DecorPlanet.com Blog

Unparalleled Elegance: The Latest & Greatest Bathroom Tech for 2014

Posted on Thursday, March 6, 2014

The bathroom: That magical and private space where the body’s most intimate needs are met. That denizen of the necessary. That sanctuary of modern life. It’s been but a mere 100 years since the flushing toilet made its way into the inner sanctum of the private home, and when, finally, the rigors of getting clean via a chilly washbasin were supplanted by that sumptuous haven of relaxation called the bathtub, the concept of the contemporary bathroom was born.

The bathrooming ways of our forebears have, for the most part, gone the way of the dodo, and the current cushy state of affairs in which we find ourselves exists thanks to a multitude of under-sung technological achievements. The invention of a soap mild enough to be used on skin, city sewers with trustworthy pipes, that S-shaped bend in the back of a commode, even toilet paper—these advancements and others like them have changed the developed world’s experiences of the human body. These days, the bathroom is one of the most popular rooms in the house, and as technology continues to transform and enhance our experience of it, it’s no wonder. From programmable steam showers to motion detectors that heat toilet seats just before use, the bathroom’s many surfaces and services have never been so comfortable or customizable. Here is a closer look at some of the most appealing and surprising technologies currently transforming a local water closet near you.

http://www.decorplanet.com/AmeriSteam_ASP216_Steam_Shower_unit_p/asp216.htm

The Steam Shower

It wasn’t too long ago that the experience of a hot, straightforward shower could feel like a retreat into the lap of luxury. Steaming water that falls in a massaging cascade over your head and entire body—all at the simple touch of a tap? Cleopatra’s most decadent leanings could neither compare nor compete, and from a technological perspective, the hot shower was just a warm-up routine. Today, the fully programmable and customizable steam shower beckons, a lavish cleansing option that acts as spa, bathing device and healer. It’s as if there were a shower arms race underway whose only goal was to probe the farthest reaches of a shower design that might feel too good, get too personalized or benefit your health too much.

Controlled by a wall-mounted, waterproof, digital platform that responds immediately to any passing whim, as many as a dozen steam heads can be activated, filling your shower with a hot vapor that never gets above a safe 118 degrees Fahrenheit. Control the temperature, the jets in the whirlpool bath, the stream of water falling from multiple showerheads and your choice of music. Relax, rejuvenate, revitalize your aching muscles, clear your sinuses, open your pores and release toxins. If you want to experience easily achieved bodily delight, consider a steam shower. It’s something much more akin to going to a health spa than it is to undergoing a daily cleaning regimen. The best part? When you have a digital steam shower, they’re one and the same.

Smart—and Smarter—Toilets

Have you ever wished your toilet seat would warm itself to a temperature of 80 degrees when you approached so that you never had to sit down on a chilly seat again? How about an integrated bidet with a programmable water stream—self-cleaning, of course—and air dryer? Would you like it to conserve water, come outfitted with Bluetooth compatibility, raise and lower the seat for you and play your theme song? Well, why didn’t you say so?

It turns out that we may very well be in the Golden Age of Toilets. If you don’t mind spending the money, it’s actually possible to use the bathroom and have expended no more energy than what was required for you to sit down and stand back up. The toilet can, literally, do everything else for you, and it can do so according to your exact specifications regarding temperature, timing and cleanliness. Toto’s bells and whistles are much more than sufficient, and for the environmentally minded, it is arguably the greenest smart toilet on the market as well. Not only is its flushing technology more efficient and robust than most, but its SanaGloss glaze resists debris and bacteria so effectively that less time and chemicals need to be employed in keeping it clean.

Why Not Bidet?

If you like the toilet you already have, and you don’t want to go the route of buying and installing an entirely new one, you could always just upgrade the one (or ones) you’re already using by adding a high-end, high-tech bidet or washlet. Easy to mount and connect to your existing toilet, bidets like the COCO 9500 offer heated seats, adjustable and programmable water pressure and temperature, an air dryer, soft closing seat, splash guard and deodorizer.

Many also come with a wireless remote control. Installing a smart bidet on your existing toilet is an easy and relatively inexpensive upgrade that will make a world of difference in your bathroom experience. It will feel like you’ve found a portal through time and space so that every time you use the bathroom you do so in Europe. In the future.

Not Your Grandmother’s Faucets

If you think the bathroom faucet would be quickly passed over in a technological survey of the home, think again. From LED displays that signify temperature to faucets that pull double duty as hand dryers, hand washing has reached new heights of spectacle and smart design. Here are some of the more notable faucet options available:

http://www.decorplanet.com/Fresca_Cascata_Waterfall_Vanity_Bathroom_Faucet_p/fft1000bn.htm

· Fresca’s Waterfall Faucet. Joystick-driven, this faucet invites you to consider yourself a player in a solo waterfall game of hand washing. This slick, contemporary design utilizes a smooth metal joystick to control flow and temperature, while the disc that surrounds it sends a pleasing cascade of falling water down onto your hands.

· Toto’s EcoPower. Hands-free and beautifully crafted, these bathroom faucets have a self-setting detection range and programmable low-flow cycles that conserve water. They’re also powered sustainably: The flowing water turns high-efficiency turbines that create and store all the energy the faucet needs to keep working.

http://www.decorplanet.com/ALFI_Brand_12_inch_Square_LED_Rain_Shower_Head_p/led5008.htm

· Lights, Faucets, Action! To appreciate the full range of pragmatic and decorative lighting available in the land of high-tech faucets, you’d have to travel the globe. LED displays turn faucets, showerheads and water streams blue or red depending on the temperature of the water running through them, and some touch screens glow in variances that cross the visual spectrum so users can pick their ideal hand washing temperature based on color and hue.

http://www.decorplanet.com/EAGO_6_foot_Whirlpool_Bath_Tub_with_TV_Screen_p/am195.htm

· Dyson Airblade Tap. While it looks like a submarine periscope, the Dyson Airblade Tap faucet’s spectacular achievements all take place above the surface. It doesn’t just wash your hands, it dries them, and it does so in 14 seconds with a 400-mile per hour blast of air that travels through an internal HEPA filter in order to block bacteria from rocketing its way back onto your skin. Completely hands-free, this faucet and dryer have built-in sensors that locate your hands before washing or drying them.

Surfaces Become TV

Television has been a ubiquitous presence in American homes since Leave It to Beaver hit the airwaves in 1957, but its integrated presence in the bathroom is relatively new. Just how integrated is it now? Completely. Would you like to settle into a bath with a bevy of body-massaging whirlpooling jets and the comfort of not just watching your favorite television show, but also knowing that your close and wet proximity to the screen won’t cause it—or you—any damage?

EAGO makes a deep and comfortable freestanding whirlpool tub with a built-in, retractable, water-resistant television screen, digital surround sound and variable LED lighting. Movies, TV, the radio, your smart phone’s music library—whatever you want to listen to or watch can now be easily incorporated into your bathing experience.

For a medicine cabinet mirror that doubles as a television, there are offerings such as the Robern M Series TViD. Located in the bottom right corner of the mirror so you can have a clear view of yourself while you shave, pluck your eyebrows or practice a speech, the television and built-in speakers allow to get in an early dose of news or a self-indulgent rerun of Friends before you begin your day.

And if you’ve always wanted to watch the shower scene from Psycho while taking a shower of your own, Seura’s Hydra Waterproof Television can make that dream an uncomfortable reality. This 19-inch, HD, LCD television can be completely mounted into your shower wall so you never have to miss a game, news, movie or episode of Dr. Who again.

Towel Warming Devices

http://www.decorplanet.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=towel+warmers&Submit=Search

It would be highly remiss of today’s bathroom innovators if they addressed heated toilet seats and programmable shower experiences but failed to provide a way to warm towels beyond popping them in the dryer. Thankfully, even this minute detail has not been overlooked. Wall-mounted warming racks like those so stylishly designed by Amba are an easily added bathroom accessory, and the hidden luxury of a hydronic warming drawer can quick-heat your towel or robe in just five minutes flat. While it’s far from being a necessity, wrapping yourself in a hot towel after a bath or shower at the end of a long day is the bathroom equivalent of Goldilocks finally sitting down to a bowl of Baby Bear’s porridge. It really is just right.

It doesn’t really matter whether you prefer your bathroom’s technology to be flashy or genteel. Unless you’re a self-avowed Luddite, technology exists that either has changed or will change your bathroom experience in remarkable ways. While it’s hard to imagine anything usurping the importance of the flush toilet or a bar of soap, today’s bathrooms and the minds that seek to improve them are sparing not an ounce of ingenuity as they carve up new possibilities of reality one showerhead at a time.

Product images for photo collage/article lead-in:

http://www.decorplanet.com/AmeriSteam_ASP216_Steam_Shower_unit_p/asp216.htm

http://www.decorplanet.com/Toto_Neorest_600_Toilet_p/ms990cgr.htm

http://www.decorplanet.com/Fresca_Cascata_Waterfall_Vanity_Bathroom_Faucet_p/fft1000bn.htm

http://www.decorplanet.com/ALFI_Brand_12_inch_Square_LED_Rain_Shower_Head_p/led5008.htm

http://www.decorplanet.com/EAGO_6_foot_Whirlpool_Bath_Tub_with_TV_Screen_p/am195.htm

http://www.decorplanet.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=towel+warmers&Submit=Search

Labels: antique bathroom decor, Antique Bathroom Vanities, Antique Bathrooms, Bathroom, Bathroom Accessories, bathroom decor, Bathroom Faucets, bathroom remodel

posted by Decor Planet at 10:26 AM 0 Comments

On the Coming of Spring and Renovation

Posted on Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Although it’s hard for many people to remember due to the extremely cold and snowy weather (hi, polar vortex), spring will be here in just a few weeks. This might not mean much to states that never get snow, or should have gotten snow, but didn’t (hi, California), but to a lot of people, this simple demarcation means they made it. Snow will continue to fall in March and maybe even April, but it’s spring snow. And spring snow is good for flowers, right?

Rites of Spring

It’s the idea of rebirth, renewal, and refreshing oneself. There’s Easter, Ostara, and lots of other ways to mark the coming of spring. One of the more practical ways to mark the coming of a new season, and what might also be called tradition in many homes, is spring cleaning.

While everyone has their own ideas about what spring cleaning means, every culture has something with regard to how you can change, or even improve, where you live with a shaking off of winter’s chill. Again, this is probably more popular where it gets cold, and it isn’t necessarily all in March or April. Still, if you’ve been tracking in dirt, leaves have been sticking to your shoes, and winter clothes are piled up for easy access, it’s time to think about cleaning house.

Along the lines of cleaning house, shaking out the drapes, and getting ready for some warm weather, adding to or improving the home itself is an annual event. Rites of spring can be a many tiered event.

Maybe it’s the cold, but showers and baths are longer during the fall and winter, which means you’re spending more time in the bathroom. Whether you’re simply soaking in your bathtub or luxuriating in a steam shower, it gives you time to look around and really take in the room. Are you happy with it? Maybe it’s time to update the bathroom in part or in whole. Regardless, it’s time to change.

Chalk up this change to the Wheel of the Year making another partial revolution. Things age, fall apart; people grow, evolve, and want different – and new – things. What seemed like a perfectly reasonable traditional room when you moved in might now be better suited as a modern room. When thinking of updating or renovating your bathroom, think of form and function. Where is the eye drawn, and what do you want to be seen?

The Vanity

One of the central pieces in any bathroom used daily is the vanity. This is usually a focal point, as well. Vanities come in many different forms that are perfect for whatever size bathroom you have. Half baths and master bathrooms both need a vanity. We use them as storage, counter space, as a base for the sink, and all of these combined.

Vanities are one of the most versatile pieces you can have in your bathroom. Wall mount or floor mount options depend on your preference, as do the addition of double or single sinks. They can be matched to compliment mirrors and medicine cabinets directly above them, giving the area, no matter how small, a way to stand out. The variety of finishes and colors allow homeowners to go with a theme or make the room stand out separate from all other rooms in the home.

Bathtubs and Showers

Spring cleaning and bathroom renovation wouldn’t be complete without considering your bathing options. If you live in a house with a shower and tub combo, but have never used the bathtub (or only use it rarely), perhaps it’s time to upgrade to a walk-in shower with body spray jets. Timers, aromatherapy, and massage are only some of the options here.

On the other hand, maybe you want to increase the function of your bathtub because you enjoy soaking in it regularly. Soaking tubs are made for this activity, and also include jets as an option. This turns soaking in a tub into more of a luxuriating experience.

Depending on the size of your bathroom, you might even have the room for both a walk-in steam shower and a soaking tub – or even whirlpool. Like vanities, tubs come in a variety of styles to fit with your traditional or contemporary ideas. There are many solutions to bathing and beyond when it comes to bathroom renovation ideas.

For how long it seems the cold sticks around throughout the autumn and winter, it’s important to keep in mind, if only to ease your mind, that spring will come. As surely as the sun will rise, a new season will come and bring with it possibility. Whether it’s because we’ve opened the curtains and windows to let the sun and warming air in, we also grow expansive in the way we see our living space. As you consider what to give up, give away, clean out, and square away with the approach of spring, consider how things might change with a bathroom renovation. Let the light in and see what happens.

Labels: Bathroom Accessories, bathroom decor, bathroom remodel, Bathroom Vanities, Contemporary Bathroom Vanities, Whirlpools and Bath Tubs

posted by Decor Planet at 8:32 AM 0 Comments

DecorPlanet.com Presidents’ Day Sale

Posted on Friday, February 14, 2014

At first it was just George Washington’s birthday celebration, and for a long time the country celebrated it. However, with the advent of Lincoln’s presidency, and the fact his birthday also comes in February, it was decided to give both Washington and Lincoln a day of remembrance. This seems a lot more important than a simple birthday celebration, which it certainly has become.

Presidents’ Day in a Nutshell

Presidents’ Day, always celebrated the third Monday in February, may be a result of Washington and Lincoln, but it’s also another day for America to remember its history. President Chester Arthur turned Washington’s birthday into a federal holiday in 1885, and the government made Washington’s birthday an official holiday in 1968.

Although it might only recognize Washington at the federal level, it’s commonly known as Presidents’ Day since most people see Lincoln as a preeminent presidential figure. After the Civil War, the states that were part of the Confederacy took exception to celebrating Lincoln’s birthday at the national level, and so it’s still only officially Washington’s birthday remembrance. However, in general, We, the People, like these two guys, and so we celebrate by taking the day off. Along with that, it’s also a traditional day of businesses cutting prices and offering sales.

Presidents’ Day Sales

Why are there sales on Presidents’ Day? Rather than swelling with patriotic pride at watching a reenactment of Washington crossing the Delaware, and then rushing out to buy things to keep the economy going (and there’s nothing wrong with that), it’s a little more practical than that. While each business has its own reasons for a Presidents’ Day sale, one thing that remains constant is that it’s the first big sale of the New Year.

After the Holiday sales, where many places might increase their stock, February is the month to try and get rid of a lot of those extra items. However, it’s also another time of the year to celebrate you, the customer. No business, DécorPlanet.com included, would be able to keep plugging along without customers. So, why not let them take advantage of a day off work with a sale?

DecorPlanet.com Presidents’ Day Sale

Keeping in line with this idea, DecorPlanet.com is happy to offer our very own Presidents’ Day sale. Everything in stock, except for sales and clearance items, is 10% off. This includes things like vanities, luxury showers and bathtubs, medicine cabinets, and more.

With 10% off most items, you have a little more leeway when it comes to really creating the environment you want in your bathroom. Maybe you simply need to update your hardware or sink, or maybe you want to go whole-hog and completely change the way your bathroom looks. Whatever your plans are, DecorPlanet.com stocks the big and little items you need to give you the ultimate bathroom.

February is also between your New Year’s resolution and Spring Equinox, giving many people a measuring point between two big events. Although Presidents’ Day may not ever be as popular as Valentine’s Day for most, it’s still one of those holidays the country should at least give a nod to. In fact, even if you only equate Presidents’ Day with sales, consider DecorPlanet.com’s sale as one that bookends Valentine’s Day nicely. Some of the most romantic settings are in tubs filled with bubbles whose counters are covered in candles that are lit for that one person in your life.

In the end, by celebrating the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln, Presidents’ Day is really about celebrating all presidents. By extension doesn’t this mean celebrating those who voted for all the presidents (even the ones you don’t like)? And if we’re celebrating those who voted for them, that means celebrating us. So, while this isn’t the Fourth of July or Memorial Day, and it’s during the shortest month of the year, which is cold right now for many people across the country, take the time to pause and remember all the presidents. Do you think you’d get the same kind of sales and day off if you lived in a country with a king or queen?

Take advantage of this fact by taking 10% off on all items in stock at DecorPlanet.com, except for those already on sale, or on clearance. Let this Presidents’ Day be remembered as the one you began to change some things around the house.

Use coupon code: PRES10

Labels: antique bathroom decor, Antique Bathroom Vanities, Antique Bathrooms, antique decor, Bathroom, Bathroom Accessories, bathroom decor, Bathroom Faucets, bathroom remodel, Bathroom Vanities, Contemporary

posted by Decor Planet at 8:54 AM 0 Comments

Valentine's Day Inspiration

Posted on Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Valentine's Day is around the corner. To get into the lovey dovey spirit, we at DecorPlanet.com put together a Valentine's Day-inspired Pinterest Board.

Visit our Pinterest board for your next bathroom remodel.

http://www.pinterest.com/decorplanet/valentines-day-inspiration/

Happy Valentine's Day!

From all of us at DecorPlanet.com.

posted by Decor Planet at 12:49 PM 0 Comments

Changing Yourself and Your Home with a New Year

Posted on Wednesday, January 22, 2014

For most people, the beginning of the New Year is a way to clear out the detritus, both literal and metaphorical, that gathered the previous year. It’s traditionally the time when so many of us make one or more New Year’s resolutions, the idea being that with the change in the calendar comes a rededicated adjustment to health and wellbeing.

However, some homeowners may look to 2014 as the year they finally decided to remodel part of their home, specifically the bathroom. If the dawn of the New Year is a time for new beginnings and hitting reset in areas of our lives, then this is also the perfect time to reevaluate what is in our home – and what is missing.

Alongside the kitchen, the bathroom is the most remodeled room in the home. Homeowners often think about remodels when big events occur. For example, when you’re moving, the kids have left the home, or you’ve come into money. But the beginning of the next year is a perfectly natural time to consider actual cosmetic and functional changes in your home. Like phases of the moon, the year moves in the same way. Along with ideas of renewal and rebirth, the coming of January brings with it seeing things – again, physical and metaphorical – in a new way. Is it time to repaint the rooms? Should your upgrade your doors and vanity? Or should you tear everything out this year and finally put in a steam shower?

Plan Ahead

Doing something small, like replacing hinges and adding shelves can be done in a weekend or less, while bigger projects take planning. Having a well-organized plan not only takes away the frustration and stress of taking on too much with too few resources, it also allows you to dream big. Whether you mark your New Year as a place to begin planning or put your plan in motion, setting goals along the way may be more palatable for some. Others may decide to just get the whole thing done at once.

Replacing appliances, like the toilet and bathtub or shower takes more planning, especially if you are interested in items that are more exotic in style or features. Consider the space in your bathroom, too. While wanting a freestanding clawfoot tub is fine, and definitely something to strive for, is it practical in a smaller bathroom? There are many options that you can choose from that will fit your space, and it is worth the time to look for what you want, even if it delays replacing the same tub that has been in your bathroom since 1985.

A complete overhaul of your bathroom can take several weeks to finish. Whether you want to replace one thing at a time, or have it all done at once is certainly going to depend on your own needs. When choosing premium items, it is best to also discuss what you want with a contractor. Only a contractor, who comes into your home to discuss your New Year bathroom remodel, will be able to tell you how long, and how much, it will take.

However, isn’t the point of thinking about change and transformation at the New Year really setting a goal? Getting to that goal is, some might argue, part of the fun. So, while setting out to lose weight or finally read The Brothers Karamazov might be fun, albeit daunting, planning a bathroom remodel can be seen in the same way. What do you want in your bathroom and what can you see? You don’t even have to be practical in the early planning stages. Look at pictures of bathrooms you’d like and imagine them as yours. Start small, but keep your eyes on the grand vision you have.

Where Will You End Up?

The thing is, when you start planning and thinking of ideas, you will probably end up in a completely different place than you thought you would when began. If you started with the idea of an oversized bathtub taking up one corner of your bathroom, and ended with a decision to completely scrap a tub altogether and go with a walk-in steam shower, plus body spray jets, you’ve come further than you were before. You’ve changed. Maybe not in the sense that most people would say, but if you think again of change as a metaphor, perhaps you can see it as letting go of the past. And this is really what the New Year is all about anyway. Letting go or changing things that were holding you back last year, or for several years in a row is definitely a good thing.

Let this year be the year that you change, both as a person, and as a homeowner. Dream bigger than you have, consider how you’re going to get there with a solid plan, talk to people when you need to (like a contractor), and see your vision become a reality.

Labels: bathroom decor, bathroom remodel, kitchen decor, kitchen remodel

posted by Decor Planet at 12:01 PM 0 Comments