Bathrooms have evolved from small, utilitarian clean-up spaces into spa-like sanctuaries, with luxury and technology all around.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
In celebration of Kitchen + Bath Month, NKBA recounted the early development of the bathroom, from ancient disposal and sewer systems to the contraptions designed to make the bath experience more efficient and comfortable. Today’s installment explores the wonders of 20th and 21st century engineering and design that have created a bath market surpassing $97 billion annually.
Plumbing Comes Indoors
At the turn of the 20th century, new homes were just starting to be built with indoor plumbing. The wealthy had already been enjoying such comforts in spacious chambers with ample windows and expensive fixtures. By 1900, homes in bigger cities were connected to sewers, so indoor bathrooms were an accessible practicality for the masses — even if they were shared among several families in an apartment building.
Washout closets were replaced by more efficient washdown and siphon-jet models; high tanks transitioned to low tanks; in 1910, closed tanks and cistern toilets were introduced. Ornamentation disappeared in favor of smooth, white, sanitary — and easy-to-clean — surfaces. A focus on sanitation and hygiene was becoming more prevalent. In England, the government began permanent chlorination of the water supply to treat it for infectious agents.
By 1909, a tin bath with a wood-covered bottom, painted in Japan green (a type of pre-1940 enamel paint) had become the most common tub in use. In 1911, bathtub pioneer Kohler Co. produced the cast-iron tub with a “built-in” apron — more commonly known today as the “alcove” bath. It’s still one of the most popular tub designs today.
The Roaring Twenties, or Jazz Age, was a raucous era of joy, glamour, experimentation and rebellion. The one-piece vitreous china toilet came on the market in 1922. David Dunbar Buick (yes, of the Detroit Buicks) developed a method for permanently coating cast iron with vitreous enamel, which allowed the production of white, and ultimately colored, tubs at lower cost. In 1927, colored faucets were introduced, and for the first time, people could choose colors and styles that appealed to their design sensibilities and complemented the architectural flavor of their homes.
By the end of the decade, most clawfoot tubs were replaced by more modern built-in units with the apron front. The Crane Co. began producing bathroom fixtures in various colors for the American market, bringing color into the bathroom in a big way. In the Thirties, toilets, tubs, tile and sinks were bright and colorful, including pastels but also ivory and black, especially as an Art Deco accent. Also during that decade, indoor plumbing arrived in rural America, along with electricity, courtesy of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, allowing for electric water heaters, appliances, pumps and more. Before farmhouses had running water, families used outhouses and took baths once a week, sharing water that had been heated on the stove.
Color My World
In the Forties, white resurfaced — but it wasn’t alone. Richer tones like burgundy, red and navy also became popular. Sinks were often small and hung on the wall to take up minimal space. Wartime shortages kept supplies tight and designs spare. Landis Perry designed the faucet ball valve, controlling the hot and cold water coming through the spout. And finally, soft toilet paper made its debut.
The building boom in the postwar Fifties brought the return of pastels (especially pink) toilets, tubs and sinks. A second or even third bathroom became a status symbol of suburban sprawl. The first automatic, hands-free faucets were developed, and in the Sixties, the American Bidet Co. marketed an adjustable spray nozzle and warm water option, seeking to make the bidet a household item in the U.S. It didn’t catch on at the time.
The Seventies ushered in an age of environmental awareness, and earth tones began to creep into interior design. Water conservation became part of the lexicon. Low-flow showerheads — a staple in the Navy — made their way into many American homes. By the 1980s, white and gray became the dominant tones again, and automatic faucets became widely available in public places, like airports, malls and stadiums. In 1992, the U.S. Energy Policy Act passed, requiring flush toilets to use only 1.6 gallons of water.
In the first decade of the 21st century, the share of new single-family homes started with one bathroom was essentially flat, while the share with two bathrooms fell, and the share with three or more bathrooms steadily rose. By 2016, 35% of American homes had at least three bathrooms; 59% had two.
Digital Debuts, Creature Comforts
In 2001, the first digital shower was patented in London by Aqualisa and the World Toilet Organization was formed. Soon after, World Toilet Day was established to raise awareness about the global sanitation crisis: 2.5 billion people in the world had no access to clean water and proper sanitation. By 2013, the United Nations General Assembly declared World Toilet Day (Nov. 19) as an official U.N. International Observance day.
Connected and Wi-Fi- enabled technology, with touchless toilets and faucets, app-controls and voice-commands for shower settings, water temperature, pressure and humidity control, audio and video integration and more innovations were already coming to market, but the onset of 2020’s coronavirus pandemic hastened their popularity. The laser focus on sanitation as well as health and wellness that started during the pandemic continue to have a major impact on bathroom design and creature comforts. Among the new necessities: easy-to-clean surfaces, personal hygiene aids — the bidet seat has finally begun to catch on — heated floors, aromatherapy, soaking tubs, towel and robe warmers, stylish grab bars and other features for aging in place or multigenerational living, spa-like sanctuaries in which to escape the tensions of the day and practice self-care. Larger ensuite bathrooms are often connected to walk-in closets or laundry rooms, workout spaces or yoga rooms, and sometimes these primary suite retreats include a small fridge, coffee station and sink.
The kitchen is the heart of the home, but the bathroom has become its soul. From powder room to guest bath to ensuite, steam room or sauna — the bath continues to play an increasingly vital role in our well-being.
