Kate Sterling: Creating a Spa Inspired Bathroom

How do you answer when someone asks, “How are you?” If you’re like most of us, it’s something like, “Busy, busy, busy!”  Or, on a bad day, “So busy I’m barely keeping my head above water.” In the throes of our non-stop schedules, who doesn’t want a little rest, relaxation, and tranquility? Particularly with the holiday season upon us, a little peace and quiet is at a premium. If you don’t have time to visit your favorite spa, creating a home spa allows you to unwind in a little slice of heaven that is personalized to meet your relaxation needs. Keeping in mind all five senses, you can design a environment that will help clear your mind, energize you for what’s to come, and give you quick access to the escape you yearn for.

Lotions, candles, and scrubs are easy to choose, and you can switch out scents in order to evoke whatever memory or feeling you want to want to experience at the moment. Permanent fixtures like tile patterns and colors are harder decide upon, and because there is no going back after you install them, selecting the perfect product can cause the exact type of stress you are trying to let go of with your spa experience. Here are some tips on this front to make it easier for you to create your happy place:

Need an energy boost? An emerging trend in spas has been the use of bold geometric tile patterns, which invigorate the senses as well as any aromatherapy treatment.

Photos courtesy of AKDO

For those of you seeking relaxation, incorporate tranquil colors to invoke the feeling of nature: water, sky or greenery. Glass offers a perfect way to bring these colors into a home spa, and the glossy surface of the tile is reminiscent of flowing water.

If you crave a clear, calm mind, there has been a rising popularity of taupe and grey colors in many spas. These sophisticated colors create harmony in the spaces where they are used, and promote a feeling of peacefulness. Neutral “greige” color palettes are becoming as popular in interior design as the use of classic white.

Once you have decided upon the tile pattern that embodies the energy you want to create, you can accessorize with your favorite lavender infused candle or eucalyptus body scrub that will help you survive the whirlwind of parties, dinners, and gift wrapping the holiday season entails.

Kate Sterling is a tile expert and head of the AKDO marketing and design department. AKDO is located right here in New England—in Bridgeport, Connecticut.