An old adage in remodeling is "follow the water," meaning to renovate areas in which plumbing is involved, and bathrooms take first place for this. For resale value this is entirely true and realtors advise that every dollar spent in the bathroom is worth 2 to 3 times that in resale value.

Bathrooms, traditionally, have been rectangular rooms featuring the three basic fixtures: shower/bath, sink and toilet. The walls of the tub area are usually lined with smooth, 4" tile and the area is caulked with silicone. However, more homeowners want to do more in this area that just take a quick shower or squeeze into a bathtub, and this expectation is what is fueling the bathroom renaissance in this country.

The Main Design

To break away from the mundane use of the bathroom, designers are looking to change the shape to conform with the best use. In the same way that walk-in closets have changed bedrooms by increasing the space allotted to this area of the home bathrooms are adapting to changes in floor layout and are even becoming multi-roomed areas. Picture 2 or even 3 rooms which includes a bathing, shower, sauna, manicuring and a relaxing area then the scope of the new bathroom becomes clear. The bathroom is now a series of relaxation centers and not a place of casual visitations.

The New Baths

Japanese Tubs: Every evening in Japan over 80 million people lower themselves into a steaming bath or ofuro. Whether it's a huge stone container with room for 20 or a compact apartment model bathing is a national obsession. Besides being a place of hygiene it is also a place of relaxation and makes up an integral part of Japanese life.

Space: This bit of culture has become a desired part of the new bathroom design. While there are very few stone vessels in American homes there is a desire for large rectangular tubs. Now made from acrylic these tubs can be as deep as 2 ½ feet and with dimensions as big as 5' X 4' and provide the freedom of movement that many desire in a tub. Some are a "tub-within-a-tub" where the main tub spills into an overflow area and the water is constantly returned to the main tub.

Bubbles: Rather than being hammered by water jets the new, large tubs come with air massaging which is a series of up to 70 portals which fill the tub with warm-air bubbles. The intensity can be controlled to adjust the massaging effect. In addition, because a hot-air system does not recirculate the water you can use oils, sea salts and even put on mud masks. No water enters the pipes because the system is constantly drying itself with hot air thus preventing mold or mildew from getting into the piping.

Chroma Therapy: For centuries therapists and alternative-medicine proponents have claimed that color has a marked effected on emotional well-being. The tub makes have concluded that the relaxation experience of the bathtub soak can be enhanced by colored lights embedded in the tub wall which would shine up through the bubbles. This lighting can be adjusted by the bather.

Water Feature: The new trend is to have a water feature for the tub. A ceiling-mounted rain shower head directs dozens of minute streams of water to a specified are of the tub creating a frothing ambiance. Other water products can be as diverse as artificial-rock waterfalls to sprays.

Shower Cabinets

The new shower cabinets are technological marvels. No longer are they a fiberglass shell with a glass door but a chamber of wonders that include an audio-visual system worthy of a multi-media room.

Shower Heads: Showering no longer comes from above. Specially-positioned shower heads wash the body from almost every direction and can be positioned for your specifications. As well, each showering nozzle can be adjusted for pressure and pulsating action. Over head there is a pizza-pan sized shower head which gives a rain forest shower of dozens of small streamlets.

Steam Bath: Like the ancient civilizations found out steam can invigorate and cleanse the body like no other treatment. The benefits of steam in the shower cabinet include relief from chapped skin and tension build-up. As well it increases the blood flow, smooths the skin and sooths bronchitis and hoarseness. With special controls steam envelopes the shower cabinet and special fans whisk it away when the doors are opened.

Seating: These showers not only have seats but you can choose retractable cedar seats which enables more than one person to enjoy the experience.

Foot Massage: A special foot massage tank fills with water and you can enter the shower and sit down to enjoy this feature.

Tub: All-in-one shower cabinets include a large tub so that having a separate tub is not necessary unless you want the Japanese soak experience. Audio-Visual: These cabinets are available with an audio-visual system with LCD screen that is programmable and can either connect with or be separate from your main system.

Massage and Relaxation Room

One of the biggest changes in the bathroom area is the extra room for "chilling." Unlike the tub and shower, which are basic staples in a bathroom, the added room allows for reading watching television or being massaged on a specialty table. Like the other rooms an audio system would be standard and a bed for sleeping after the experience. This room can also be used for a guest room.