» Shower power
Walk-in showers, wet rooms and saunas add value and luxury to your home
According to a recent GE Money Homeowner Survey, adding a new bathroom to your home can increase the property’s value by more than £5,000. Constraints on space mean that second or en-suite bathrooms are often shower rooms. But showers are fast becoming a lifestyle or even a style choice. Why? Latest Interiors takes the plunge and finds out…
Walk-in wonders
Gone are the tacky plastic trays and mouldy shower curtains, modern walk-in showers are clean, functional and stylish. Easy for everyone – young or old – to use, they also have less impact on household water consumption than baths. Current trends for walk-in showers include fixed glass panels, and a large ‘rigid riser’ fixed shower head for a clean, functional look. The riser can be combined with a more traditional ‘telephone’ handset on a sliding rail, for reaching those awkward bits.
Wet rooms
For a top-to-toe look, wet rooms – a watertight bath or shower room where water drains through the floor – are both space-saving and stylish. The room needs to be lined first with a watertight render, and covered with a layer of tiles. Floors need to be slightly sloped with a fitted drain, and the room should be well ventilated to ensure that it dries quickly.
A ceiling-mounted shower head is perfect for a room like this. No cubicle or curtain is required. Cleaning is easy, as there are no difficult corners – everything washes away through the floor drain. A wet room is an excellent choice for small spaces, as no panelling or cubicle is needed… just remember that everything in a wet room will probably get wet, so be careful where you put your towel.
Get steamy
Spa treatments are coming to a shower room near you. If a hot tub, whirlpool bath and wet room aren’t enough, maybe you should consider the ultimate indulgence – a steam shower. Although it looks like a traditional cubicle and includes a shower, the enclosed unit also contains a steam generator and (depending on the size of the room) a folding or fixed seat. Relax in the steam, then wake yourself up with a cold shower. Who knows, there might even be room for two…
Showers shown available from www.laufen.co.uk
