How 5 Tips for Your Dream Bath Can Make Your Life Better

Kitchen + Bath, Interior Design Lessons, Featured

by Deborah von Donop

The questions I’m getting from my readers from my "2-Hour Design Consult" are really good, and cover content I’ve never published before, so we’re getting a stream of reader dilemmas handled, and I have some inspiring posts for you.

Here’s a recent one: “We want to renovate our bathroom but we are not sure of what to add, so we don’t have any regrets when finished. We want to do this only once.”


deborah von donop interior kitchen designer old greenwich, CT

Here's how to bring the feeling of being at a spa into your own home. See our tips and resources on transforming your Bath into a Spa.

Must-Know Essentials for a Spa Bathroom

Discover the five things you must know when taking on a bathroom remodel

While creating a Healthy Home, luxury residences are incorporating these must-have technologies for wellness and health at home.

California Style main bath - Mood board - Designer: dvd Interior Design

Key Elements for A Master Bath That Supports Wellness at Home

Welcome to today’s topic. Creating a Bath Room that supports your health and wellness for you and your family.

If you have ever taken on a kitchen design, the knowledge you have gained can be applied to your bathroom renovation. 

The bathroom is a workhorse for your daily needs, it’s just compact for all that it holds. 

There are three components for every bathroom - vanity, shower/ bath, and toilet. It’s your lighting, floor, and walls that will tie the altogether. You can hire a design expert to assist you with stylish tips and resources.

A stylish and healthy home doesn't require a design degree, just some interest, and the desire to create a peaceful and organized home with style.  Your home is a place where you renew yourself daily and consideration for the added benefits of a happy, healthy home is important.  When you invest in your home, you invest in yourself. Today we are discussing the health benefits of steam and the ease at which you can add this spa experience to your home.  

Elements of bath and body: Attaining and maintaining better health is a primary concern for most of us.  We hear people speak about Feng Shui, others about the Danish method of Hygge, and of course the ever-popular Kon-Marie method for organizing and removing clutter. Today I’m sharing with you up-to-date technologies that you can incorporate for creating peace, health, and happiness in your home. 


Key Technologies To Incorporate In Your Master Bath for Health and Wellness

Your daily ritual can be enhanced by adding these treatments for a boost to your overall health, mood, and physical well-being. These are easy to install in your master bath area for affordable luxury. 

  • Steam Therapy: Incorporate a steam system into your shower for added health benefits of a spa, right in your home.

  • Must-haves: A separate temperature control for your bath area with radiant heat installed under the bathroom flooring. Install a simple heating element with a timer feature right under your tile.

  • Luxury must have: Doesn’t it feel amazing to wrap yourself in a big warm towel? Add a towel warmer.

  • Chromatherapy: Include color therapy into your bathroom for mood and emotional well-being. I like this 7-Light LED Chrome Bath Sconce Steam Spa.

  • Music: Add waterproof speakers for music for an optional sensory experience.

  • Bonus Option: Aromatherapy: consider the use of essential oils in your bathing routine.


Your home should tell the story of who you are,
and be a collection of what you love.
— Nate Berkus

Steam Therapy

Get rid of that boring builder-grade Bathroom and install Steam and other essential elements of wellness for the benefit of your overall health. Review these simple yet beneficial solutions, listed below, to get the most out of your bathroom remodel; you’ll improve your life and the long-term quality of your home. 

STEAM SHOWER

One of the most powerful wellness elements, and yet the most overlooked, is Steam Therapy. Why Steam? because it is a healthy ritual and supports the respiratory system of our bodies. It’s not that expensive and is easy to add to the shower wall. The motor is very compact. ( see more about this option below)

When considering a bath remodel or collecting ideas for new construction, consider incorporating Steam, Chromatherapy, and/or Aromatherapy as part of the standard design.

Shower and Steam Room - a place to relax. Photo by 186 Lighting Design Group - Gregg Mackell

The many benefits of steam bathing for physical health

  • Cleanses and nourishes your skin.

  • Excellent choice to combat sinus issues.

  • Good for your lungs - steam is a natural expectorant.

  • Steam has been embraced for centuries for maintaining health for all ages. Also, combating a variety of ailments such as respiratory issues for children and adults to the soothing of joint pain in older adults.

  • Assists in weight loss and increased metabolism.

Photo by J & J Design Group, LLC.

But I have a small bathroom, can I still add these technologies?”

Yes, you can have steam therapy in a small bath. Take a look:

Photo by Courtney Blanton Interiors, CID

Steam Therapy works with every design style

You can install this wonderful option in even the smallest of bathrooms like this one shown below.  Many people are removing the tub and replacing it with a shower, which is perfect for the addition of a steam shower, especially if this is a guest or second bathroom. 

Your bathroom does not have to be large to afford you the luxury of the steam experience

Design Tip:

 If your room is small consider keeping the wall and floor the same value or tone as contrast can break up a room.  A blanket of color and tones that are the same on each layer will make the room feel larger. - Deborah von Donop - dvdInteriorDesign

mr steam shower for helthy living Best tips for renovating your bathroom.jpeg

How does a Steam Shower work?

A steam shower heats water until it vaporizes and then pumps that delicious steam into an enclosed area for your enjoyment. It’s a simple idea—but doing it efficiently, reliably, and beautifully is an art and a science that we’ve spent decades mastering.

All you will need are these 4 elements, and all together they fit in the wall and are about the size of a briefcase! Its actually pretty simple.

Generator, Control panel, Steam Head, Plumbing, and Power.

Photo by West Architecture Studio

Towel Warmers: The Spa Experience

Add a towel warmer to your room. Either freestanding or wall-mounted, this feature will offer a pleasing element to your daily routine. As you step out of the shower, your warm and fluffy towel is ready for you! It also helps to dry them after use.

If you own an Airbnb, this is a must-have feature that will make your place shine.

Did you know? In addition to warming and drying your towels, towel warmers help regulate the temperature and moisture in the room, reducing mold-inducing dampness. For smaller rooms, you can opt for a heated towel rail instead of a radiator and save space and energy.

“But I’m in a rental!” Don’t worry, the bucket style is perfect and can move with you to your next residence.

 
 

ChromaTherapy: The Power of Color

Add Chromatherapy lighting to your room. It integrates into your shower area as an added option to your lighting. The CHROMA system by Steam Therapy has six light settings for you to add to your lighting.

Photo by Christopher's Kitchen & Bath

“Chromotherapy” has been embraced by many plumbing manufacturers recently as homeowners look to de-stress and relax. There are bath products by the major brands (Kohler, Delta, Moen) that incorporate color-changing light into tubs and showers to promote the idea of color therapy as part of a health and wellness routine.


The Chroma System offers a variety of colors that change slowly, invigorating or calming you depending on the setting and your desire when you shower. 

Photo by holger hoos design

Detoxifying with steam and creating calm with light can help improve your sleep.

Many people use color and steam before and after exercising, or at the end of the day to clear their heads. The color green is often used to reduce irritability and insomnia and yellow to aid in digestion.

Photo by Faust Construction

Design Tip:

When selecting lighting for your Bath, make sure it can be dimmed and build it to be bright with the ability to adjust to your liking. -Deborah von Donop - dvd Interior Design

Music Therapy

Bring your own music into the shower with speakers and an amplifier.

  • Water-resistant speakers deliver high-performance sound

  • Equipped with BLUETOOTH® wireless technology for access to music and audio



The Bluetooth word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by BLUETOOTH SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Kohler Co. is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

Aroma Therapy

Your sense of smell is powerful and originates from our primitive foundation. Your sense of smell can affect you in many ways. Aromatherapy, the use of essential oils, will enhance your sense of calm, pleasure, and joy. 

Adding essential oils to your steam shower or heated towel bar will really give you the full spa experience at home.

Designing your Master Bath or Guest Bathroom requires attention to detail along with careful planning. Consider your needs and the added health benefits of these accessories for making your dream bathroom come alive, improving your overall health and the health of your family with these choices. 

Shower as a Sensory Experience

Take your shower to the next level by adding one or more sensory experiences. You can combine steam, music and light together with a digital valve or add stand-alone steam or music components.


Join the rest of the world by acknowledging the wellness and relaxation benefits of your home Bath. 

What are some of your favorite elements of your own bath ritual?  These are some of the newest technologies that I suggest most often for bath renovations. Thanks for stopping by, and if you have any questions please leave a comment below, and maybe your question will be my next post. If you have any of these elements in your bath, leave a comment and let me know if you are using them, and if you have found them helpful for you and your family.


Yours in design,

Deborah

PS: If you want to see how my firm can help you choose the best color and

create a home that you love, go here.


BATH SHOP:

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MEET THE AUTHOR: DEBORAH VON DONOP




Deborah is the mom, wife, and design lover behind dvd Interior Design. She is obsessed with creating a timeless and authentic home that reflects your style and improves with age. She has been an Interior Designer since 2003, guiding clients with functional layouts, the best products and finishes, and sharing her expertise in kitchen design and cabinetry. Deborah writes weekly and is also a contributor to Aspire Magazine, iBlog, Lush Design, a speaker on social media and digital products, and more!

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How 5 Tips for Your Dream Bath Can Make Your Life Better.

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