Shower Indulgences
Consumers continue to indulge themselves with luxury shower
systems that boast spa-like amenities while decorative glass, new
finish options and custom shapes add pizzazz to shower and tub
enclosures.
Extremes in self-indulgence may have gone out with the ’80s, but in
today’s luxury shower, the trend is still going full steam ahead.
Indeed, today’s hottest shower systems boast more spa-like
amenities than ever, with multiple body jets and customization
becoming increasingly prevalent at all price points, and the
“bigger is better” mentality remaining strong.
Meanwhile, a host of decorative glass options, new finishes and
custom shapes and sizes continue to redefine shower and tub
enclosures, according to manufacturers interviewed by Kitchen &
Bath Design News.
Bells and Whistles
There’s no question that
the shower has evolved dramatically in recent years, and today’s
luxury shower systems incorporate a host of bells and whistles
designed to create a full-sensory experience.
As Rob Larson, v.p./Professional Markets for Interbath/ONDINE,
in City of Industry, CA, notes, “The basic showerhead and pressure
balance valve have given way to more sophisticated shower systems.
Multi-functional showerheads and hand-held showers, thermostatic
valves, body sprays and shower organization systems are becoming an
absolute necessity for today upscale master bathroom. Steam is
definitely growing in popularity, as it’s a natural fit with
today’s more sophisticated shower systems.”
Scott Edmunds, associate product manager/showering products for
Kohler Co., in Kohler, WI, agrees: “We’re seeing the multiple body
jets and products like steam. People are getting creative with
fog-free mirrors and different lighting. They’re really trying to
create a closed off environment.”
Hand showers and multiple spray functions are also key,
according to Stan Nickell, senior product manager for Grohe
America, in Bloomingdale, IL, who notes, “We’re introducing a
showerhead that has five spray patterns. We’ve also added a unique
feature to our hand shower [so that it] can also become a side
shower by pressing a button and spinning the head around. Most hand
showers face down in the holder. In this case, you press the
button, the head spins and it will go horizontal and become a body
spray. It is very practical.”
Davis Glassberg, president of Luxury Bath Systems, in Glendale
Heights, IL, believes consumers want features that make the shower
experience more convenient and enjoyable. To that end, he says,
“We’re seeing seats in the shower, and lots of body sprays
everything to make it more like a spa.”
“We’re seeing exposed system where everything is on the outside,
shower towers, the thermostatic systemsa little bit of everything”
adds Dean Fletcher, national sales manager for SIGMA Designer
Faucetry, in Vista, CA. He believes that people are looking for the
whirlpool experience, “but faster.”
Paul Williams, v.p./sales and marketing for the Mason, OH-based
Basco Manufacturing Co. agrees, noting that today’s showers are
expected to serve dual purposes: “In the morning, it’s about speed,
but at the end of the day, it’s about relaxation. The luxury shower
system gives you both.”
Even lighting can add to the shower experience, according to
Larson, who states, “ONDINE even has an Electronic Light Shower
that combines an overhead shower head with fiber optics to create a
system that delivers both hydrotherapy and chromatherapy.”
Glass works
Just as the interior of the
luxury shower has evolved, so, too, has the shower enclosure.
Today’s glass options run the gamut from elegant clear enclosures
to elaborately wrought works of art with etched designs that can be
customized to create a truly unique look.
According to Williams, “Because customization is really
important to consumers, and they want to show off their tile and
other luxury features in the shower, more and more clear glass is
being used.”
But, while some consumers prefer clear glass to show off their
luxury shower systems, others are less comfortable “revealing all.”
To that end, Glassberg reports, “The shower door manufacturers have
come up with some innovative glass designs recently. It started
out, the hammered glass was the most popular thing in the ’70s and
’80s. Now, they have a new version of that called Rain Glass. It
looks like little raindrops coming down the panel. That is popular
because it allows the light through but it distorts the view.”
He adds, “For people who are less modest, clear glass with a
bevel cut design [is popular.]” He also notes some use of frosted
glass designs in shower doors, but says, “we’re not seeing that as
much as we used to.”
Gary Uhl, director of design for the Piscataway, NJ-based
American Standard cites “antique glass” as a hot trend, noting,
“Shower glass enclosures are getting more stylized. There is a
better range of designs and finishes.”
John Veras, president of Duschqueen, Inc., in Wyckoff, NJ,
reports, “There has been quite an increase of imported pattern
glasses that are mostly only available in the 1/4″ thickness, which
is used primarily in the framed enclosure. There has also been a
push to bring in patterned heavier glass, such as in 3/8″ and 1/2″
to accommodate the frameless market.”
Veras also cites “Ultraglas, which is a brand or a trademark of a
product that is called ‘slump glass’ or ‘cast glass.’
Ultraglas is similar to the glass sinks that you can buy that
are funky shapes and sizes and have relief to them. The process
used is a sand casting. It is then fired in a kiln. There is
tremendous relief on the piece and it can be tempered and used as a
shower enclosure. Every piece is essentially unique to itself. It
offers a variety of designs and gives customers the ability to
create their own personal scene or texture into the glass.”
He adds, “A lot of people also like the mirrored glass panels
because they can use them as a full-length mirror. Often, you will
see the panels in a tri-panel door.”
As for innovations coming down the pike, Williams notes, “We
have looked at colored glass a lot of high-rise buildings use it
it’s a glass that tints with light, and if we could figure out a
way to get that into the shower so that you could make it obscure
while you were in the shower and clear while you were out…that’s
something to work toward in the future.”
Framed vs Frameless
In the battle of framed
vs. frameless shower enclosures, there’s no clear-cut winner.
Williams believes, “The big news in shower enclosures is the
advent of what I’m going to call luxury frameless enclosures glass
enclosures that have very little hardware, typically made of 3/8″
to 1/2″ glass. They’re really beautiful when they’re done.” He
cites the company’s new Celesta, as an example of this, explaining,
“Consumers want a turn key-way to bring that spa experience
home.”
But Veras maintains, “What I’m seeing a lot of lately is a trend
toward the solid brass framed enclosures because of the variety of
finishes available. There is decorative plating, copper, nickel and
antique brass and oil-rubbed bronze. The trends that we’ve seen
have been more toward the traditional with the advent of exposed
mixers and cross-handles and [the like]. Most people feel that the
framed enclosure offers a much more traditional look and feel, as
opposed to the heavy glass frameless enclosures.”
However, he is quick to add that, “The heavy glass frameless
enclosures still have a large market because there are quite a few
designers who design toward contemporary lines. There are some
really sleek designs coming out of Europe as far as sanitary ware.
Those projects lend themselves to a frameless glass enclosure.”
According to Larson, “Frameless glass enclosures featuring 3/8″
clear glass have been hot for sometime now. For more discriminating
customers, you’re beginning to see custom enclosures that utilize
decorative tempered glass, custom handles/pulls and unique
finishes.”
Custom Looks
“The bathroom is an extension of
the homeowner’s personality and taste,” says Williams, who believes
this is part of why customized showers strike such a chord with so
many consumers. The growing size of the bath and added flexibility
this offers also drive the trend toward customization, he
believes.
“Custom showers remain a very hot trend,” Nickell agrees, adding
“When people go custom, the sizes are getting quite large. We are
also seeing that when people want more room, they are extending the
height of the ceiling, as well.”
Veras agrees that customization is increasingly becoming the norm,
and not just for the ultra high end. “Ninety percent of everything
that goes out of here is custom made. Custom is nothing new to us,
but even some manufacturers who are stock-sized manufacturers are
now offering their customers custom options. There is less of a
premium charge being put on custom sizes than there used to
be.”
Customization takes on new dimensions at the higher end, and
creativity creates nearly endless variations on the traditional
shower. Veras notes, “We won an award last year from BEMA for a
framed enclosure that was a 360 degree cylinder. It has the hot and
cold water valves that come right through the glass of the
enclosure. Still, the plumbing comes through the glass and the head
comes over the top.”
And Williams explains, “We did the Cincinnati Bengals’ stadium
last year and we had Bengals tiles etched on all the doors of the
players’ showers. We have a custom etcher who works for us here, we
can put anything on it, school logos, the U.S. Navyit creates so
many design options.”
Trends in Function
While consumers are
clearly interested in aesthetic improvements and luxury bells and
whistles, Uhl believes that, “They want more function in their
showers. For instance, [the addition of] side body sprays is a
growing trend. It started as a high-end trend because of the
plumbing required to put in the systems and get them engineered
correctly.” However, he adds, there are now more affordable body
systems that can be installed without going behind the wall. “There
is no demolition involved,” he explains.
Uhl also sees a growing trend toward thermostatic valves, in
part as a result of the increased use of side body sprays.
“Thermostatic is the better way to go. It’s a safety feature. If
you’re going to install side body valves, [you have to consider the
notion] that you can’t just get out of the way of a water change or
temperature change.”
Fletcher agrees: “In the master bath, we’re seeing a switch to
thermostatic systems because of their performance and safety
features. Safety is relevant both because of [the growing
population of] aging baby boomers and because high-end consumers
want everything. And there are just so many benefits to a
thermostatic system.”
While this originated as a trend seen almost exclusively at the
high end, that, too, is changing, Fletcher believes. He notes,
“We’ve introduced an introductory level thermostat that allows us
to offer a thermostatic shower at what used to be a
pressure-balance price. It comes in [fewer handle styles and finish
choices], but allows users to put the same performance and safety
in the second bath as they would in [the master bathroom.]” He
adds, “You also use less energy, less hot water when using a
thermostatic system.”
Maintenance, too, figures into some of the hottest trends. For
instance, Glassberg points out, “People want to get away from
spending time cleaning their bathroom.” For that reason, he sees an
increased interest in acrylic or solid surface for tub and shower
enclosures, and a move away from ceramic tile and porcelain. “That
is a function of durability and cleanability. We have seen a big
trend away from ceramic tile mainly because of the grout issue. The
maintenance of grout has become a real problem with homeowners who
just can’t stand cleaning it. Their choices are really limited as
far as how they can remodel without the tile.” He notes that Luxury
Bath Systems “can go right over their existing fixtures” which
helps to address maintenance issues.
Along the same lines, Fletcher notes that the company’s PVD
finish is “a key feature in a shower with body sprays and multiple
shower heads. You’ve got a lot of water going in there, and it
gives you a bit of security to have a PVD finish.”
Anti-microbial protection built into the surface of the tub was
also cited by several manufacturers as a feature consumers really
want. Notes Glassberg, “We just licensed exclusively Microban
anti-microbial into our acrylic tubs and walls. People are starving
for cleansers. You see them looking through the shelves in the
grocery store for anything that will kill bacteria. Microban is an
agent that is within our acrylic that inhibits the growth of mold
and mildew and germs that can spread. Additionally, it is designed
to last the lifetime of the product, it never wears out. It is
ongoing, built-in protection.”
Tub Trends
While many manufacturers cite a
growing trend toward tub-to-shower conversions, the tub is far from
extinct.
However, it seems to be evolving, as both dealers and manufacturers
note a growing interest in separate tubs and showers, and deeper
soaking tubs in the master bathroom.
Larson believes “whirlpool bathtubs are giving way to simple
soaking tubs as more and more emphasis is put on the luxury
shower.”
According to Uhl, “The trend is definitely for separate showers
and tubs. There will still be shower and tub combinations very
often in the kids’ bathroom, but there is a move toward separate
activities. The shower is for invigorating and getting clean and
the tub is for relaxing and soaking.” For the latter, soaking tubs
seem to be gaining ground, and most agree that deeper is
better.
According to Glassberg, “We’re seeing a revolution and the death
of the [standard] five-foot bathtub as we know it. If people do
have time to soak, they are going to take a bath in a nice 20″-deep
tub.”
And, tying into the furniture trend, the free-standing claw foot
tub was cited by several manufacturers as a stylish option for
those who want to add a sense of glamour to the bath.
Looking Ahead
As for the future, most agree that luxury shower systems will
continue to gain steam as the concept of bath-as-spa becomes
increasingly prevalent.
Additionally, Uhl predicts “a continuing trend toward separate
tubs and showers,” which he sees being driven by several factors.
“One of these is the [growing population of] baby boomers [who will
find] it easier to get in and out of a separate shower.” He adds,
“The notion that people are building homes with more space in them
and more bathrooms means you can have bathrooms that don’t have to
be all-purpose. So you can lay them out specifically for a certain
use.”
Nickell believes water conservation will be increasingly
important in the future, and he sees future innovations focusing on
finding ways to offer lower-flow multiple outlet systems conserving
water without sacrificing the luxury shower experience.
Edmunds concludes, “Just as we’ve seen the transition of the
kitchen and dining room into a Great Room, I think we will see the
same thing with the master bath and the bedroom becoming [it’s own
type of] Great Room. And the shower, of course, will be a big part
of that.” KBDN