Anderson sees curbless showers as another growing factor in the bath.
“We’re eliminating the threshold at the shower, so the bathroomfloor slopes right into the shower drain. So, if anyone is in a wheelchair, they can get in and out quickly,” she says.
Dase agrees: “Curbless showers are very popular right now. I am even doing one in my home. While it does take up more space, people love them because you don’t have glass to clean.”
He continues: “If they are not doing a steam shower, it is a much cleaner and sanitary way to do a shower because it also dries out faster, especially when natural materials are used.”
And, this ties into the growing impact of Universal Design, the designers point out.
Anderson offers: “By doing Universal Design, we are trying to make people want to stay in their homes.”
Most bath designers agree that accessible design elements, such as grab bars, are beginning to be accepted universally by clients of all ages for the tub and shower shelf.
Sullivan concludes: “Grab bars are now quite attractive to people and they can be done in a very sophisticated way, [especially] since the showers are so huge.”
Rub a Dub Dub
The tub – whether it’s a whirlpool, air jet or soaking tub – is also making waves in the master bath, designers agree.
Anderson offers: “One thing we are doing is a tub that adjoins a shower and a tub undermounted under a stone deck. We will continue that deck into the shower to create a shower seat.”
“People are doing [a lot of] soaking tubs right now,” adds Sullivan.
To that end, she says that her preference is to set the tub underneath the deck.
“[With a drop-in], if you try to sit on that deck or turn your legs over and climb in, it is exceedingly hard on your behind. Therefore, we undermount the tub most of the time and that creates the same thing as if you have an undermounted sink in a kitchen. You can just wipe the counter off. If you have a lip over the edge of the tub, it requires more cleaning.”
“The air jet is something that people seem to like in the whirlpool system, as well,” adds Anderson.
To reinforce these trends, Pham shares a recent customized project that his firm completed.
“It featured a Zen-like and clean look, with a waterfall effect in the custom shower, which was surrounded by porcelain with a semi-matte finish. The shower had a 3/4" thermostatic valve from Aquabrass with a 10" rainhead, shower rail and tester spout,” he concludes.
Vanity Flair
Perhaps nowhere does the importance of convenience play a bigger role than with the vanity area, says Anderson.
