It’s a Spa, Spa, Spa, Spa World
November 3, 2003
While many of the fixtures used in the new state-of-the-art spa bathroom are custom creations, Kofitsas and other architects readily cite a number of innovative manufacturers that are combining modern design with therapeutic benefits and filling their product catalogs with the lexicon of spa culture. Ideas such as illumination therapy (the use of color and light to alter your mood), aroma-therapy (ditto, but using botanical essential oils), reflexology (pressure point massage of the feet) and hydromassage (the stimulation of skin and muscle with water jets, usually in a prescribed sequence) are casually peppered in among technical details. Kohler straightforwardly embraces the genre with its HomeSpa collections, where the infinity-edge Sok tub comes with a choice of color therapy lighting options. (The savviest consumers check into luxury hotels where they can try out these products firsthand. The Kahala Mandarin Oriental in Hawaii, for example, has the Sok tubs installed in its deluxe spa suites.)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
The Purist HomeSpa whirlpool by Kohler. The company offers an upgrade package for its tubs to provide different degrees of hydromassage. (Click image to enlarge)Calm is a spa state of mind and a trend that dovetails smoothly with contemporary interiors. From aroma-therapy and water massage to serene East meets West aesthetics, the parallel objectives of therapeutic relaxation and personal luxury are coming together as bathrooms gain square footage and modern design takes over. "The beauty and sensuality of materials that people touch are more appealing in the bathroom," says Peter Guzy, a principal of Asfour Guzy Architects in New York. "People appreciate them more." He could easily be referring to his own firm’s design for a downtown loft bathroom, a generous space with dark floors, custom sinks and cabinetry made of Corian and teak, where an elegant Spoon bathtub by Agape, with its smooth lines and shape that resembles a water-carved stone trough, takes center stage. The installation sits serenely in a frame of luminous plaster and transparent white glass. "The room is spare, which makes it relaxing," says Guzy.
advertisement
