In the Museum of Design Atlanta show, “WaterDream: The Art of Bathroom Design,” on view through Sept. 24, an array of design mavericks from French brothers Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec to Philippe Starck are inspired by that very utilitarian place in which we ready ourselves to face the day -- and dream. Bathrooms are thus two-fold, both practical and dreamy places filled with light and water and glossy white surfaces.
And MODA’s $10,000 bathtubs by French designer Jean-Marie Massaud and bathroom sanctuaries are not too far from the reality of what more and more Atlanta homeowners want from their bathrooms: a unique, custom oasis to rival the luxury quotient at any high-end hotel, sculpture-like bathtubs and wall tile as thoughtfully installed as art work in a gallery.
If the backyard pool, waterfall and outdoor kitchen is the al fresco version of a staycation, then the newfangled bathroom is the inside version. The modern bath remodel is often inspired by a spa or luxury hotel visit and provides a comparable escape from the everyday.
Karen Ferguson, director of the interior design studio at Harrison Design Associates in Buckhead, often has clients ask her to check out bathrooms at the St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton and Intercontinental hotels in Atlanta for design inspiration. “Especially given the recession, people don’t get to travel quite as much as they used to but they do want to live the same lifestyle, so having it in your home every day you’re not really missing out,” Ferguson said.
Bathroom remodels in Atlanta recoup 65 percent (upscale remodels, 60 percent) of the cost upon resale, according to “Remodeling Magazine”’s 2010-2011 Cost Vs. Value breakdown. Bathroom upgrades can range from a simple powder room redo for $3,000-$30,000 to a master bathroom overhaul priced anywhere from $15,000 to more than $100,000.
Atlanta real estate agents are convinced that a well-appointed bath can often make or break a home sale. Carson Matthews, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty real estate agent, sold a home for $380,000 in the Emory area this June. The upgraded bathroom in the 1940 home was, he said, “the clincher.” The buyers, said Matthews, “walked in the bathroom, they turned around and looked at me, and said, ‘This is our house. We’re buying this house.’”
Added Matthews, “It felt like a spa. It had a huge shower with multiple shower heads. It’s a place they can get away and relax."
Becky Morris, Harry Norman Realtors real estate agent, had a comparable situation with a Brookhaven home that recently went under contract for just under $500,000. Morris attributes that quick sale in large part to the bathroom remodel homeowners Martha and Dave McNeil undertook last August, including a bubble jet tub with room for two, 83-inch frameless travertine shower, marble countertops and dual sinks.
“That bathroom really sold the house,” Morris said. The McNeil's home spent a remarkable 21 days on the market, as opposed to the house across the street which has been on the market for the past two years and does not have updated baths.
“Buyers now are busy professionals and they are looking for move-in ready," Morris said. "Sometimes it’s not even about recouping the cost of the renovation; it’s whether the house is going to sell at all or whether it’s going to sit on the market.
“Most lenders require at least 20 percent down, and the buyers have no money left over to make changes."
Dave McNeil, an Army veteran and solar energy business owner, and Martha McNeil, branch manager for a financial services firm, who are relocating to Charleston, remodeled their bath with resale in mind. “We felt that the materials we used needed to be well thought out and that the marble should be luxurious, kind of like being on a spa vacation in your own home,” Martha McNeil said.
She felt working with certified bathroom designer April Jarvis of Smyrna’s Keystone Interior Design was crucial in avoiding some of the pitfalls she’d seen in the recently remodeled bathroom in the home she has purchased in Charleston: a cheap fiberglass floor in the shower, crooked tiles, a bathroom with no door leading directly into the master bedroom and a haphazard layout.
Morris and home remodelers tick off a list of other unappealing bath features: brass faucets, framing around the shower door, brass doorknobs, outdated can lighting, large plate glass mirrors, pedestal sinks and Formica vanity tops.
Getting a bathroom updated doesn’t always have to entail a huge outlay of cash. Heather Shuster, project development director with Decatur’s Renewal Design-Build, advised some shortcuts.
“The best quick fix is to change out the countertop, sink and faucet," she said. "This can be an especially reasonable option as bathroom vanities are often small enough to allow you to find a great deal on countertops by using a remnant. Most stone suppliers have a good selection of remnants from larger projects. A small piece of really beautiful marble or granite at a fraction of the retail cost is a great way to bring life to an old bathroom.”
Ferguson suggested swapping out faucet fixtures and lighting fixtures, and adding the wonders of new paint and hardware to transform a vanity.
Along with a desire for luxurious bathrooms, Ferguson and other designers have witnessed a growing trend for highly custom bathrooms that reflect the personalities of the homeowner.
“I think they are more private and personal spaces,” said Rick Goldstein, co-owner of Atlanta’s Mosaic Group, who last December renovated five bathrooms for Johnny Foster, a Sandy Springs aviation sales executive, and Laura Foster, a stay-at-home mother, and their three children.
Laura Foster concurred, "I think resale is always a consideration when undertaking any renovation. However, we were primarily focused on how our children would utilize these spaces over the next decade so resale wasn't a top priority."
Said Goldstein, “In the past people always wanted to do something to think about resale ... but now we’re hearing more, ‘We want the bathrooms to be an expression of our personalities.'"
Popular upgrades
What are the latest and greatest features Atlanta homeowners are adopting in their bathrooms?
Stand-alone bathtubs
Like pieces of glistening white sculpture, these are becoming the focal point of many master bathrooms. A Japanese soaking tub, which is taller than American tubs and takes up less square footage, is a popular choice for smaller bathrooms.
Texture
Homeowners are looking for some contrast in bathroom surfaces. A mix of styles -- hexagon, diamond and arabesque shapes are popular -- and textures in glass and stone transform bathroom walls and showers into pieces of art. To add luxury to the bath as people aim to replicate a spa experience, travertine, Silestone, granite or marble surfaces are increasingly popular to give a high-end look.
Luxury features
Refrigerated drawers for make-up and heated drawers for warm towels, heated floors, programmable shower temperatures, TVs in the bathroom, and his and her water closets and morning bars for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine in the master suite are some of the high-end touches homeowners are choosing for their contemporary bath remodels.
Steam
Steam showers are back with a vengeance and often feature rain, hand-held or dual shower heads, body sprays, aromatherapy, chromatherapy, iPod docks, benches and niches for soap and shampoos.
Unique lighting
Gone are the recessed cans above vanities, replaced by hanging pendants, sconces and chandeliers which add personality and better lighting sources to bathrooms.
Furniture in the bath
Homeowners are including sitting areas with space for chaises, chairs and sofas as well as stained cabinetry and vanities that look like furniture to echo design features in the rest of the home.
