In theory, almost everyone (everyone, meaning mostly women) fantasizes about a huge, deep, soaking tub, candle lit evenings, listening to the sounds of soft music, luxuriating in transcendent aromatherapy and drifting away on bubbly dreams.
In reality, most of those huge, deep soaking tubs become dust and dead insect collectors (sorry, but it's true!), and they're a literal pain as we bend at awkward angles trying to clean them out for the three or five times a year we actually use it.
Ditch the Chicago Bathtub Design Ideas & Build a Fantasy Shower Instead
Sound familiar? Look, if you have the square footage for it or can expand your bathroom space, then sure - go ahead and enjoy a luxury bath and a fantasy shower. But if your bathroom space is at a premium, and you'll be cutting into shower space in order to install a soak tub you'll only use occasionally, we recommend ditching the tub altogether and using innovative upgrades to design a shower you'll never want to leave.
It's time to heat the floors. Start with heated floors. Not only do they yield a continuously comfortable bathroom space, heated floors also warm shower tile floors, meaning your shower will warm up infinitely quicker than it does otherwise. Once you've had heated floors, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them - especially when you're a guest in a home or hotel suite that lacks them. Brrrr!
Make that a steam shower, please. If your walk-in shower is already spacious, you may only need to convert it into a steam shower. Otherwise, we recommend building a steam shower so the space can function as a shower, a steam shower or a wet sauna. Combine the aforementioned heated floors (which, we'll add, also heat the wall tiles a bit since the heat will migrate from the floors to the walls), with a roomy bench set up and you have everything you loved about your bath, combined with running water, contained steam and plenty of room to stand, sit, stretch, etc.
Get creative with your faucets. Shower faucets are an area where innovation has definitely made a transformative difference. Plumbing manufacturer's have put a ton of time and creativity into creating shower faucets that are incredibly versatile - while still boasting water saving features. For an example of Chicago bath design ideas come to life, read this project description of a Highland Park bathroom remodel from the K&BU Portfolio, which includes a dual shower head configuration with four body sprays and a thermostat control.
Rain showers, detachable hand-held faucets that slide up-and-down a fixed bar to the desired height, massage features - all of these can ensure you and your shower partner have access to plenty of hot water from virtually any direction you like.
Extra-sensory therapy. You can enjoy sound- and aromatherapy with a few simple additions. Include waterproof speakers in your luxury steam shower and your home audio system will deliver your choice of music or nature sounds.
Modern steam showers come with aromatherapy cups or piped in options so you can choose your favorite essential oil combinations and incorporate them into your steam shower ritual for added relaxation and healing.
Ready to improve on your Chicago bath design ideas by adding a shower you'll never want to leave. Give us a call at Kitchens & Baths Unlimited. 847.729.1212.
