Cleanliness may be next to godliness, but for many Americans, bathing has gone beyond personal hygiene to become an escape from the drudgery of daily life. In the 20 years since Calgon introduced its enduring “Take me away” campaign, U.S. sales of bath and shower products has reached an estimated $3.8 billion. Bathrooms, too, have been transformed from utilitarian cubbies to lavish quarters with amenities once found exclusively at world-class spas.
“Master baths have become private retreats,” says Rick Miller, president of Miller’s Fancy Bath & Kitchen. “In a remodel, it’s not unusual to incorporate the original bath, the closets and an extra bedroom into a new 300- or 400-square-foot master bath, with private water closet, his and hers vanities, separate shower and tub, TV, and a walk-in closet.”
 | Two of a kind: double-bowl vanity set with tiger onyx tops, custom-made cabinetry and antique mirrors. |
Showers
Dominating 21st-century master baths is the stand-alone shower, coveted by 78 percent of new homebuyers, according to a 2005 survey from the National Association of Home Builders. Showers are also a factor in the $14 billion bath remodeling market, says Lynn Bramer of Bramer Custom Design Inc. “Most of my bath remodeling customers are motivated by shower issues. They want big walk-in showers.”
Showers are so popular, in fact, that many homeowners are eschewing tubs altogether, observes Greg Salen of Luxury Bath Systems & Kitchens in OxmoorCenter. “In 1996, tearing out tubs and replacing them with showers accounted for about 10 percent of my bath business,” he says. “Now it’s half.”
With today’s showers, the maxim “two heads are better than one” definitely applies. Many include both a standard wall-mounted showerhead and ceiling-mounted rainhead, producing an effect similar to “standing in the rain without being cold,” notes showroom consultant Jamie Kwiat with Ferguson Kitchen and Bath Gallery on Plantside Drive. “Pressurized rainheads give you a deluge effect, while gravity rainheads produce a softer spray.” The latest showers move so much water that the trades have dubbed them “vertical whirlpools” and “human car washes.”
Among recent showering innovations are Kohler’s Water Tiles and Jacuzzi’s Summer Rain II. On display at Plumbers Supply’s Main Street showroom, Water Tiles are fingertip-adjustable body sprays resembling four-inch-square tiles. The sleek faces contain 22 or 54 nozzles, come in six metal finishes, and retail for $124-$180 each. Billed as the “ultimate showering experience,” Summer Rain II is a two-person, glass-enclosed shower with swinging doors, two showerheads, multiple adjustable body sprays, a foot tester (for toe-testing water temperature), built-in bench and body dryer. The cost: $11,095 and up.
Steam showers are another amenity moving from the spa to the home. Though relatively inexpensive compared to other luxury bath products (steam generators start at about $900), they require a totally enclosed shower stall. For custom showers, that means tiling the walls and ceiling and extending the doors. A more cost-effective solution, says Kwiat, is an acrylic shower unit.
Tubs
For years, whirlpools were considered a must in master baths simply for resale value; however, a study by Remodeling Magazine revealed the tubs are seldom used. Bramer often advises clients to forgo the whirlpool in favor of a hot tub. “With installation, the least you’ll sp/files/storyimages/on a whirlpool is $5,000,” he says. “You can buy a six-person hot tub for that price!”
Gaining ground are soaking tubs and air tubs, which, unlike whirlpools, permit the use of essential oils for aromatherapy. Those searching for a unique bathing experience might like the champagne bubbles produced by Kohler’s Effervescence tub. Other options to consider: in-line heaters that can maintain water at a constant temperature during long soaks, as well as colored-light chromotherapy to influence biorhythms. Red light, for example, purportedly energizes and activates circulation, while violet reduces anxiety and stimulates the immune system. And for those who want the benefits of both whirlpools and air tubs, combination tubs are readily available.
Bathroom Tips
Bathrooms are the second most frequently requested remodeling job and have one of the highest returns on investment, says Remodeling Magazine. Before calling a contractor, visit showrooms, clip magazine pictures and surf the Internet to determine what you want. That way you won’t suffer from sticker shock when you get your estimates, Bramer advises. “A total gut and redo of a five-by-eight or -nine bath starts at $12,000,” he says. “If you upgrade products, you’re looking at $15,000, and for big, glamorous baths, the sky’s the limit. You can easily sp/files/storyimages/$50,000.”
| Neo-angle limestone-tile shower with 5/8-inch heavy glass door. |  |
Here are more tips from the pros:
• Don’t rely entirely on overhead lighting. Lights mounted on either side of the vanity mirror (or even on the mirror itself) eliminate shadows. Lighted vanity toe kicks make great nightlights.
• Make a small bath seem larger by increasing the ceiling height (when possible), laying tile flooring on the diagonal and using clear glass around the shower.
• Mirror walls can make a small bath seem larger, but don’t provide convenient, eye-level storage for health and beauty aids. Opt instead for oversized medicine cabinets.
• Great features to add to a shower: built-in benches, recessed wall niches in lieu of toiletry caddies or corner shelves, and grab bars, now available in designer finishes.
• Maximize vanity counter space with undermounted sinks and built-in liquid-soap dispensers.
• Save money by going with cultured marble instead of granite for your countertops. With an undermounted sink, you can get a high-/files/storyimages/look for a third of the cost.
• Save your back with adult-height vanities (36 inches tall vs. 30) and toilets. Full extension drawers provide more storage space than cabinets. Other storage ideas: lazy susans in corner cupboards, divided cosmetic drawers and built-in electrical outlets in base cabinets so hair dryers and curling irons stay plugged in.
• Right-size your water heater. A 40-gallon tank paired with a 100-gallon tub or huge shower is a recipe for disaster. Buy a bigger tank or go with an energy-efficient continuous-flow heater that creates hot water on demand and can also earn you a $300 tax credit.
• For showers and tub surrounds, porcelain tile is easier to maintain than natural stone. Large tiles minimize grout maintenance. To prevent staining, pay the extra price for epoxy grout, available in all colors except white. Even easier to maintain than tile: acrylic (such as ABS) or solid surface (such as Swanstone) panels.
• Upgrades well worth the extra cash: heated floors, quiet ventilation fans, insulated walls that muffle the sound of running water and high-quality faucets from reliable manufacturers that provide warranties.
• Living finishes on plumbing fixtures change over time. If you want your faucets to look the same a decade from now, opt for lifetime finishes.
• Pull your bath together by choosing the same finish for faucets, towel bars, light fixtures, vanity and shower hardware, and fittings such as toilet levers and drains.
• Keep clear-glass shower doors from spotting by having them sealed so water sheets rather than beads. Sealants add about 10 percent to the cost of the glass and are guaranteed for three years, says Gregg Spielberg of Kentucky Mirror + Plate Glass, which also sells TPC, a do-it-yourself spray-on product for $12.50 a can.
• Clean mirrors with specially formulated mirror cleaners. Spray-on vinegar and ammonia-based cleaners can run down mirrors, causing bottom edges to go bad.
RESOURCE LIST
Bella Cucina
8001 Vine Crest Ave. #6, 327-6860
Bramer Custom Design
7805 St. Andrews Church Road, 271-1071
Luxury Bath Systems & Kitchens
OxmoorCenter, 420-0700
Miller’s Fancy Bath & Kitchen
3730 Lexington Road, 893-9330
Kentucky Mirror + Plate Glass
818-822 W. Main St., 583-5541
Mirror Mirror
3926 Shelbyville Road, 893-2030
Mees Tile & Marble
4536 Poplar Level Road, 969-5858
Hass Cabinet Co.
625 W. Utica St., Sellersburg, 812-246-5420
Ferguson Kitchen and Bath Gallery
2424 Plantside Drive, 499-1234
Plumbers Supply Co.
1000 E. Main St., 582-2261
Willis Klein Showrooms
4001 Westport Road, 893-0441
Suite inside a master suite: tiger onyx shower stall with matching bath floor and separate water closet.
Neo-angle limestone-tile shower with 5/8-inch heavy glass door.
