SOAKED and steamed up

Dim the lights, arrange the candles, and turn on the steam to transform your bathroom into a home spa, writes Anél Lewis

- Anél Lewis

The bathroom is the ideal place for self-care, says the team from Duravit. "It is one of the few places where one can be truly alone without being distracted by the constant demands of screens. In this context, we refer to the bathroom as the new living room." With wellbeing now top of mind for many homeowners, the experts say there's renewed interest in features from saunas and bathtubs to the choice of accessories that evoke a sense of calm and relaxation.

HOT THERAPY

The Finns clearly know a thing or two about the health benefits of saunas. In a country of just over 5 million people, there are reportedly more than 3.3 million spas in homes, hotels, sports centers, factories, ships, and even underground mines throughout Finland. Introduced to combat this region's icy temperatures, the sauna has become an integral part of Finnish culture because of its many health benefits. Fortunately, there's no need to travel to the Nordics to reap the benefits of this form of therapy.

With a few modifications, you can turn your bathroom or a part of your home into a therapeutic retreat.

STEAM TO RELAX

"Over the last three years, there's been a demand for our custom saunas and the conversion of existing showers into steam showers, using our Nordmann steam bath generators," says Nick Joubert of Vaja Sauna and Steam. These generators control the temperature, lighting, and aromatic fragrances used in the steam cabin while producing steam. If you have the space you could also convert a spare room into a steam room.