Long gone are the days of a three-piece avocado bathroom suite. Property owners are investing ever increasing amounts of time and money into creating the perfect bathroom space within their homes.
Inspired by hotel stays, glossy magazine spreads and hours of television programming dedicated to the interior design of A-list celebrity homes, the spathroom is here to stay.
The bathroom as a space has shifted from purely functional to a haven for relaxation in recent years, an escape from the mayhem of the day and the place to be pampered. Today the label on your hand wash and the thread count of your towels are as important as the car in your driveway and the wine in your cellar.
Long suffering fathers, husbands, boyfriends and brothers will all testify to the length of time the females in their lives spend in the bathroom but research from Bathstore has proven that women really do spend longer locked in the bathroom than their counterparts – the equivalent of 1 year, 7 months and 15 days over their lifetime, an entire month longer than men.
Indeed whilst women may view the bathroom as a sanctuary, a recent survey revealed that it’s men who stay longer on the toilet than women. The average man will spend 1 hour and 45 minutes every week going to the toilet whilst women, with efficiency ever foremost in their minds, spend a mere 1 hour 25 minutes per week.
With attitudes to, and usage of, the bathroom differing substantially between men and women, U.K.-based property developer Millgate has created one luxury home that solves this age-old issue.
Ashworth House on Holland Place in Sunninghill, an hour south west of London, is a home with a difference. As you leave the palatial master bedroom suite and step down to the cavernous dressing area you are faced with a choice: turn left and enter the Man Throne a discrete, self-contained area with WC and hand basin, the perfect retreat for the man of the house when he needs some ‘time-out’ perhaps? Or turn right and you step into your spathroom heaven.
The most desired elements of a bathroom, according to a study on MSN.com, can all be found at Ashworth House:
- A large airy shower – Ashworth House has this and more – the 1,800 mm wide shower set behind a wall of glass features a tiled wet room floor with vado taps and shower fittings.
- A soaking hot-tub – A very large Villeroy and Bosch quaryl bath sits in front of the large south facing windows. This is a bath that will leave nothing to be desired; quaryl combines the best properties of natural quartz with the versatility of high-quality acrylic resin, it is durable, timeless, warm and pure.
- Natural lighting – pouring in through the windows this bathroom is filled with light, something we crave early in the morning to shake us awake.
- Underfloor heating – the joy of a new house is often the underfloor heating. Fitted as standard in all Millgate bathrooms, long gone are the days of cold toes in the morning.
- Beautiful tiles – 20mm polished marble and stone adorn this lovely bathroom with porcelain floor to ceiling tiles.
Jonathan Cranley, Sales and Marketing Director for Millgate, said: "Just as important as the kitchen, bathrooms are key to selling homes. They are not just functional spaces but rooms to enjoy just as much as the others which is why we never hold back on expense in this area of the home.
“It is by listening to our clients, their needs and how they live in the homes we create that we learnt about the desire for a separate WC off the master suite. If fact, it’s been so popular with visitors that we may well incorporate this feature in further Millgate homes."
So is your appetite for this spathroom complete with Man Throne wetted?
This six-bedroom residence is located in the heart of the Home Counties just two miles from Ascot racecourse. Ashworth House sits within substantial landscaped grounds and reflects meticulous attention to detail in design, specification and architectural integrity – again setting the benchmark for building excellence.
The property offers exceptional accommodation, arranged over three storeys, boasting a magnificent central galleried staircase with spectacular chandelier, three large reception rooms ideal for entertaining, while the kitchen/family room with an orangery opening out into the garden is the informal heart of the home. Upstairs there are en-suite bathrooms to all six of the bedrooms plus a bonus bedroom/games room. Staff can also easily be accommodated within the annexe which is found over the triple garage.
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Andrew Batt, International Group Editor of PropertyGuru Group, wrote this story. To contact him about this or other stories email andrew@propertyguru.com.sg
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