Seattle Homes and Lifestyles 2007 Source Book

Home | Working With Pros |

Architect Builder Interior Designer Landscape Designer

Landscapes Exteriors Interiors Kitchen Bath

2007 Directory

Architects/Contractors Art/Frames/Galleries Bath/Kitchen Builders/Remodelers Floors/Walls/Paint Glass/Metal/Wood Home Furnishings Interior Design Landscape/Garden Lighting Photography Real Estate Windows/Doors

Print Page

BEAUTY AND THE BATH
Natural materials and high-tech amenities move into the bathroom

When planning a powder room, guest bathroom or master bathroom suite, most designers agree that identifying the room’s purpose is the first step in creating the design concept. For instance, explains interior designer Christine Suzuki, “A powder room is meant to impress; it can be bold and dramatic, while the master bathroom is more of a retreat.”

From left: Luxury bath amenities include Kohler's DTV Custom Showering Experience, Agape Design sink and faucet, Cole & Company's New Hollywood vanity, and Kohler's Purist Wading Pool sink and faucet.

Colors and Surfaces
Right now, colors such as turquoise and lime green paired with antique bronze fixtures make an attractive combination, according to Keva Dodd of Christina Lynn. “Darker hues in a master bath make the space a little more intimate,” she says.

When considering colors and materials, it is now possible to keep the design more consistent with the rest of the house because of the custom fixtures and cabinetry available. Dodd says she is seeing ornate vanities with finishes akin to custom kitchen cabinets: “Particularly in master baths, they are mirroring what’s in a master bedroom.”

When it comes to wood, “teak has increased in popularity,” says Rachel Marez, owner of Fix Design Studio. “It’s warm, and it has some black veins in it so it could be used to complement any style.”

New Technology
In many homes, the master bath is where style takes center stage, and it is there that manufacturers have introduced new technology created to make the bath experience ultraluxurious. The same type of gadgets that have been making a splash in the kitchen are being seen now in bathrooms. Instead of a bread-warming drawer, think towel-warming drawers; instead of a wine refrigerator, think espresso machine for the bathroom.

Flat-screen TVs, a remote-controlled gas fireplace, or motorized window treatments are some of the most popular high-tech additions, but fixtures are going high-tech too. With Kohler’s DTV Custom Showering Experience, shower heads are controlled by a touch-screen computer that moves up to eight components, allowing users to create a custom-shower routine based on time, temperature and water configuration.

Bathtubs have also kept up with technological innovations. The new air massage is different from the conventional spa jets and features tiny perforations that give a full-body massage. The Japanese-style soaking tub is also in high demand—it has a deep basin and can include a wood finish, making it the perfect fit for a Zenlike retreat. With amenities like these, you may never find a good reason to leave your bathroom.