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A home spa environment is all about open space, tubs separated from showers, and materials that will give the owner a feeling of rejuvenation.
That was the theme among three experts who design spa bathrooms for hotels and showrooms, who gave us their take on how we can recreate those sought-after looks at home.
Kirsty Froelich, corporate designer, The Tile Shop
“I’m a spa junkie,” Froelich says. “I go to spas all the time.” That’s why she’s in a good position to know what elements work best in a home spa. The main ingredient, of course, is water.
Froelich designed a soothing black, white and tan space for the Tile Shop’s Springfield, VA, showroom with a wall-mounted waterfall as the focal point. “Listening to trickling water makes you feel peaceful,” she explains. “It really calms you down.” Design-wise, she chose black slate for the waterfall to mimic the tile design on the floor.
Moving on to the bath, she recommends faucets mounted into the wall, or for greater effect, the ceiling, such as Kohler’s Laminar faucet. Froelich also loves infinity baths, and uses Kohler for that as well.
As for the shower, there should always be a seat, she says. “You see that a lot in spas, where you sit in the steam shower.” In her showroom design, she includes a seat and shelves made from hand-carved stone. “That adds to the luxury.”
Amanda Shafer, interior designer, Hirsch Bedner Associates
Hirsch Bedner is one of the world’s largest hospitality interior design firms, whose work includes the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, DC. Shafer has designed several hotel spas for Hirsch Bedner and is currently working on the St. Regis Atlanta’s Remede Spa.
High-end hotels are moving toward bigger guest bathrooms, she says. “The guest rooms are getting smaller and the bathrooms are getting larger.” Spaciousness is important in a spa bath because it gives room to breathe, relax and have mental peace, she explains.
Increasingly popular is the “peek-a-boo” bath, where the bath area looks straight out into the bedroom with only a glass barrier in between.
The most important elements of a good spa bathroom include:
- A separate room for the toilet
- Rain-head showers and body sprays
- A whirlpool or deep soaking tub
- Two sinks
When Shafer chooses materials for the bath, she opts for the tactile and natural, such as marble “floor to ceiling,” subtle colors, clean lines and soft colored lighting.
But she doesn’t stop there. Accessories are also key, such as luxurious robes and slippers, exclusive bath lotions and soaps, music systems and personal televisions hidden behind the vanity mirrors. The result, she hopes, will evoke feelings of luxury, sanctuary, tranquility and, of course, indulgence.
Tony Chi, chief designer, Park Hyatt Washington
In Chi’s bathrooms, he wants to give a sense of wide-open, unobstructed space. “The whole philosophy, the total experience, is removing all barriers – psychological and physical,” he says. “I always like the bathroom and the sleeping suite to be integrated. The bedroom is a sanctuary and the bathroom is a part of that.”
At the Park Hyatt, Chi covered the baths head to toe in limestone to give a monolithic appearance, “not to further define the spaces with visual differences,” he explains. Within this kind of spa bathroom, one can move seamlessly from shower to sink to dressing area. “You can get semi-wet, you can get wet, and you can get dressed” all in the same space.
Rather than having different rooms for different functions, he adds, there should instead be zones within one space – for relaxing, resting, dressing and bathing. “Having doors has never been our style.”
