Bathroom Design Ideas With An International Perspective
Bathroom design ideas now can take into account various cultural practices because the world has shrunk and people from different cultures and countries are in contact constantly. When the Olympic Games were held in Beijing special efforts were made to upgrade public bathrooms so that they would meet the requirements of foreigners. In similar vein private householders can get ideas from foreign cultures about how to improve bathing experiences.
In China there are many bath houses that offer experiences that may interest some western people. They are often impressive looking buildings with large facades and marble walls. The institutions are part of the Chinese culture. Though they may have originated due to the fact that people did not have adequate bathing facilities in their own homes they now have their own cultural impetus.
In imposing foyers men and women surrender their shoes and clothes in return for a rubber wrist band. Then they enter different halls areas and give up all their own clothes in return for a pajama suit. They enter large halls where there are many naked people and pools of water, some hot and some cold. After showering and cleaning teeth patrons may wallow, then indulge in a massage before dining, or even spending the night and sleeping well.
The responses of western patrons to Chinese bath houses could be the subject of farce or satire. Some would be supercilious and others embarrassed. Such attitudes could reveal ignorance of the philosophy behind the bath houses. Those patrons who enjoy the experience could perhaps accept the notion that bathing should be a nexus of relaxed and enjoyable sensations.
Some home owners may turn their thoughts to renovation when considering that their bathrooms are small dark spaces where mold thrives and fittings are encrusted with scale. Frosted windows designed to foil prying eyes may also serve to limit light and air in the interests of privacy. Designers may choose to draw on the need for space, light and relaxation when drawing up renovation plans. Even when dimensions are small new ergonomic fittings and tiles can make the best use of the limited space available.
A simple piece of furniture such as a massage bed can allow a body to stretch even when space is limited. If shower heads are fixed above a massage bed, with drainage holes beneath, an Oriental water massage can be had even in a suburban home in London. A partner can be persuaded to massage the body with body scrubbing stones or brushes as water washes debris away leaving the skin soft and deep cleaned to the pores.
The bidet has been around in France since the eighteenth century but ordinary people called it a ‘pony’ and ridiculed it as being just another aristocratic absurdity. However, in the Middle East bathrooms are fitted with hose pipes and nozzles because the practice of cleaning the anus with paper is considered outrageous. In the era of globalization bathroom designers might well take into account the hygiene concerns and cultural practices of millions of people around the world.
New bathroom design ideas can be obtained from the Internet. Websites provide hundreds of images of new fittings and furnishings that can transform a conventional room into an important space where relaxation and indulgence can be enjoyed as an aspect of cleaning. Further research can suggest ideas from around the global community for better bathing spaces.
