Settle in and have your achy muscles caressed. Breathe fragrant aromas of eucalyptus, lavender, sandalwood or grapefruit. Listen to Bach, Beethoven or cool jazz, and melt away stress in a steam shower.
Pamper yourself. You know you want to, and there’s no need to travel to an exotic location to do it. Today’s luxe bathrooms can be your own personal spa and more.
Like uber thread counts that determine a bed sheet’s degree of luxury, the number of jets and how many nozzles control the dance of water now are deciding factors in upgrading showers and tubs.
Even the lexicon has changed. Today’s home spa emphasizes hydrotherapy, and there is nothing ordinary about it. The water is healing and magical because of amazing technology.
“It’s all about de-stressing,” says Ann Roever, senior product manager of bathing products for Kohler Co.
Beyond the whirlpool, the choices today are dizzying. Consider how soothing or invigorating a massage you want. Then think about whether you want to add chromatherapy, which allows bathing in a pool of changing hues, or aromatherapy in a range of scents.
Showers simulating rain that virtually massages the body were a novelty a few years ago, but today most manufacturers offer at least one model. The German manufacturer Dornbracht offers a large rectangular rain shower that recesses into the ceiling and adjusts from the equivalent of a drizzle to a tropical downpour.
Hansgrohe’s Raindance Rainmaker features a “three-whirl massage” that goes from droplets to intense spray, plus four mood lights and two air-spray modes. It sells for just under $3,100 and looks like a futuristic feature from a spacecraft.
There now are WaterTiles, a Kohler trademark, which come in fetching square or round shapes, recessed for a cleaner look. Some are even directional, allowing adjustment of the spray to targeted areas. One of Kohler’s newest products is a shower wand that provides a rain-like spray.
Glass showerheads offer another attractive design option in today’s home spa. Like other bathroom hardware, showerheads also are available in a range of finishes, including polished and satin nickel, as well as oil-rubbed bronze. High-end models cost several hundred dollars apiece.
With so many body sprays, the inside of a shower these days may resemble a car wash. It’s not surprising that there’s a trend to open up the space to spotlight these fixtures. One of the more elaborate shower towers, the Waterhaven by Kohler, features seven water “ports,” a two- arched telescoping shower head, four movable body sprays and one handheld shower wand for $7,260.
Methven, an Australian company, this summer is introducing a spa experience called “shower infusions.” The infusions come from a small cartridge that fits into the base of a handheld shower wand, permeating the space with aromas as it hydrates. There are four flavors: Lift (a combination of grapefruit and pomegranate), Fresh (green tea and peppermint), Bliss (jasmine and ylang ylang, a tropical Asian tree) and Balance (lavender and vanilla).
Another company, Mr. Steam, offers in-shower music therapy speakers, aromatherapy and mood lighting.
In an effort to stimulate the senses, MTI Whirlpool’s Stereo Water is an invisible audio system that delivers sound through the tub. State-of- the-art speakers are acoustic “transducers,” applied to the bath shell’s exterior surface near the waterline. The sound is evenly distributed within the tub, enveloping the bather in sounds of choice, from rousing rock to a calming concerto, according to the company.
A brochure from Pearl Baths suggests basking in a tub “reminiscent of Cleopatra” by adding flower petals or two cups of milk to the water. Still, there are therapeutic benefits. Bubbles promote circulation, and music and candles can be soothing.
“We think of the home spa as a place to relax, refresh, rejuvenate and retreat,” Roever says.
