Birth of the “mini-spa” during Covid-19
Upscale Bathrooms were the trend during the Covid-19 Pandemic
As we enter 2023, most of us have largely put “the Covid” years behind us. Sure, we know it is still here with us and will likely remain another illness that we are susceptible to catching like the Flu, but most of us are just tired from it. One thing is for certain though, bathroom remodels and newly constructed ones got a bit fancier during these years. It seems that all that time we spent at home really changed our perspective about our living spaces and as a result, propelled us to make one of our most used rooms very nice, if not luxurious. Very nice we made them, indeed. In our custom home building business high-end owner’s bathrooms were the exception rather than the rule. Over the past couple of years just about every single bathroom we built featured professional design, upscale/ natural materials and sophisticated shower and bath set ups. The “Mermaid” tub as seen above became quite popular and helped turn the ordinary bathroom into a personal spa retreat for its owners.
Not only did these rooms get nicer, they also got bigger. No longer is the bathroom looked upon as a means of utility, requiring the minimum amount of space to get the job done. Now its design, size and placement is considered a priority to new construction layouts. Bedrooms and closets are being gobbled up in existing home remodels to make room for these new day spas. The old standard single unit tub/shower combo, commode and double vanity sink (once considered a luxury) squeezed into a six by nine foot room is now being reserved serving secondary bedrooms used by children and guests while extra attention is placed on the Owner’s Suite. A large bedroom, often with a sitting area and private outdoor access, dual large walk-in-closets and the glorious bathroom is the new Sherriff in town.
Tile, with an emphasis on natural stone, is the material of choice for walls and flooring. The individual tiles have become much larger with some designers selecting tiles that are 24” x 48” or even full cut slabs of stone used for walls, requiring additional framing to support the added weight. The humble circular floor drain in the center of the shower has been largely replace by a square drain, or even linear drains that utilize the same floor tile rendering them almost invisible. Tubs are almost always separate from the shower now and come in a great variety of styles. The shower systems themselves have become quite elaborate with some featuring Chroma therapy lighting, sound and programable cycles so the water is just perfect prior to entering the room. All of this style, design and luxury does come at a cost. They may require additional or upgraded water heaters, increased pipe sizes, additional framing for support, upgraded electrical requirements for radiant floor heating, heated towel bars, saunas, etc. The plumbing fixtures themselves are expensive when you reach into the sophisticated product lines. For example, a Kohler™ Luxury Rain Shower system (off the shelf) plus hand held shower head set up with three body sprays will run about $4,000 for the fixtures only while an elaborate custom built shower set up with lights and digital controls can run upwards of $20,000. A heavy glass shower door set up can easily be $3,500 - $5,000. A free standing acrylic tub will run about $900 while its cast iron counterpart will cost upwards of $3,800. Depending on your own particular design, expect to pay around $25,000 to $80,000 for one of these home spas.
They say that “the world is your oyster” and that “the home is your castle”. Well, that certainly is the case with regards to these incredible spaces. The design potential is limitless with so many available products, materials, finishes and colors. We love seeing your designs and we love building these little respites from the daily grind. With all that seems to be going on in a hectic world, maybe we need these spaces more now than ever before.