Soak in a Spa-Worthy Bathroom

By Donna Birch

McClatchy Newspapers

When Lynn Roth decided to update her home's master bath, her initial goal was to give the 1970s-era room - with its white cabinets, sliding glass doors and gold trim - a more contemporary look.

Three weeks later, the completed room had the modern look that Roth, a retiree, wanted.

Light-colored bamboo replaced drab beige carpet and also was used on part of the ceiling around a skylight. Recessed lighting was added above a new whirlpool bath. The roomy shower was made over with seamless natural stone and thick, hingeless textured glass doors.

Roth got something more than the updated room she envisioned in her Modesto, Calif., home. She gained a space that, in her eyes, is a retreat.

Before the remodel, the bathroom was a place where Roth swiftly took care of basic grooming needs. But now, with a tub tailor-made for soaking the day's cares away and walls awash in subtle earth tones, the it's become a place where she can linger and relax.

"I take more time for myself in here," she said.

Roth is among many home dwellers who are adding more spalike comforts to their bathrooms.

Sean Ruck, a spokesman for the National Kitchen & Bath Association, said the trend started several years ago. Years ago, Ruck explained, the bathroom was a "strictly utilitarian" spot in the home.

"People were embarrassed to admit that it was even in the house," he said.

Bathrooms were built just large enough to house the basics: a sink, toilet, tub and/or shower. Lighting typically consisted of one fixture, usually above the sink.

But over the years, houses got bigger, as did bathrooms. With more space to work with, people are spending more money to outfit bathrooms with an assortment of creature comforts. They are making the rooms places where they can escape and pamper themselves.

Some of what's being incorporated to enhance the spa feel:

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Design that emphasizes a clean look and feel: more open lines of sight, glasswork, natural tile, and mirrors to make the room appear more open, grand and airy.

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Whirlpool baths with jets and soaking tubs. Some tubs even come equipped with colored lights for chromotherapy, a treatment in which color is used to enhance physical and emotional well-being.

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Showers big enough for two and equipped with extras such as benches, programmable thermostats to control water temperature and multiple shower heads and body sprays mounted on opposite walls. The shower heads deliver an assortment of water pressures, from pulsate streams to steam to water that cascades like a waterfall or rain.

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Heated flooring and towel racks to help folks stay warm and toasty, and fogless mirrors.

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Built-in vanities with cushy seating.

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Remote-controlled toilets and bidets with seat warmers and jet sprays.

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Dimmer switches so users can control lighting.

"A lot of our members are dealing with clientele that's spending a bit more, and there's more freedom in higher end design," Ruck said.

Steve Benson, owner of Modesto Kitchen and Bath in Modesto, agreed.

The kitchen and bath market "has changed more in the past six years than in the past 20 years."

With the proliferation of television shows and networks that emphasize decor and design, the average person is more educated about what they want. And one thing they want is nicer things in the bath. Benson has had clients inquire about adding fireplaces, flat- panel televisions, audio systems and water-resistant MP3 players into master bathroom suites. In older homes, some homeowners are knocking out walls or taking space from an adjacent room or closet to create bigger bathrooms.

The average hall bathroom basic remodel can cost between $10,000 and $20,000. A master bath remodel can range from $15,000 to $40,000.

Remodeled bathrooms can boost a home's resell value. And while some clients might have that advantage in mind when they plan their remodel, Benson said he still sees a good number of clients who are improving that room because they simply want to enjoy it more.

That was the case with Mary Ann Abate. When she and her husband had their home built more than a decade ago, they didn't focus enough attention on the master bathroom. "It wasn't a place that I wanted to spend time in."

So they decided to redo the master bathroom. Five weeks and roughly $25,000 later, Abate has a dream bathroom. The room's features include Italian tile, polished nickel fixtures and ornate, hingeless glass shower doors.

She describes the room's style as Asian fusion.

"I wanted a better feel to the room and lower maintenance," she said. "Before, we had black, shiny tile that was impossible to keep clean."

Now, said Abate, "it's a pleasure taking a shower. I just love it. And the remodel really adds value to our home."

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