|
 |
| The word is out:
people today want bathrooms to be bold, beautiful, and –
especially – comfortable. We
now have an amazing new design tool to help bring your bathroom
to life BEFORE starting any work. Click HERE
to take a peek.
|
| 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. Today, whether
due to the development of two-earner families, to greater
stress in the outside world, or simply to the whims of the
"me" generation, homeowners are asking 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.
Now 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 in many designs. The "master suite"
– a formal integration of bedroom, bath and auxiliary
spaces – is perhaps the crowning expression of the bathroom's
newly expanded identity. Exercise equipment, saunas, steam
showers, grooming alcoves, walk-in dressing wings, even indoor
atriums are all options in the new master suite.
|
|
| As with contemporary bathroom
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 fine detailing; and a new
creativity in approaches to cabinetry. Antique
fixtures and fittings are being treated with fresh respect,
but teamed with a huge assortment of new styles and finishes.
There's a growing attention to water conservation
– in fact, it's mandated in some areas. 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hand is withdrawn. Elite Bathrooms can help you choose the
products according to functionality, aesthetics and provide
you with the skilled and professional approach necessary to
turn your dreams into reality. Click HERE
to go to our contact page.
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 "universal"
or barrier-free bath is receiving deserved attention. Besides
providing easy access, a major goal for today's barrier-free
bath is aesthetic: It shouldn't look like a barrier-free bath.
Warm and traditional, high-tech or colorfully
whimsical: The individual styles may look different, but successful
bathrooms have a lot in common. When a bathroom looks great
and functions well, you can be sure that hours of planning
went into its realization. Behind those shiny new fixtures
and tiles are codes and clearances, critical dimensions and
effective design principles. Advice from professionals such
as Elite Bathrooms is not just critical but essential. Obviously
we’ll listen to your ideas and develop a practical method
of turning your dreams into reality.
|
|
|
