Bathrooms: The perfect get away

BY B.C. MANION
Media General News Service

TAMPA, Fla. - His-and-her vanities, linen armoires, steam showers and sitting areas are just a few ways bathrooms are gaining stature in home decor.

"The bathroom is the final frontier of home decorating. It is the ultimate setting for personal retreat and rejuvenation," says Kim Shaver of Hooker Furniture, an industry leader in bathroom furnishings based in Martinsville, Va.

"People are so interested in their homes. They're so into their homes as a haven. They want every square inch to be special."

Work demands and fast- paced lives are prompting people to invest more money in creating personal sanctuaries, Shaver says.

"There's nothing more relaxing than a whirlpool bath after a stressful day, especially if you light a few candles, have a cup of tea or wine. It doesn't get any better than that."

Consumers are putting more emphasis on bathroom decor "to carry their personal style throughout the entire house," says Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of the American Home Furnishings Alliance.

Bath remodeling spending is expected to approach $23.7 billion this year, says the 2004 Kitchen & Bath Business Market Forecaster report. The number of bathroom remodeling jobs also is expected to break the 8 million mark for the first time.

Pulaski Furniture Corp. of Pulaski, Va., and Hooker offer a number of options to help exude a sense of warmth - rather than an institutional feel - in your bathroom, Hirschhaut says.

Today's larger and more luxurious bathrooms can accommodate designer sink cabinets, armoires, chaise longues and other furniture, says Jennifer Garcia, a graduate architect for Bayfair Homes in Tampa.

Hooker sold nearly $8 million worth of designer sink cabinets when it introduced them a couple of years ago, Shaver says. And that was wholesale. "That tells you the demand."

Prices for Hooker's designer sink cabinets range from $799 to $1,799, Shaver says. The company's linen armoires go for $999. The shelves can hold bath oils, body washes, candles, soaps and other toiletries, and they have small drawers for jewelry and wash cloths. They also have a deep drawer to hold several thick towels.

Bombay chests are also popular sink cabinets, says Susan Taylor, an interior designer from St. Petersburg.

In some cases, bathrooms are as large as secondary bedrooms. "There's more of a spa feeling," Garcia says.

Some high-end homes feature his-and-her bathrooms, says Dennis Johnson of Johnson Residential and Commercial Development in Tampa.

Walk-in showers - without doors - are becoming a more common feature because, as Garcia says, "People don't like cleaning shower doors."

Plumbing fixtures are getting more attention, too.

Most plumbing fixtures used to be chrome or brass, Garcia says. Now, there's polished nickel, brushed nickel, antique nickel, polished brass and oil-rubbed bronze.

Even tank levers are becoming more decorative.

Creative Specialties International, a division of Moen Inc., has a new line of toilet levers that allow consumers to coordinate the lever with towel bars, toilet-paper holders, toothbrush holders and other accessories. The levers are at Lowe's and select wholesale outlets.

A home doesn't have to be fancy to have a nice bathroom, notes Alma Alexander, president of the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors.

A simple touch such as a wooden frame around a mirror can help create an elegant look.

Porcelain tiles on floors, glass mosaics and wall treatments also give bathrooms a big lift, says Suzan Decker Ross, an interior designer in St. Petersburg.

"You see any number of bath accessories that people use just to make it look better or different," Alexander says.