Posts Tagged ‘Home Spa’

Melt Away Stress: Great Ideas for Transforming Your Bath into a Day Spa

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

According to the American Medical Association, 80 percent of all human illnesses are the result of stress. Yet, taking even one small step to reduce stress can have a hugely beneficial effect. Studies have found that altering the physical environment in your home can help improve emotional health. Few rooms offer the kind of opportunities to create a relaxing space than the master bath environment. The Talk Spas editorial team has come up with a few great ideas for transforming your bath environment into your own personal day spa, to help you go from stressed-out to stress-free.

1. “Naturalize” The Space – Wood and stone are the most prominent materials used in modern spa construction. Whether you choose a vanity made of wood, a countertop made of granite, or even porcelain made to mimic marble, such as Whitestone (RWS) tile from Hastings Tile & Bath, bringing natural materials indoors creates a sense of calm for the space.

Stone Look Tile

Whitestone (RWS) tile from Hastings Tile & Bath

2. Mood Lighting – Don’t be afraid to use lighting in unexpected ways in a spa bathroom. “Lighted wall panels built into the drywall, fiber optic lighting placed in the ceiling or flooring that gives the look of sparkling stars, and lighting that highlights or washes the wall are all great options,” says interior designer Jamie Beckwith. “Lighting can go from clean to sexy by the click of a switch, or preferably a dimmer.” CSL® (Creative Systems Lighting) offers several options for bath mood lighting: the concealed linear lighting of Invisizite Generation 2, LED Eco-Downlight, and Disc, with a double-LED lamp and wall/flush mount. (more…)

Design & Technology Trends: Home Shower & Bath

Monday, August 15th, 2011

Home shower and bath design has certainly come a long way since the good old days of bathing with a bucket in the backyard, or for the truly privileged, soaking in a tin tub stuffed into a closet with a door – you know, for privacy. Today’s stunning bathrooms have built on decades of innovation in the fields of design and technology; perhaps nowhere is this more evident than the shower and the bath. Homeowners today have a plethora of shower and bath options that they never could have dreamed of a decade ago, or in some instance, even a few short years ago. Among the top manufacturers, design has gotten so modern and sophisticated, and technology so advanced, that shower and bath options for the home can be of a quality that’s as high as those found in world class spas. So what specifically are some of the current trends in the world of home shower and bath?

Themasol is the king of Steam Showers

Themasol is the king of Steam Showers

Steam Showers

More than ever before, steam showers are being installed in the bath environments of discerning homeowners throughout the world. Why? Because steam showers offer a plethora of health benefits including: alleviation of stress, improved blood circulation, cleansing of pores and relief of sinus congestion. Just as importantly, steam showers for the home are being designed and manufactured to a standard of quality that has never been seen before. Take a look at the steam showers manufactured by a company like Thermasol – the only company in the world manufacturing 100% digital networked steam systems. With cutting edge innovations like FastStart™, which engulfs you with steam in less than 60 seconds, and SmartSteam™, which produces the precise volume of steam required to maintain your desired room temperature while conserving energy, Thermasol has revolutionized the daily experience of showering in the home. (more…)

Quick Tip: Maintaining a Home Spa

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
ThermaSol Steam Shower

Steam Shower

A home spa can be a joy to experience, but in order to keep it “running” a maximum relaxation and efficiency there are a number of steps that need to be taken to maintain the cleanliness, functionality and safety of your home spa space.

Cleaning

When cleaning your home steam shower or steam shower it is important to use a cleaner that is recommended for the type of materials that your room is lined with. For cleaning the tile used a tile-manufacturer recommended cleaner. Make sure that it has an antibacterial component and clean the room thoroughly at least once a week. The moist environment of a steam shower is perfect for the spread of bacteria and constant cleaning is necessary to avoid this bacteria taking hold. Nothing can ruin a spa experience like an unclean spa environment. Don’t forget to use a nonabrasive cleanser as to avoid damaging your fixtures. If you’re using a steam shower generator remember to drain it often. We recommend once every sixty steam showers.

Maintenance

Steam showers and steam rooms can undergo some wear and tear over time – including crack in the walls, floors and ceiling. Moisture can seep into the cracks and allow bacteria to grow and spread. Any cracks should be sealed up as soon as possible with sealant once the steam room has dried.

A steam room should be a leak-free environment. Monitor the steam room doors and make sure that no steam is escaping because over time this moisture can ruin your bathroom and lead to costly repairs down the road.

Follow these tips in your home spa and the little bit of extra time spent on cleaning and maintenance will pay off in the long run-both for your pocket book and for your overall spa experience.

Mod Squad: Modular Home Saunas

Friday, October 15th, 2010
Modular Sauna Room

ThermaSol Modular Sauna Room

There’s a reason every woman loves a little black dress. Because no matter what the occasion, all it takes are a few accessories to completely transform a look – no assembly required. So wouldn’t it be nice if we could do the same thing with our bathrooms?

Turns out, modular is in. And bath companies are quickly rising to the challenge, providing spa fixtures for the home that can be implemented with little disruption, and can turn your bath into an entirely new environment within hours. Steam showers and saunas have cemented themselves as the standard fixture in the new modular bath – simple to install, easily customizable, and an addition that provides luxury and comfort by enhancing your existing bath.

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Spic-and-Span-and-Spa

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

They say cleanliness is next to spa-liness, right? (Oh wait…that might not be the saying after all.) Well, regardless of the actual phrase, this one’s true too. The time you spend in a spa should be as clean as possible. After all, no one wants their pores open to the world in an environment that’s less than spic-and-span. This explains why so many people are opting to install home spas over renewing their memberships to outside organizations, where luxury might run high, but so does the germ factor. So to keep your home spa running shipshape and sanitary, we have some squeaky clean tips.

Clean from within. When designing your home spa, choose elements that keep things clean from the inside – like a ThermaSol steam shower with PowerFlush technology, an inner-tank cleaning system you can activate from an in-shower control, to keep things clean while you steam. When the cleaning happens from the inside, all you have to worry about is the surface stuff!

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The Spa Front And Center

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Sometimes, doesn’t it seem like everything is changing? We watch television on our computers, check stock quotes from our pocket, and eat desserts with weird things…like bacon. Turns out, the structure of our homes is changing as well, and that which was once hidden from sight has now assumed a starring role under our roofs. Like the home spa – a feature once evicted to the basement, tucked away in a bathroom, or, even banished to the outdoors – is now taking its rightful place front and center for all to access.

Good design trends deserve most of the credit for the public emergence of the home spa. Tacky wood paneled saunas have been usurped by stunning, modern steam shower stalls, adorned with gorgeous glass fronts and laden with up-to-the-minute perks. Sleek digital control panels that manipulate everything from time and temperature to light, sound, and aromatherapy have replaced outdated thermostats and unappealing switches. (And by the way, when did you ever have aromatherapy in your sauna?) Now styled with an architectural eye, the home spa has truly gone from a thing of utility to thing of beauty – and it’s time to show it off!

home spa

Home Spa

A shift in the way we entertain is also responsible for the home spa’s – literal – newfound prominence. The steam shower is the new swimming pool – infinitely easier to maintain, but still the perfect centerpiece to share with company (and won’t monopolize square footage in your backyard). And the centralization of our lives (which now revolve around an all-purpose kitchen-family-room-media-center hub in the middle of our homes) has encouraged general domestic transparency, which isn’t good news for that old hot tub out in the shed. Bringing the home spa into the main of the house is just another step in organizing our homes around our priorities – comfort, luxury, health, and togetherness.

So don’t shy away from bringing relaxation to the forefront! Show off your home spa like the star it is, and embrace both its powers of health and happiness and its aesthetics. By the way, has anyone seen my laundry room??

State of the Spa Address

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
Rejuvinating in the Spa

Rejuvenating in the Spa

To all our Talk Spas readers; we are here today to address the spa fanatics, members of the spa industry as well as the home spa enthusiasts of the world to let you know that the spa is here to stay. In the past year we may have not seen the spa industry or the number of home spa projects grow in number, but we did see the diversity in services and product offerings expand to a new high. Out of nowhere new markets have become much larger than before for the spa industry, including Medical Spas, Pet Spas, Teen Spas and even Baby Spas. In the past year, outrageous, amazing and extremely expensive spa treatments had their day in the limelight, while more custom, personal and home based spa services have continued to increase in popularity.

Las Vegas continues to be a hotbed for amazing new spas and more and more people are now using the quality of the spa amenities to choose their next resort or cruise vacation. While destination spas are still very popular, the home spa and more specifically the inclusion of a luxury steam shower with advanced technological systems continue to increase home values in these tough times.

Make no doubt that times are still tough for the spa industry as we have seen many close their doors and go bankrupt, but be clear that the surviving day spas, spa product manufacturers and resorts will come out of this downturn stronger than ever before. People across the world are beginning to re-discover how and why it is so important to treat your mind and body to spa treatments that provide relaxation that ultimately improves your overall health and well being. We can assure you that even if the tough times are not yet behind us, the light is visible at the end of the tunnel, and the light will please your senses and rejuvenate your body and soul.

Related Posts:

Spa Trends to Look for in 2010

SpaFinder’s Top 10 Spa Trends in the Past Decade

Top 10 Home Spa Treatments

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Body WrapHere are a few treatments you can do at home while you’re enjoying a nice relaxing home spa day.

10. Brown Sugar Facial Scrub - For this home spa treatment mix 2 tablespoons of ground oats, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of aloe Vera and 1 tablespoons of lemon juice. Smooth the scrub all over your face and leave on for at least 2 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

9. Home Lip Treatment - Add 1 tablespoon of aloe Vera gel, 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 tablespoon petroleum jelly, and a few drops of vitamin E oil in a bowl and microwave on low power. Mix and let cool before applying to your lips.

8. Homemade Bath Salts – Mix 1 cup of Epsom salts and 1 cup sea salt. Then in another bowl mix 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon mineral oil.  Combine the salts with the vanilla & oil mixture and add desired amount to your bath. Store extra in an air tight glass jar or storage container for future use.

7. Pumpkin Mask - Pumpkins contain excellent antioxidants and exfoliating elements. Make a mask by following the instructions in this past blog post.

6. Natural Honey Conditioner Treatment - This treatment is perfect for those of us with dry hair that has been exposed to far to many chemicals over the years. Click for recipes.

5. Hand & Foot Moisturizing Treatment- Now this might sound overly simple, but this is a great treatment for dry hands and feet: Heat up some socks and then drench them in moisturizing lotion. Put the socks on and leave them for at least ten minutes.

4. Homemade Body Oil - For your own body oil concoction, first add 8 oz of oil with your choice of oil such as Almond Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Apricot Oil or Avocado Oil. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon of each: Fennel, Lemongrass and Juniper. Apply the oil to your body, massaging into sore areas if needed. Apply after a shower for maximum moisturizing effects, leaving your body feeling great with a fresh, beautiful scent.

3. Home Body WrapDid you know you can make your own wrap at home?  Heat up 3 cups of water (spring, purified, or distilled) and dissolve 1 cup of salts (mineral, Epsom, sea), ½ cup aloe vera and/or herbs, 3 tablespoons oil (shea, olive, sunflower).  Once everything has dissolved and has cooled down so it is warm to the touch, soak some towels or ace bandages in the mixture and wrap your body loose enough so that you don’t cut off your circulation. Then wrap yourself in a large body towel, plastic suit, or blanket for 30-60 minutes. Change up the herbs, oils, salts, and experiment with other materials, like clay, mud, and seaweed for a unique experience! Read more about home body wraps here.

2. Pumpkin Body Scrub – Mix 1/2 cup cooked or canned pumpkin, pureed, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a bowl. Use a washcloth to scrub your body in a circular motion while in the shower, then rinse with warm water.

1. Home Spa Cocktail Treatment- While we don’t condone the use of alcohol to relieve the stress from your problems, it sure does help you relax when you’re having a home spa day! Find some of our favorite spa cocktail recipes here.

1/2 cup cooked or canned pumpkin, pureed 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Adding a Steam Shower to Your Home Spa

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

One of the best things to incorporate into your home spa is a steam shower. A steam shower will allow you to steam away your stress and anxiety.  Even though the Home Spa has become increasingly luxurious and exclusive, they don’t always have to be. Even back in Roman times, people relied on steam baths as a way to relax, unwind and escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Now, nearly everyone can have their own steam shower added to their home spa as they are becoming much more affordable. One such steam shower is the SteamSuite Series by Thermasol. (Visit the SteamSuite website at www.SteamSuite.com or ThermaSol at www.ThermaSol.com).

Steam showers have always been the must have amenity of the luxury bathroom and price points have kept many homeowners from incorporating a steam element into their own shower, despite their track record of promoting wellness, relaxation, rejuvenation and removing toxins from the body.  Now you can purchase a ThermaSol SteamSuite Basic Package for as little as $894. These new and affordable steam shower systems will surely appeal to homeowners who are looking to improve their master bath or home spa.

To install a steam shower system all you have to do is put your generator somewhere, whether it be under the vanity, in a closet, or even in the basement; then run your lines to the shower where you will install the steam shower controls and steam head. Here is a basic diagram that shows the basics of the installation. (More installation information here: Installing a Steam Shower).

steam-shower-installation

A steam shower is very easy to use and only requires you push a simple button to activate the steam. Once you push the steam shower button you will have steam in seconds, and there are even additional features and products you can get for your steam shower such as a music and light chromatherapy system or aromatherapy scents designed specifically for your steam shower head.  It’s no wonder why steam showers are becoming so popular in the home bathroom.

Top Ten Reasons to Have a Home Spa

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

10.  You won’t get a foot fungus from your Home Spa

9.  You don’t get hit on when you’re wearing nothing but a towel

8.  You can sit on a bench without a towel

7.  You can relax on your own spa furniture

6.  You don’t have to pay a $30+ entry fee every time you use it

5.  You don’t have to wear a robe and pair of slippers that hundreds of strangers have worn

4.  You don’t have to see naked people everywhere

3.  You don’t have to drive home after your spa session

2.  There isn’t a “no alcohol” rule

1.  Sex in the spa is better without people watching!


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