Exclusive NKBA research examines the elements that elevate a bathroom into the luxury category with innovative features, comfort, function and style.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
It’s time for “Ahhhhh.”
Homeowners are spending more time in the bathroom, seeking respite and renewal. As such, baths are benefiting from increased investment, attention to high design, sumptuous features and fixtures that propel them to levels of spa-like luxury.
Kicking off the 2022 Luxury Bath Summit, held in partnership with Cambria and sponsored by House of Rohl, NKBA head of research Tricia Zach revealed findings from the detailed study on which the summit was based. In the first of a two-part presentation, she spoke about the changing role of the bath, understanding what luxury means for baths, and what part technology plays in luxury baths.
“The purpose of our research was simple,” said Zach. “NKBA wanted to explore luxury in the context of baths. We did that by studying a wide variety of primary baths, all considered to be luxury, to understand the essence of the luxury bath, identify what distinguishes a luxury bath from a really nice high-end bathroom, and understand whether luxury baths follow emerging design trends or whether they are driven by timeless design principles.”
Watch the NKBA Summit: The Luxury Bath On Demand Now >
The study was similar to the Luxury Kitchen research conducted last year. Based on discussions with 12 NKBA designers and seven of their clients, it showcases 13 luxury baths. It also endeavored to establish a “luxury bath rulebook” that identifies best practices and to translate them into tips and strategies for success when designing a luxury bath.
The Changing Role of the Bath
As is the case with most parts of the home, the bathroom’s role and function in daily life has changed over the past few years. Both during the COVID-19 pandemic and now, post-pandemic, when millions of Americans are working from home and generally spending more time in their houses, homes are now functioning as offices, schools, gyms, spas, outdoor restaurants, movie theaters and more.
“It’s not surprising, therefore, that our baths are playing a larger role in our lives than ever before,” said Zach. “They provide space for refuge, connection, self-care, preparation and restoration. They have gone from basic functionality to a place to relax and experience something extraordinary. I think we can all agree that bathrooms have evolved. No matter our age, the bathrooms in our childhood homes are nothing like the baths of today.”
She noted that bathrooms have gone from afterthought to one of the most important rooms in the house. For instance, they have evolved from a place where we save time to a place where we invest time, from a place of separation to a place of togetherness, from a place to clean up to a place to nurture whole health. What was once a pitstop where busy people get ready to go has turned into a place of sanctuary and restoration, from simple functionality to protecting intimacy and preserving romance.
“Baths are not just one dimensional,” said Zach. “They are designed to be beautiful today, but also functional and safe for tomorrow, as more and more homeowners choose to remain in their homes longer than ever before.”
Discussing what separates a really lovely high-end bath from a true luxury bath, Zach said the study revealed that it is the result of “seamless collaboration between designer and client with a steadfast focus on the client’s needs and values. Clients personally invest in understanding and exploring their own needs, values and delights, and designers bring their talent, resources, materials and unique expression to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces.”
Christopher Grubb, one of the designers who participated in the study, put it succinctly: “Luxury is not price point, it’s experience and customization.”
A Balance of Function and Emotion
In the bath, designers concur that luxury means customization, and a luxury bath is an ideal blend of function that fits the clients specific needs as well as their personality and emotional needs.
Luxury’s functional side is characterized by:
- Artisan craftsmanship;
- Unparalleled innovation;
- Smart use of every inch;
- Proven durability and performance.
Another designer participant, Garrison Hullinger, said he takes “deep inventory of what’s used in your life — there will be a spot for everything. If you’re spending hundreds on face cream, we’ll get you a refrigerated medicine cabinet. We pay attention to how things are used so that they’re at your fingertips when you want them to be.”
Luxury baths have design elements that require expert craftsmen to execute, taking on architectural and construction challenges to achieve a desired look and style.
Unparalleled innovation means special touches and unconventional thinking. For example, one designer, Christine Conte, installed a Wolf warming drawer — typically a kitchen appliance — in the bath to keep robes and towels warm.
Smart use of space is planned to the inch so that no area is wasted, and it’s a given that products and materials will be top-quality and long-lasting. Shea Pumarejo, CMKBD, said “Luxury adds value, rising up to meet your needs. Luxury maximizes each inch, thinking about how you want to feel when you’re in that space.”
One homeowner felt so strongly about a soaking tub that she brought it from a previous home, and Conte incorporated it into the design. This satisfies needs for quality and durability as well as the emotional attachment the client had to this tub.
Emotionally, the luxury bath provides a sense of:
- Sanctuary;
- Wellness;
- Quietude;
- Togetherness.
“As a place to get away from it all, the luxury bath is designed to soothe and calm the senses,” Zach explained. “It’s a refuge, a retreat from the bustle of everyday life where the mix of materials and intuitive design creates an overall experience that relaxes the mind and the body. The luxury bath is where we go to find our oasis of tranquility.”
A luxury bath also refreshes and restores balance to life. It’s the center of wellness in the home, and contains the products and features that enhance health and wellbeing — hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, chromotherapy — that create a spa-like experience.
In a world overflowing with stimuli and noise, sometimes quietude is just what’s needed to escape the fracas of daily life. “An aura of stillness pervades the luxury bath,” said Zach. “As soon as you enter, you are enfolded in an environment of peace and calmness, where the mind can relax, slow down and enjoy a state of repose.”
Finally, the luxury bath fosters togetherness. It has evolved to become a unique space where a couple or a family can converge to start or end the day. “The addition of wine and coffee bars, comfortable lounges or oversized showers engender a uniquely connected experience, while separate water closets and vanities offer individual privacy,” she added. “As a place of renewal, the luxury bath is where you go to refresh and restore the equilibrium alone… or with others.”
Technology in the Bath
The study revealed that technology is at once a popular and polarizing issue, said Zach. “I think [participating designer] Elma Gardner, CMKBD, said it best when she told us that ‘Technology seems contradictory to what we’re seeking — serenity in calm spaces — but it simplifies and it beautifies things.’”
Technology in the bath elevates luxury. Elements include layered lighting for function and beauty; a steam shower or hydrotherapy tub to help restore or maintain health; digital shower controls; heated floors, walls and shower benches; smart toilets with bidet seats for personal hygiene and warming; mirrors with TVs or waterproof TVs and Wi-Fi connectivity to access email, news and more; motorized window shades, and smart glass that goes from opaque to clear with the click of a switch. And, motion sensors in the bath can be used to activate lighting or to detect if someone has slipped or fallen — especially helpful with seniors who are aging in place.
Part 2 of Zach’s presentation covers luxury bath trends, the role that brands play in creating a luxury bath and luxury matchmaking tips/strategies.
