50 THE QUEENS COURIER • AT HOME • SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
at home
5 latest trends in bathroom design
Today’s homeowners are increasingly
expecting their bathrooms to mirror some
of the spa-like features that were previously
seen only in hotels, resorts and luxury
vacation rentals.
Home television shows and websites
like Better Homes and Gardens (bhg.
com), ElleDecor.com and Houzz.com
have showcased these once aspirational
luxuries, while technical advances have
made them more attainable.
With the baby boomer population
among the most active of renovating
groups, those wanting to remain in their
current homes longer have an eye toward
safety and accessibility, but also luxury
and style when upgrading their bathrooms.
Here are some of the latest features
transforming modern bathrooms.
Towel warmers
On a cold morning, nothing would be
more pleasant than reaching for a warm
towel as you step out of the tub or shower.
To help make your bathroom feel more
like a luxury spa, a heated towel warmer
keeps towels at just the right temperature
for optimal comfort. If you don’t have
enough space for a towel warming drawer
or cabinet in your bathroom, space-saving
towel warmer racks are also available.
Some are free-standing, while others are
wall-mounted.
Heated fl oors
Another option for warming up on a
cold morning is to install a heated bathroom
fl oor. Radiant fl oor heating can supplement
your home’s overall heating system,
making you feel warmer when standing
on a tiled fl oor in January. Because
these systems warm objects and people
in a room, radiant fl oor heating systems
are more energy effi cient than conventional
forced-air. In fact, more people
are comfortable with radiant fl oor heating
at a lower thermostat setting than
with forced-air heating at a higher thermostat
setting.
High-tech mirrors
From mirrors with automatic, built-in
LED lighting options or fog resistance to
magic-like mirrors incorporating built-in
clocks, TV panels or digital assistant-connected
features, the bathroom mirror has
gone way beyond a simple place to shave
or check your look. Bathroom mirrors
with automatic sensors light up as your
face approaches the mirror. Some hightech
mirrors include touch-screen controls,
some are controlled by remotes
while others are responsive to voice commands.
If it’s connected to an advanced
security system, you can use a smart
bathroom mirror to check who’s at the
front door while brushing your teeth.
With a smart mirror that connects to the
internet, you can watch tutorials on your
favorite makeup app while getting ready
for that big date. You can also check the
news and weather or tell your digital assistant
to turn on your coff ee maker while
you’re fi xing your hair. Th e latest mirror
features make all your simple grooming
tasks easier.
Standalone bathtubs
Homeowners with the space and
resources are increasingly choosing to
separate the bathtub from the shower,
opting for a much larger and more stylish
soaking tub. While whirlpool-type
spa tubs are not as popular as they have
been in recent years, larger tubs for luxury
bathrooms - disconnected from the shower
- are considered much more desirable.
Curbless showers
As showers are increasingly separated
from tubs in modern bathrooms, curbless
showers with linear drains, such as
those designed by QuickDrain USA, are
gaining in popularity. A curbless entrance
makes showers easily accessible for all
ages and abilities, in accordance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act. Th ey can
also accommodate a freestanding bench,
wheelchair or other mobility aid because
they require no center drain where water
may pool or make users feel unbalanced.
Usually located against the edge or back of
the shower, linear drains are more hygienic,
as they are most oft en designed with
larger format tiles, reducing grout joints
and seals where mold, mildew and grime
can accumulate. QuickDrain curbless
showers accommodate existing plumbing,
install quickly and provide wall-towall
coverage for effi cient drainage and
a beautiful aesthetic. Because of the larger
tiles and the elimination of a center
drain, more diverse materials can be used,
including ceramic, porcelain or stone
tiles, plus a range of solid surface materials
like marble, granite or engineered
stone products.
If you are building or remodeling your
shower, bring the spa-like luxury and
high-end aesthetics available with linear
drains. Learn how at QuickDrainUSA.
com.
Courtesy BPT
/WWW.QNS.COM
/ElleDecor.com
/Houzz.com
