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Even homeowners who typically jump in the shower are looking for a great free-standing tub for more relaxing moments, says Brent Hostetter of Brentwood Builders, designer of this spa-like bath.

Black Forest Design and Build created this spa-like bath that includes a tile shower and a free-standing tub.

Even homeowners who typically jump in the shower are looking for a great free-standing tub for more relaxing moments, says Brent Hostetter of Brentwood Builders, designer of this spa-like bath.

Black Forest Design and Build created this spa-like bath that includes a tile shower and a free-standing tub.

Technology and serenity meet in today’s most coveted baths, and we can thank COVID-19 for a lot of that.

Quite simply, stressful lockdowns taught us new appreciation of the bathroom as a place of relaxation and privacy, so the spa-like mood created by the newest self-filling tubs, smart toilets, chromotherapy showers and musical mirrors is more than welcome. At the same time, we became more conscious of cleanliness than ever, so features like no-touch faucets and toilet paper-saving bidet seats have also achieved hero status.

“Homeowner interest in a spa-like bath is not exactly new, of course,” says Anita Shaw, editor of Kitchen & Bath Design News, the nation’s top publication for kitchen and bath designers.“But now it’s a tsunami, and I think the pandemic was the tipping point. And, yes, technology plays a big part in current bathroom design.”

“I admit that at first I was skeptical, wondering if people would embrace it, but it does seem to be catching on, especially with younger consumers, who expect products that are connected and capable of doing more,” Shaw says. “I think that as long as the technology makes sense, it will be embraced by the homeowner.”

Area residents are apparently right on trend. Lancaster design and renovation experts like Laurie Doyle of the Hajoca showroom, Brent Hostetter of Brentwood Builders, and Beth Schultz, a designer with Black Forest Design & Build, all agree that spa-like baths are high on homeowners’ most-wanted lists.

“Our clients want very nice, relaxing baths with calming colors and advanced showers,” Hostetter says. “Free-standing tubs are also considered musts for that spa mood. Even homeowners who mostly jump into the shower like a great tub for times calling for a relaxing soak.”

Doyle notes that Hajoca customers are looking for bathroom products that raise the comfort and relaxation levels. Self-cleaning, no-touch toilets and bidet seats are extremely popular, she says, and so are high-tech shower products and gorgeous tubs.

“Super functionality plus nice features like beautiful tile work and smart lighting are what most of our clients want,” Schultz adds. “And among new technology options, they are most interested in what is offered in toilets and lighting.”

But what about all that technology? Do you need an engineer on speed dial to use that new shower head?

Tricia Zach, head of research at the National Kitchen & Bath Association, says no. The homeowner needn’t be especially tech-savvy to get in on the innovations. With just a smartphone, tablet or voice-control device (like Alexa or Siri) you can control and customize your bathroom experience. And you needn’t do everything all at once. A lot of tech-connected features can be added to an existing bath, upgrading it substantially.

Smart toilets are the most wanted bathroom fixtures, says Elizabeth Marcocci, a designer with Mother Hubbard’s Custom Cabinetry in Mechanicsburg and an NKBA spokesperson. Many of the new toilets are self-cleaning and boast features like seat warmers, touch-free automatic lids and night lights. Some even come with speakers, just in case you’re hit by an irresistible urge to listen to ABBA.

And then there’s the bidet, familiar to travelers to Europe and Japan, but notoriously slow to gain acceptance in the U.S. Again, COVID-19 has changed that. Both Doyle and Schultz applaud the new bidet seats that are simply added to the toilet.

“One out of seven of our clients opt for a bidet seat addition,” Shultz says.

She explains that the basic bidet seat is inexpensive and easy to install, but it does the job. A heated seat costs a bit more and you need to have a plug installed behind the toilet. More elaborate versions feature motion sensors to automatically raise or lower the seat, spray perfume when you’re done, and have an air-drying function.

Shaw reports that shower systems were a significant staple at the recent Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, offering everything from powder rain and mists to different patterns and strengths. Environmental concerns and water savings were important features, too, with almost every company focused on providing the ultimate shower experience using less water. Rain Stick went one step further, showcasing a system that recirculated water.

The new showers can also be programmed to provide mood-boosting chromotherapy and let you access media like the news, Netflix or music.

Mirrors and medicine cabinets get high marks from Shultz and Marcocci. They say that these bathroom staples are getting smarter all the time, for example allowing users to control the brightness of built-in LED lighting. Medicine cabinets now include lock boxes and refrigeration for medications and expensive creams.

Shaw says she personally loved all the sculptural sinks and tubs at the show. \

“And colors have gone far beyond basic white and biscuit,” she says. “Everything from pastels to deep plums were on display. And so many companies are developing proprietary solid surface materials that can be molded into all sorts of shapes, from slipper tubs to geometric.”

So what might a smart bath cost? Hostetter says you can expect to spend $50,000 to $70,000 for a bathroom that could qualify as a home spa. The fact is that the most technologically sophisticated fixtures carry hefty price tags.

For example, prices of BainUltra’s Massage Libra tub start at $7,025; Kohler’s PerfectFill system, which automatically adds and removes tub water to the desired depth and temperature, is $2,700 and up; and Duravit’s LED-lighted, touch-free mirror designed by Philippe Starck goes for $2,640 and up.

But the good news is that you can get lots of great technology for a lot less and much of it is of the DIY variety. Bidet seats, for instance, can be bought at big-box stores for about $100. They are bare bones, for sure, (unseated) but they work well, and even a premium self-cleaning model with heated seats and water is available at under $500.

Even so, Zach forecasts a bright future for spa-like baths. She sees voice-control lights and showers, intelligent toilets, water sensors, multi-function mirrors and underfloor heating as the top bathroom trends for the next three years.

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