There was a time when Interior spaces such as bathrooms, utility areas and kitchens were spaces strictly for chores, hygiene and that “call to nature.” Get in, get the job done and get out!
It took many years and Interior design skill, talent, courage and imagination to bring about an evolution that married utility to real beauty! Not that there were not random examples over the years, but in the last twenty or so, bathrooms, for instance, have become spaces where one often lingers – for secondary reasons!
Progress and innovation have given Interior design teams a lot more to work with beyond purely baseline function. As long as the plumbing worked properly and on demand, the bases were covered in those good old days. Once upon a time, the frivolity of ambience and decor pretty much began and ended with that cute little crescent carved in the door, at the end of a short, often chilly, walk…
A lot has changed! The simple, utilitarian bathroom space of the past can now become almost anything from a simple, pleasant private place enhanced with flattering color and light, to an actual personal, spa! There are delightful tub units with massage jets, enlarged walk-in showers with pulsating, oppositional shower heads and benches, recliner style tubs with wide window views, bidets, exercise equipment – the list of opportunities is long!
Health maintenance components historically found only in gyms or medical facilities, have been brought home –conveniently and with style. (Exercise equipment really does not have to be that stuff you stub your toe on in a crowded bedroom!)
Management of chronic pain has been given a helping hand with water manipulation and delivery techniques incorporated into formerly underused or poorly planned ablutions space in the home. The ability to follow through with needed health self-care, at home, with privacy, is quite possible, and very rewarding when new and innovative design and equipment is considered.
Interior utility spaces have historical reputations for being cluttered. And clutter itself evokes a really bad image! Efficient accommodation of all the elements that create clutter in these areas is sorely neglected. Even in a utility room with a lot of shelving and trendy gimmicks, organizing these essential, though bothersome, areas usually ranks last on the to do list. (We just close the door, and hope the next time we can locate something we know is in there…somewhere…) It is unlikely that we think in terms of beauty, color, lighting or better space design as solutions: In the utility room? Are you kidding?
No. Simply consider, for a moment, the time we spend just cleaning kitchens, bathrooms, access spaces (such as foyers or mud rooms), and the utility rooms themselves! I have it on good authority, that, for instance, the chore of cleaning bathrooms can actually become an enjoyable exercise after bringing beauty and comfort elements into those formerly stark areas. When the elements you are maintaining represent pleasure, therapy or comfort, their care can be part of the satisfaction!
It’s a simple human reality that the beauty of color, water use innovations and the creative use of lighting enhances comfort, relaxation and satisfaction – and, therefore, quality of life!
Why shouldn’t life’s chore rosters be less daunting? Believe it or not, there are measurable connections between our positive personal energy, anticipation and attitudes, and the maintenance of our “hygienically challenged” areas of home or business!
Bringing your bathroom, kitchen or other service and utility areas from OK to Wow is surprisingly simple! The degree of enhancement is up to you. Creatively accomplishing your end result — and doing it within your budgeting parameters — is up to your Interior design team. Maybe it’s time to make the leap!
Robert Boccabella, B.F.A. is principal and founder of Business Design Services and a certified interior designer (CID) in private practice for over 30 years. Boccabella provides Designing to Fit the Vision in collaboration with writingservice@earthlink.net. To contact him call 707-263-7073; email him at rb@BusinessDesignServices.com or visit www.BusinessDesignServices.com or on Face Book at Business Design Services.
