Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

Tired of that lone showerhead raining water down on you from above? You could enhance your showering experience by adding a rain bar to one of the walls.

The Jet Rain Bar from California Faucets offers a pulsating massage, rotating up to 180 degrees so you can sooth your muscles from just the right angle.

The shower device is made from solid brass and is available in 33 finishes, so you can find something that will match your existing decor (or use it a an excuse to remodel your whole bathroom!).

You can find the Jet Rain Bar at various internet shops with prices starting around $500.

While it’s hard to go wrong with a nice granite top for your bathroom vanity, they are kind of ubiquitous these days. If you’re planning a remodel and want to put more personality into your bathroom furnishings, consider a glass vanity to showcase that snazzy vessel sink you want to install. All sorts of textures, colors, and patterns are available.

For example, check out this cherry blossom vanity from Sans Soucie Art Glass Studios. The frosted glass features carved and hand-painted imagery of cherry branches and blossoms.

Glass gives you another option: interesting underlighting. Bulbs beneath the glass surface can enhance the artwork and also provide gentle bathroom illumination.

Though this $3,000 vanity won’t be in everyone’s price range, it definitely gives the bathroom a custom feel, and glass is easy to keep clean to boot.

Regardless of where you store your toothbrush, it’s susceptible to dust, dirt, germs and bacteria. The purpose of a toothbrush is to clean your teeth and mouth, so you don’t want any extra bacteria getting in.

If you keep your toothbrush next to your bathroom toilet, it’s even more at risk for being exposed to germs such as E. coli and salmonella. You definitely don’t want these harmful germs in your mouth.

So how can you keep your toothbrush clean?

The Dual Toothbrush Sanitizer can sanitize two brushes at one by using UV technology to kill up to 99.9 percent of germs and bacteria. This sanitizer can be wall mounted in your bathroom for convenient use, and it can also be detached for travel use.

The sanitizer uses two AAA batteries, and it measures 3” W x 1” D x 8.25” H.

If refinement is your middle name, toilet tattoos probably aren’t going to find their way into your bathroom. If you have a less sophisticated sense of humor (hey, nothing to be ashamed of, really!), then you might be tickled by some of the offerings from the toilet tattoos outfit.

These decorative appliques are an easy (non-permanent) way to make guests laugh, entertain the kids, or even decorate for the holidays (who wouldn’t want a Thanksgiving turkey traipsing across the commode?). Unlike the toilet seat covers we’ve looked at before, they don’t require any permanent changes to the bathroom. You just peel them and affix them to the back of your current lid.

The no-dogs tat shown below is $10, and other tattoos in the collection are similarly priced.

Toilet Tattoos No Doggie Bowl

If all you want in a bathtub is a place to scrub your feet, then you probably don’t need a fancy schmancy model, but if you’re looking for the spa experience at home, an air tub might be more your style.

Similar to jetted tubs (which circulate a mix of water and air), air bath tubs use only oxygen to create soothing bubbles that tingle against your skin.  They have small holes that jet the air into the tub in a steady stream, and, with most units, the intensity of the streams can be adjusted to suit the individual user.

The $7,500 Neptune Macao 6060 shown here, is a square air tub measuring 60″ x 60″, so it’s not exactly for compact bathrooms.  The freestanding unit is meant to be front-and-center, on display like a fine piece of furniture, and it’s available in several finishes and trim packages.  Optional add-ons include mood lighting, chromotherapy systems, and the all important neck pillows.  (Hey, if you’re paying that much for a tub, you don’t want to get a crick in your neck!)

Available through QualityBath.com.

If you’re remodeling your bathroom, a high-end shower may be in the cards, but don’t leave it naked with a simple glass enclosure. Consider etched glass doors for a custom look, plenty of light in the stall, and enough privacy for the shyest bather.

All sorts of options are available, and you can find everything from geometric designs to nature scenes. The picture below shows the Arctic Shower Enclosure from San Soucie.

Reminiscent of a frosty glacier from the northern seas, the frameless shower enclosure will give you something more attractive than soap scum to look at while you’re washing. It’ll also give a custom vibe to your bathroom remodel.

Price: $9,060

Would you like your bathroom to have a softer, more relaxed atmosphere? Candles are definitely a way to create a spa like bathroom setting.

The Leaf Wall Sconce with 3-Votive Cups from Target is a simple and inexpensive way to soften your bathroom. Since this is a hanging wall decor, the candles will be out of a child’s or pet’s reach. If you have enough space for three, you can stagger the wall sconces and really bring the wall to life. This oil-rubbed bronze iron sconce measures 15 x 2.75 x 16.

You would have to purchase three votive candles, because they’re not included. However, you can always change the candles and have a different color when you become bored of the first color.

Instead of the bathroom, this wall sconce can go in your foyer or bedroom to fill empty wall space.

Have you ever been to a hotel that has a curved shower rod? If you have then you know how nice it is to have some extra while you’re showering. You can get this look for under $40.

The Creative Specialties by Moen 5′ Curved Shower Rod comes in chrome or brushed nickel. Since the rod is curved, it will enable you to have some more movement in the shower so you don’t feel so limited. These rods are easy to install, and it will give your bathroom a more luxurious look.

If you’re unsure whether a shower rod such as this one would work in your bathroom, it’s best to buy one and take one home so you can see it in person. Because the rod does come out farther, you might not be able to install one if you have a toilet right outside your shower. In this case, it could make your bathroom look smaller, and it will be a hassle when you use your toilet.

We’ve looked at fancy showerheads before (the Dream Light Rain Canopy, the Kohler water tiles, a star-shaped ceiling mounted shower, and the Hansaclear Lux showerhead to name a few), and we’re going to mention another today. The LED flashing Magic Showerhead just looks fun.

Available in handheld or fixed, the showerheads are designed to light up your morning shower. What’s your fancy? Red? Orange? Green? Blue? Numerous color options are available, and you can even get multi-color versions that cycle through a rainbow.

The colorful streams of light are powered by the waterstream itself, so there’s no need for batteries or fancy electrical wiring.

The showerheads start at $40 and are simple to install, so this is one bathroom upgrade that won’t break the bank. Try one in the children’s bath to make the kids smile.

Even if your bathroom is lacking in square footage, there are some decorating tricks you can use to make it appear as though the space is larger. So where do you start?

• Softer colors such as pastel shades or neutrals can open up the space in comparison to bolder colors.

• Add lightening to increase the brightens of the room. Choose fixtures that don’t take up space such as recessed lighting, wall sconces or skylights.

• Replace your large vanity with a more compact one. A pedestal or wall-mounted sink will give you more floor space and cleaner lines.

• Eliminate current decorations that stick out and take up unnecessary space. Wall shelves and hanging racks can be convenient, but can you live without them? Another option is to find versions of these pieces that are have functional qualities in a space-saving design.