The Luxe Bath 

The days seem to be getting a bit shorter and the weather outside a bit cooler. It is at this time of year that soaking in a warm tub or luxuriating under a hot spa shower can be absolutely blissful. With this idea in mind this month's Style Trends looks at two new products for the bath that will make just about anyone want to lock the bathroom door and stay in a few minutes longer.

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The Limestone Papillon

There are fewer items more luxe than a hand carved stone bath tub. Stone Forest of Santa Fe, NM is one of the original designers of the stone tubs. Their latest design the Papillon tub, brings a new modern shape to their more traditional assortment. The tub is carved from one solid piece of Limestone and then hand finished to a smooth, almost suede like texture. The Papillon tub has a delicate organic shape to it that differentiates it from other contemporary tubs on the market from brands such as Boffi or Agape. The tub weighs in at about 1,800lbs (empty), so some special engineering may be required to support the weight. With a cost of approximately $20,000 and a lead time of 8-10 weeks to produce, this tub is not the kind of tub to be found at one of the big box stores. If you enjoy the best in life, you may want to add the Papillon tub to the must have list on your next bathroom remodel project.

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The ShowerArc

The Showerarc is the latest in luxurious all-in-one shower packages from Hansgrohe's Pharo Collection. The Showerarc is a bit reminiscent of the victorian shower systems that encircled bathers in a claw-foot tub, only with a modern twist. The shower includes 6 body sprays, a hand shower as well as Hansgrohe's famous air shower head. The Showerarc will work in most standard sized showers and is fairly simple to install for the standard plumber. One of the nicest aspects of the showerarc is that there is only one plumbing connection that needs to be made. There is no need for multiple pipes in your wall for body sprays, shower heads, etc. The overall fit and finish of the Showerarc is superb, as is the case with most of Hansgrohe's products. While all-in-one shower systems have yet to take off in the US market, I believe that more products like the Showerarc will sway designers and consumers to take a second look at these types of systems.

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Style on HGTV's DIY Network

 

Look for Style Bath & Kitchen in the upcoming season of Bathroom Renovations on the DIY Network. We recently completed a bathroom re-design for two homeowners who were looking for a master bath with a modern influence that would work well with their traditional home.

For this project we looked to natural materials such as slate, teak, limestone to convey a sense of subtle luxury. Accent walls were clad in a stacked slate veneer which made for a strong juxtaposition against the leather wrapped medicine cabinets and the architectural Citterio wall faucets.

 

For more images and information on the project visit our Style Trends Blog.