Bathroom as Spa
Bathrooms and spas were enjoyed as far back as the Roman Empire two thousand years ago who made sure steady clean water was brought down from the mountains to feed the homes and public bathing spas we now see unearthed today in archeological excavations throughout Italy and countries around the Empire. Viaducts were one of the first major engineering marvels Romans built to keep waters flowing in the bathrooms of the rich and those that the public had access to. Bathrooms were adorned with art and mosaic tiles we can still see today using the same basic tile material we use in our own bathrooms today showing the importance they held as far back as then.
By any measure we are fortunate today that every home has the basics such as a bathroom as well as to be able to enjoy luxurious spa-like bathrooms and often more than one. Luxuriating in a beautiful bathroom, once a rare thing, is something we take for granted and we all can enjoy today.
At Bath and Home we’re lucky to have the opportunity to be part of the experience helping home owners create a new modern bathroom with all the wonderful contemporary features that make life a bit more special. We’d like to share some quick ideas on what our customers are doing to create their own personal spas.
What is a spa? It’s a bathroom that envelopes us with a feeling of warmth and a comfortable feeling being surrounded by colours we chose ourselves and styles of fixtures that are our own personal statement. It evokes a feeling of sensual pleasures from the scents that adorn the shelves and niches to the subdued warm lighting that touches our skin. Our own private space that is where we can spend the time as we please at our own pace in our own private thoughts, to remember the day and the people we met and the conversations that took place.
A spa is luxury but doesn’t have to cost luxury prices. It can be moderately priced with commonly available, carefully chosen fixtures and tile work. The idea that luxurious appearance always means expensive is misleading. Beautiful bathrooms are of the imagination and your own personal taste and not of precious metals and rare stones. It is what you want it to be.
Since tile sets the tone of most of your spa it is worth the time and a few extra dollars to choose from specialty tile shops in Calgary and there are quite a few. A few more dollars per square foot may be worth that.
Vanities with new modern built-in tops and sinks provide a beautiful bright white look that evokes luxury and quality. Lots of drawers is the rule. And too many styles to count.
Faucets for your shower can be as simple as a basic shower head and as ornate as a spa-unit with controls for your shower head and wand and adjustability. Chrome and brushed nickel are two old stand-bys for whatever theme you’ve created for the rest of your home.
Free-standing tubs of various styles and designs are available and a deck mounted faucet and perhaps an adjacent wall shelf or small side table for perfumes and candles and maybe a glass of wine to round things off at the end of the day. Smaller bathrooms with alcove tubs can enjoy every bit of the luxury with a built-in niche for shampoo and, of course, candles and that glass of wine. No need to sacrifice anything here.
Toilets these days, come in every design from traditional to ultra-modern one-piece styles and totally depend on your over-all theme and taste. Go crazy with a bidet-seat which you’ll find more and more in homes around Calgary and just plug in to a wall socket and ready.
Even exhaust fans are super quiet these days in the 0.5 sones or less zone – whisper quiet and strong and can adjust to the humidity so no guessing here.
Not last is lighting and choices galore. Over the mirror or sconces on each side in many modern luxurious styles. Add a dimmer to make your spa as you feel. Modern lighting is quite small with permanent LED filaments and no bulbs to change.
Finally, mirrors come rectangular, square, round and oval, can be adorned with jewel-like frames and LED surrounds for the atmosphere you want to create. Many models have Bluetooth controls and speakers that run off your phone for a total atmosphere of the music you love.
Spas are bathrooms you create for yourself and are limited only to your imagination.
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