnect with nature. Accessories can help bring the spa atmosphere to any bath. Again, reflect upon the natural world for insights into materials, textures and colors. Sisal rugs can add texture to a plain, smooth floor. Handmade pottery and live plants add depth and dimension to the calmness of your retreat. Turkish cotton towels, sea sponges, bath salts and canisters of natural oils add beauty as well as purpose to the bathing experience. Even the smallest of splurges can reap large rewards when it comes to creating the spa experience at home. The spa bath is about relaxing and cleansing the mind as well as the body, so the choices should remain simple, quiet, and reserved, allowing your senses - sight, sound, smell, and touch to be soothed and renewed by the feeling of nature that surrounds you.