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It’s not often that a bath mat ellicits suprise and delight, yet I think I felt both when seeing this one…it’s anti-slip (of course), looks cool and allegedly provides your feet with a nice little massage action.

Available in white or blue.

I especially like the tray. It’s a good way of making all your bath accessories look organized.

“Cross at the corner. The warm grain of natural acacia wood for the bath, handcrafted with jigsaw puzzle details. Like interlocking corner joinery secured with wood pegs and floating slat tray bottoms. Fine 8″ sawtooth dovetail joinery randomly occurs on side panels to unite light and dark walnut tones. This level of craftsmanship could easily be triple the price. Big plus: eco-friendly acacia hardwood is H20-resistant.”

• Corner peg construction detail
• Acacia wood with walnut finish
• Wipe with damp cloth.

This makes me want to redo my shower.

Twin concealed thermostatic shower valve (1/2in NPT inlets) with Square Sheer fixed head.

(This item’s link and price was updated 11/19/09.)

This Corian wall mounting wash basin is quite stunning and would really make a bath space shine for a relatively low price for such an amazing piece.

If it’s not in your budget for a major remodel, such as solar panels and green roofs, there are smaller things you can do in your home to reduce climate change.

1. Get the compact florescent bulbs. If every American replaced one bulb in the home with a CFL, we would save for than $600 million in annual energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars. [source] You can get a CFL at any hardware store, and if for some reason you live in an area where they’re not available, you can get them online.

2. Stop buying bottled water. Do you know where bottled water companies get their water? In most cases it’s just tap water that goes through filtering process to remove all the chemicals and impurities. While it does make it taste better, you can achieve the same, great tasting result with an undersink Reverse Osmosis filter. You can get a really great one for around $200. I have been purchasing filters and supplies from this company for over a decade and they are probably the nicest and most informed people in the business.

3. Buy a water saving showerhead.  For less than $20 you can replace your showerhead with a more efficient one which will save over 10,000 of water annually. [link to retailer]

4. Switch to more eco-friendly cleaning products. Using typical household cleaners come with a host of problems, such as contamination of water supply, how to dispose of the bottles when you’re done, etc. You can use products that are less harmful, such as 7th generation, or you can make your own products with household staples like vinegar and baking soda.

5. Stop the junk mail.  Over 8 million trees are consumed annually in the production catalogs. You can sign up for Catalog Choice, which is a free online service which allows you to log on and request that you stop receiving specific  catalogs. For example, if you always get the Sharper Image catalog but look forward to your DWR catalog, all you have to do is log on and provide your identifying code on the label and they’ll contact the Sharper Image for you, with no interruption to your other catalog deliveries. 

It doesn’t actually cost that much money to revamp your bath. For less than the cost of a good bedspread, you can increase the value of your property by several thousand dollars by doing a remodel, assuming you do it properly.

You will also have to find a vanity for your sink to rest on. There are several options available to you. If you opt for marble or some other stone countertop, the cost usually includes delivery, installation and drilling any holes that are required for plumbing. Or you can do what I did when I was looking for a marble table top which is ask if the stone suppliers have any scrap in stock. I was able to find a large piece that was from the cutout of a fireplace and saved about 70% that way.

*Please double check to make sure all the pieces work together and that you have the correct clearances on your vanity.

I just found a great resource for modern plumbing fixtures that are not too expensive. Usually when you buy plumbing (unless you buy it all in a vanity), you have to purchase the drains and everything in an a la carte fashion. So I went though and picked what I would want to buy if I were remodeling my bath. Which I just might.

Far left is the Luka Vessel Sink priced at $247. Middle top is the drain, priced at $34.95. Middle bottom is the p-trap, also priced at $34.95. The p-trap is the plumbing that carries the water from the drain to the plumbing behind the wall. Usually they are pretty unattractive, but I was pleasantly surprised to find one so nice for so inexpensive. Finally, far right is the Roma faucet priced at $119.

So far, your new bath vanity is costing you around $435. Now all you need is a piece of furniture to go below it. This all depends on the amount of space you’re working with. You could have your carpenter just build a nice floating vanity. Obviously, you’d want it to be structurally sound enough to hold the weight of the sink and all the pressure that comes with using a sink. Not to mention you’d have to treat the furniture piece it to deal with the moisture in the area.

Not a bad starting point for a vanity make-over.

I have fantasies about buying a large space and dividing it up to suit my needs. I think I just found my first piece that I could design the whole apartment around. I would definitely use privacy glass for the walls so the tub would be on display when not in use.

Looking for a way to spruce up your bath? Here’s a nice little duo that’s sure to please the eye and bank account.

La Toscana wall mounted faucet, $282.39
Duravit Vero Washbasin, $348.75

(Link and price updated January 19, 2011. Thanks Josh!)

This would make a nice addition to any modern bath. Drain and faucet not included.

Technical Description:
Perspex acrylic resin. 5.87 us gal (22.2L) capacity.

Size: 16.34″ width x 9.45″ height x 16.34″ depth.
Free Shipping in US.

I really love one unit designs, especially for the bath. This lovely piece is solid surface Corian and it includes a chromed open waste plug, soap holder, toothbrush holder and stainless steel towel ring. (Tap set and drain not included).

I feel like I slightly have to justify the price on this, because it is high. But if you were doing a regular bathroom, you would spend at least $5,000 on cabinets. So I figure us minimalist types can afford to splurge on a really big ticket item like this because we could pass on the wall of cabinets and maybe get one nice storage piece for

Roll-in showers are great for the wheel-chair bound, assuming there is a full 60 inches diameter of turning space inside. This roll-in shower would work for anyone with discerning eye and a desire to break-up the vast expanse of tilework.

Justification: Agreed, this is not entirely affordable, but this isn’t a labor intensive install, and labor costs can really add up if you’re not careful. Scrimp a little by buying a generic shower head and tap.

Screen is matte finish acrylic with Exmar composite made from resin and quartz powder.

Available in white or sand finish.
Select left or right hand entry.

Imported from Italy.

Tap and shower head not included.

I’m speechless. Built in integrated tub, sink, toilet (not shown in detail) and shower (not shown in this version).

Pricing depends on configuration.

I’ve been drafting “the house I want to build” probably ever since I was a child. It changes slightly with each new drawing, but in the last 10 years, it has always featured a knoll-like credenza for the bath. It’s nice to know reality is finally catching up with my fantasy. Available in walnut, teak, maple, birch, fir, and cherry.

Materials: Top structured for sink cut-out. Solid veneer construction throughout. Adjustable shelves for all cabinets. Brushed chrome pulls and legs. Full extension drawer glides. Conversion varnish, satin clear.

Measurements H 30″ x W 71″ x D 20 – 23″

Durat makes solid surface sinks, tubs and shower trays from 50% recycled content which is 100% recyclable.

Comes in 64 colors.