Indulge in Luxury
By: Lori Walker Sartain
Luxury Must-Haves
Luxury homes of yesterday included granite counters, fireplaces and whirlpool baths. Today those items are pretty much standard even for the average home. There is a whole new world of “high end” goodies on the luxury homebuyers list and the list keeps growing as homes get bigger and consumers are willing to spend the extra money for added convenience and status.
The Master Bath
The Luxury Master bath resembles a 5 star spa. It is a place of relaxation with high end amenities. Among the items sought for the serene bathroom include saunas, steam rooms, heated floors and towel warmers.
Sauna & Steam Showers
Although Sauna and Steam Showers offer the same benefits, they work differently and need a different set up and design. Saunas put out a dry heat with an average temperature ranging between 165-180 degrees F with 10-15% humidity. Pre-built saunas can be bought and incorporated into a bathroom design. Steam Showers are wet with average temperatures ranging between 110-120 degrees F with 100% relative humidity. Steam machines are used to pipe steam into a tile shower area and have comfortable seating built in for relaxation.
Heated Floors
Electric radiant floor heating can be installed under any type of flooring but is most popular under tile in the bathroom. This system heats your floor space electronically, spreading the heat gradually and evenly. Heated floors can be costly, but wonderful in the winter when temperatures can chill a tile filled room.
Towel Warmers
Bathroom towel warmers keep your towels warm and toasty. They are available in different styles including wall mounts or freestanding portable units. Hardwired units are directly wired to your house wiring, while portable units can be plugged into any 110v outlet.
Designer Kitchens
Kitchens are becoming style savvy and high tech as consumers are installing commercial faucets, designer sinks and appliances that have a mind of their own. These multifunctional kitchens are great for entertaining large crowds or simply enjoying the immediate family.
Commercial Faucets
Like other kitchen products, industrial faucets are moving from commercial to residential. The bold textured faucet has become popular with those who entertain on a large scale. This new trend works well in an open kitchen that shares space with a den or living area. Most commercial faucets are 12-24 inches taller than the average fixture, so tall kitchen ceilings are recommended so your space does not look cramped.
Designer Sinks
Sinks have become the focal point in the new design savvy kitchen workspace. Depending on taste and style, some are opting for a stainless triple sinks while others are looking for bold new colors and designs. Some kitchens may have 2 or 3 sinks installed as prep and bar areas are becoming extremely popular.
High Tech Appliances
“Smart Ovens” are making life easier in the kitchen. These high tech wonders have a microprocessor that automatically selects the right temperature and cooking mode based on the type of food.
The Beyond Microwave Oven is programmed to read more than 4,000 UPC bar codes so it automatically knows what it is cooking, how long to cook it and at what temperature it needs to be heated at.
The Beyond Breadmaker prepares cakes and bread by scanning the bar codes.
The Polara Refrigerator Range is a fridge and an oven all rolled into one. This oven keeps your food cold until the timer lets it know when to start cooking.
High End Trends
Additional luxury trends include: wine cellars, resistance swimming pools, pizza ovens and tennis courts. Luxury homeowners enjoy a lifestyle of leisure and appreciate and embrace new trends and technology. Every year new high end features are introduced and added to the list of must-haves for the luxury consumer.
Copyright ©2025
