Your Personal Wellness Oasis

Properly equipped, the bathroom can reduce stress and provide a refuge from the rigors of your busy daily routine

 

BY CAROL CAMPBELL


 

Health and wellness have been important lifestyle topics for over a decade. Wellness has become a key selling feature in real estate, and the concept of wellness as part of architectural design has migrated into the design-build community.

As far as individual health strategies go, I think the one space in today’s performance home that absolutely, positively, I’m-all-in, definitely needs to be addressed is that one room in your home where moments of relaxation and mental escapes can reduce stress and provide an oasis from the rigors of a busy daily routine. And that room is your bathroom.

Yes, your bathroom! Let’s face it, you start and end your day in your bathroom. So it only makes sense to create an environment that exudes a calming, peaceful ambiance. If done right, you can transform your bathroom into your very own wellness oasis.

I see it as a combination of architectural design, construction and interior design – aided and abetted by technology – and it all begins with large windows where natural light can be harvested, helping to bring the freshness of the outdoors into your inner sanctuary. Building on natural light is the need for an advanced dimmable lighting system, along with tunable fixtures for color variances throughout the day.

And don’t forget the importance of creating the right ambiance with acoustic treatments for sound mitigation (annoying outdoor sounds from airplanes, cars and the neighbor’s kids screaming at each other) and a sound system for not only background music, but a system with the elegance and refinement to transport you to your favorite concert hall.

I like a warm color scheme and the use of natural materials like wood and stone. They just feel right to me when I think of the harmony of a great natural spa environment. And make sure you plan for a proper sitting area so you have everything you need to ensure a relaxing time-out from the world.
Finally, I’d also say that keeping the room at the proper temperature and circulating fresh clean air is as important as any of the other attributes I’ve mentioned. All of these things combined bring all members of the design-build team into harmony as well.

I could go on and talk about the importance of the water you use in your private spa. Purified water has as much to do with wellness as clean air, and the newer types of showers and faucet heads are providing a massage-like experience on your body that also alleviates stress and tension. So there’s a lot going on in our bathrooms and we’re going to be diving deeper into this subject matter as we roll into 2020.

I hope you all have a great holiday season and get the time to relax and recharge yourselves. Holidays can be stressful, so look for that one room where you can create your own personal wellness oasis.

December 2019 News