Modern and Green ways to Update your Bathroom

by Murray Anderson

Thinking about renovating your bathroom? Wondering about some on the new features and design elements available to turn that old room into a place where you can truly savor the ‘at home’ spa experience? Here’s a small sample of some popular bathroom features that can help give you the bathroom of your dreams, without going totally decadent and forgetting about the environment.

Upgraded showers

Ask any bathroom designer or renovator and they’ll tell you showers are replacing tubs in many upgraded bathrooms. However, these showers aren’t your old spout sticking out of the wall. Showers now include new features like all around body jets that can be adjusted to suit your height, rainfall showerheads or even a ‘rain hat’ that feels like you’re showering under a waterfall. You could even go all the way to a steam shower with a built in bench to truly savor the warm water experience.

Furnishings

Old-fashioned bathroom vanities are out and real furniture is in. Lots of the new vanities look more like an elegant bedroom dresser with stylish vanity sinks floating on the surface. In addition, some expanded rooms include space for a chair or a bench (that can have a practical side by incorporating some storage) to provide a place to get dressed, put on makeup or just relax.

Can you hear the music?

Many new bathrooms are incorporating built in speakers or even LCD televisions, so you can enjoy your choice of soothing classical music in stereo every morning or watch the latest DVD while soaking in your tub.

Forget about that cold floor

Heated floors can be installed virtually anywhere and if you’re renovating your bathroom what could be more luxurious than a warm floor. No more stepping out of the shower onto a damp bath mat or even worse, icy cold tiles.

Why stop at the floor?

If you want to be sure you feel warm all over after getting out of the shower, why not consider installing a heat lamp and a towel warmer. The heat lamp insures the air stays warm even on the coldest days and with a built in timer you don’t need to worry about forgetting it and wasting energy all day. The epitome of luxury, a towel warmer (electrical or steam) means you never have to dry off with a cool towel.

Some stylish glass

Glass tiles are becoming increasingly popular in redone bathrooms since they can add both color and elegance to the floors and walls of your shower. Or, how about a glass panel around the shower to create a sense of openness in the shower and give the bathroom the appearance of being a much larger room
Faucets

There is a seemingly never ending selection of faucets to suit any taste - from ornate to minimalist, and any style – from traditional to ultra modern. Choose a style and a color to suit your personal taste (although your taste should tend towards chrome or brushed or polished nickel, apparently copper and antique finishes are on the way out).

All that hot water

Consider an instant hot water tank actually installed right in your bathroom. This small supplemental tank will ensure a never-ending supply of hot water while consuming much less energy than your main water heater, so you can enjoy your bathroom without worrying about skyrocketing energy bills.

Finally ‘go green’.

Upgrading your bathroom doesn’t mean you have to forget about the environment. There are all kinds of green options you can incorporate into your new room without giving up any of the luxury. For example, stylish dual flush or low flush toilets will look great while minimizing your waste water consumption and water savers built into shower heads can provide that all over warm water feel while cutting your water consumption in half (or even more). Other green alternatives include low energy lighting to reduce electrical consumption and upgraded insulation in the walls to prevent temperature changes in your bathroom.

This list barely scratches the surface of your options to give your new bathroom the look and feel of an ‘at home’ spa, but incorporating just some of them will help give your bathroom a totally new look and the feel of luxury. And as an added bonus, by making ‘green’ choices, you can enjoy your bathroom and still help preserve the environment.

Murray Anderson is an experienced freelance writer with numerous articles published on the web as well as in print magazines and newspapers in both the United States and Canada. He writes on a wide range of topics and is a regular contributor to DoItYourself.com.

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