Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

If your usual shower is leaving you feeling clean but otherwise uninspired, maybe a Vitamin C shower is in order. I know what you’re thinking; that’s something you eat, not bathe in, right?

Well, according to Sonaki America, their showerheads (with special Vitamin C filters) eliminate chlorine, reduce scaling, and reduce dry skin, skin irritation, and rashes. They’re even supposed to protect dyed hair and improve overall hair condition. But the real question is if you take a few swallows while you shower, does that mean you don’t need to worry about orange juice at breakfast?

You can choose from several showerheads at the company’s site. Each comes with two Vitamin C filters (each filter lasts 3,000 gallons or 3-6 months with one person showering). Sonaki’s original massage shower costs $185, and a 5-pack of filter replacements will run you $49.

http://www.sonakius.com

When you’re remodeling the bathroom, you’ll be sure to pick a new toilet, sink, vanity, and bathtub or shower (or both) that you’ll enjoy, but don’t forget the smaller items. Toilet paper holders, towel racks, and medicine cabinets can do a lot to define the style of the room. They can also be space savers, if you’re working with a small space.

This sliding mirror cabinet from Peakline offers storage in a unique way. Instead of having a mirror that swings out (which can be awkward in a small bathroom), the entire system slides out from behind the mirror, either left or right. The four shelves offer quite a bit of space for your toiletries, and the cabinet comes with a light fixture mounted atop the mirror.

Original Bathroom Company

If you’re remodeling your bathroom, chances are you’re going to buy a new sink. What to choose? A carved stone vessel sink? A ceramic sink mounted in a vanity? A glass sink? There are all sorts of options out there these days. If color appeals to you, you might like a hand-painted ceramic sink.

Shown here, the Green Bandero from SinkWorks features a creamy eggshell white exterior with an interior bursting with blue. It’s designed to be used as a vessel sink, but it can also be undermounted (set into the countertop). The inside dimensions of the sink are 14.5″ dia. x 4.25″ deep with outside measurements of 15.5″ dia. x 4.75″ deep. The price? $600.

SinkWorks

So, you’re looking for a luxury bathtub. These days, that probably means something big and roomy with lots of jets to soothe your achy muscles. And perhaps even a tub with a remote control?

No, the remote isn’t to turn on a television or stereo. It controls the jets on the freestanding Airspa Capri O2.

The bathtub has an extended square rim that makes it a little different from all those curvy tubs you’ve seen. The built-in towel bar is handy, but I’m sure it’s the 16 jets (and said remote control) that will sell the package. Dial up whatever intensity suits you and enjoy a luxury bath right in your own bathroom.

Available at Victoria & Albert Baths.

Need a new countertop for the bathroom or kitchen? Want to put in something that is environmentally friendly? Maybe even something that makes use of mostly recycled materials? Well, here’s an alternative to those countertops made from recycled paper that we talked about a while back. These EnviroMode counters are made from crushed pieces of old toilets, tubs, and sinks. The “porcelain terrazzo” surfaces look more handsome than you’d think, given the dubious origins of the materials.

Made by Enviroglas Products, the countertops have a pearl-like finish and come in just about any color you might want. According to the company’s site, “the bone-colored porcelain looks fantastic in neutral and earth-toned resins, and really pops in bold resin colors like black, yellow, blue and red.” The recycled countertops can be used in the kitchen or bathroom, and you can also get EnviroMode planks to use as flooring.

http://www.enviroglasproducts.com/enviromode/

Unless you were blessed with a unusually spacious master ensuite, counter space is probably at a premium in your bathroom. For most women (and not a few men), a hair dryer is a must have implement, but even the most sleek models take up quite a bit of drawer or cabinet space–that is if you even put it away. Since you probably use yours every day, chances are you’re often just tempted to leave it plugged in and on the vanity, where it adds to the clutter.

The Nero wall-mounted hair dryer caddy is a useful idea for tidying up some of that clutter. It gives you a place to store your hair dryer where it’s still close at hand. At $32, the holder won’t break the bank and it looks to be relatively simple to install. It’s available online from Chiasso.

If you’ve got an older toilet where the flapper doesn’t work as well as it once did, it can get stuck in the “open” position, causing new water to keep coming into the tank. If you’re not around to fix things, a running toilet can waste countless gallons of water every day. Of course, you can buy a new toilet and install it, but as an alternative there’s a device that can keep an eye on your toilet and shut off the water if the flapper doesn’t close properly.

The H2 Orb from Aquaone is a tank monitor that wirelessly shuts off the water at the main control unit attached to the angle stop if the flapper remains open for more than 4 minutes. According to the company’s site, it only takes 7 minutes to install the gadget, so it’s a much easier home improvement project than installing a new toilet or replacing all the old innards.

http://www.aquaone.com

We’ve mentioned Japanese soaking tubs before (rather than the long shallow Western style bathtub, they’re deeper and designed for sitting in with the water up to your shoulders), but the Nagano from Neptune’s Onsen Collection is a little different. It has massage jets and all the other options you find in luxury lie-down bathtubs.

If you get all the bells and whistles, you’ll have an inline heater (wouldn’t want the water to cool off while you’re reading your favorite book, would you?), mood lighting, a chromotherapy system, and of course a neck pillow. The bench for you to sit on is built into the shell. (You can also get a weatherproof outdoor version of the tub if you’d like a little spa bath for your backyard deck.) The Nagano is designed for one person, but there’s also a two-person model in the collection, just in case you don’t like to bathe alone.

http://www.bainsneptune.com

Beadboard can add a lot of character to walls, but using it in the bathroom can be a problem, since the frequent damp conditions can cause the wood swell. This opens up gaps and takes years off the life expectancy of the material. Hastings Tile has come up with an alternative: ceramic beadboard.

Their Grazia line is made of 100% glazed ceramic beadboard that’s designed to look just like the real thing. It can be used in bathrooms, kitchens, or any place where high humidity might damage wood. The company also offers ceramic wainscoting panels that look like applied moldings.

Hastings Tile

Are you tired of jostling for space in the bathroom with your significant other every morning? If you both get ready for work at the same time, fighting for sink time can be quite hassling. If you’ve got a small bathroom, you probably figured there was no room to ever add in a second sink. Well, Aquaware has come up with a solution that might just work.

The company’s space-saving Sydney duo Pianilavabo double sinks come as one unit with the basins located side-by-side, but at different angles so you won’t be bashing elbows. A towel bar encircles the front, and an optional shelf below adds some storage space (something else that’s usually at a premium in small bathrooms). So if you need more sink room, put something like this on your wish list for any future bathroom remodeling.

http://www.aquawareamerica.com