Beyond Baths

The room’s added lighting is also a critical factor in creating a relaxing, elegant space, which is typically achieved with decorative chandeliers and sconce lighting. “In lighting, you can go from basic to pretty extraordinary, from simple dimmer and recessed cans to fully integrated lighting controls that allow you to set up different scenes,” Brotman says. For example, if one spouse likes to take a shower in dimly lit conditions, the shower lights can be programmed to dim when, for example, the “Jason’s Shower” button is pushed. Likewise, if Elizabeth gets up before Jason, the “Elizabeth Wake Up” button is pushed and on come the lights in the shower, above her vanity, in the water closet, and in her part of the walk-in closet without interfering with Jason’s last few minutes of precious shut-eye.

As owner’s suite bathrooms become larger, functional lighting becomes ever more important, particularly in the makeup and vanity areas. “Overhead recessed lighting creates shadows,” says Jack Smuckler, president of Smuckler Custom Builders in Edina. “Overhead lighting doesn’t enhance a person’s appearance. The lighting is better if it comes from the side.” Both under-cabinet and rope lighting hidden by cove molding or other ceiling detail are effective as mood enhancers, but also function as night-lights.

With homeowners going all out in the bath, there is also an element of pride involved in lighting. People are used to seeing the various elements of a bath highlighted in the showroom. “They want that showroom look,” Noding says. The mood-setting lighting of today’s spa-like bathrooms lends itself beautifully to soft and comforting earth tones. Kraemer says in terms of the color palette, clients want “warm and soothing, nothing bright or stark.”

With homeowners spending more time relaxing in today’s new bathrooms, the room’s surroundings are increasingly made to echo other rooms in the home. “People are bringing up the caliber of the bathroom to match the rest of the house,” O’Connor says, and that means detail. Steinwand adds that by choosing to go with an elegant bath retreat, homeowners are rewarding themselves for their hard work and success and are thus “bringing in features that you typically see in the other parts of the home. These bathrooms are no longer simple rooms. They have a lot of detailing, raised platforms for the tub area, drop-down soffits, trim, and cove molding.” Homeowners are also starting to hire interior designers for the bath to look at the layout and flow of the room as well as the finishing details. “That shows the priority the bathroom has taken on,” Steinwand adds.

Showers & Tubs
One of the reasons the bath has become so much larger is the popularity of the walk-in, doorless shower, says Larry Skogquist, president of N.I.H. Homes in Elk River. These showers typically start at about 5 x 5 feet and increase in size from there. While this doorless amenity has nearly relegated the soap-scum-crusted shower door to the Dark Ages, it also requires more space to allow for its turn-the-corner entryway, also called a “snake” or “snail” entry, to allow for privacy. Once inside these private retreats, which are typically made of glass block, tile, tumbled marble, or stone slab, homeowners can enjoy a variety of amenities in complete privacy.

“Showers are the big thing,” Smuckler says. Today’s walk-ins typically feature multiple body sprays, a rain–like showerhead in the ceiling, a showerhead on the wall, and a hand-held shower. On top of that, some homeowners install up to eight body sprays. The largest walk-in shower Smuckler ever built was 8 x 10 feet and was the only shared space between his-and-her bathrooms.