The Spa Experience

People today have less leisure time than ever, so when it comes to home design, they look for ways to turn their homes into retreats where they can escape from the chaos of the workplace. A bathroom is the ideal space for creating a luxurious, spa-like haven and manufacturers have outdone themselves in providing bath fixtures and showerheads to fit this trend. Today, homeowners can put in a personal steam room, order an infinity bathtub with water flowing over the edges, or buy a showerhead with multiple spray settings.

Much Larger

Showerheads have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years as they become ever more sophisticated and high-tech. Single-function showerheads remain a popular choice, but today's models are larger, even much larger than in the past. Or look for a multi-function showerhead which offers an array of sprays to choose from including mist and massage.

The hottest bathroom fixture right now is the rain showerhead. The showerhead is mounted on the ceiling and the water falls through small holes by dint of gravity, giving the effect of a gentle rainfall. A very large rainfall showerhead can have somewhere in the neighborhood of one hundred almost infinitesimal holes creating a very wide flow of soft-falling water. Happy rainfall showerhead owners liken the effect to standing outside during a gentle summer rain shower.

Another shower innovation comes in the form of shower tiles, installed in sets of four, flush with the bathroom ceiling. Or you can buy the tiles in modules so you can place them anywhere you choose, on the walls or on the ceiling, in groups, or as a single spray source.

Easy Twist

The multi-function spray heads work with an easy twist of the hand to give you any number of spray settings, from a full body spray, to a bubbly, soft aerated spray, to a powerful jet massage, or a simple heavy downpour. Some prefer to mimic the spa setting through the creation of a home spa system by installing body jets. These work wonders on tired, achy muscles.

You may want to go all out and get a steam panel. No more trips to the spa with your own, sauna-like system in your home bathroom. Some prefer to go whole-hog and opt for a separate steam room.

Even though the new showerheads are powerful and do all kinds of neat tricks, manufacturers know their customers want a green product and so the newest designs aim to keep wasted water down to a minimum. One way to accomplish this goal is through improved aeration, which means you need less water to get the same powerful spray. The environmental sensibility of modern showerheads can help keep down your water bills, too—not a small concern in today's economic downturn.