apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The greatest luxury in a bathroom is privacy. This is why I don't get the idea of having two sinks in the bathroom. A shared candlelight bubble bath is one thing, but who wants to either have an audience or be one during anything else that goes on in the bathroom?

l'occitane candles
jurlique face mask

door closed
candles
good tunes playing
and a nice glass of wine

did i mention the door closed..and locked

im not a fan of interruptions via boyfriend/dogs coming in..

my everyday indulgences are incorporated into my beauty/hygiene routine. though I probably don't make the healthiest decisions throughout the day with the foods i eat and the amount of exercise i get, it feels good to start and end my day with my grooming rituals. i spend a little extra money and take extra time to look for unique, good smelling bath products with quality ingredients. they make your ordinary routine a little special and your body healthier. my recent favorite bathroom indulgence--a waterpik! i enjoy giving myself professional service treatments at home. it feels like i just stepped out of the dentist's office from a cleaning every day!

Candles, wine, the Godowsky variations on Chopin, and a really good-smelling bath bomb are mine. I occasionally set aside a Saturday as me-time, and this bath routine is the way I reward myself for not slacking off the rest of the time.

I'm pretty low maintenance and never have had the patience for leisurely soaks in the candlelit tub. Especially not after I had a baby. Now just washing my hair is a treat. My everyday indulgence in the bathroom is the fancy red washer / dryer I installed. And Bromelia- the double sinks are nice a nice place to connect at the end of the day. or beginning. We don't have to use them simultaniously, but it's nice- especially when time is an issue. That being said, we DO have a door to conceal the toilet area.

teeze, that's very, very sad.

Candles, fashion magazines and music while taking a nice, long bath. I also like spending extra time on grooming and skincare: face masks (Greek yogurt and honey and a squeeze of lemon); an unhurried mani/pedi (usually I just go bare or slap on a sheer color); hair treatments, etc.

It's all about the bath. The bigger the better. What moron at American Standard came up with these shallow square baths that became standard in post World War II suburbia? Go backwards, dear friends, and experience a deep, wondeful soak. Or go forward, and get into a big Kaldewei tub or a Japanese soaking tub. Life is for the living, and living is at its finest when your whole body is soaking in clean hot water.

Pure white Egyptian Cotton bath sheets: They make even a Monday morning shower a luxurious experience...

These are must haves, not indulgences:
Pureology Shampoo and Conditioner.
Bumble & Bumble Grooming Creme
Neutorogena Sesame Oil

Big, extra soft cotton towels and bath robe. Bigger indulgence (and one I miss since moving from the UK) are warmed towels for after a bath/shower.

diptyque tuberose candle

kai body butter

bumble and bumble brilliantine

super thick robe & slippers

blooming purple orchids

Diptyque tuberose candle! Me too!

Plus,
fluffy soft white towel
a headrest
the super soft moisturizing bath bomb from lush

Ahhhh

I'm with Teeze...I feel like my boyfriend and I have good conversation/connection during our (non personal) bathroom routines. I'll sit on the (closed) toilet while he shaves or he'll rub my shoulders while I brush my teeth or put on make up. Sometimes with our busy schedules, that is the only time I really see him.

That being said, my favorite indulgences are a nice fluffy bathrobe and towels. I'm willing to spend months looking for the right ones.

AustinSarah2, I couldn't agree more. Most of my family is tall (and sometimes wide!) and since about junior high I couldn't comfortably enjoy a bath - my legs stick out, or my shoulders stick out.

We've been looking at getting my mom one of those old people walk-in tubs to replace her tiny shower stall, so she can sit and enjoy a bath for the first time in decades (bad knees, hips, and dialysis shunt) but so far we can't talk her into the expense.

Actually, even something to move the water around, like jets or air jets would be nice in a bath. It helps keep the water warm and flowing and you don't have to top off with hot water as much to maintain your blissful soak.

My favorite bathroom indulgence is really good, soft toilet paper, and the new Charmin/Playtex wet tushy wipes. After being dead broke and almost being forced to use newspaper once my 99 cent TP ran out, as gawd as mah witness, I will never be without butt fluff again!

i'm pretty low-maintenance, too.
i only have a walk-in shower -- no bathtub -- and my only 'must have' indulgence is really nice bath towels.

I'm with teeze, after having kids, just finding time to take a proper bath is an indulgence. I'm now at home with my 6 week old baby and he's FINALLY starting to take long naps (as opposed to the 30 minute naps he's been taking) so I look forward to taking long showers, applying make-up and even doing a little pedi!!!
http://notyourgoddess.blogspot.com/

Curious that no one has mentioned the fact that a bath - besides taking up a lot of space - wastes water as opposed to a normal shower. We talk about conserving energy, why not water?

I'll assume, though, that we are talking about an occasional indulgence here, and not an everyday thing. A typical bath uses 30-50 gallons of water. A shower, assuming you have a low-flow shower head, consumes 10 gallons in 4 minutes. Additionally, don't people take a shower after a bath since you've been soaking in water that is a little dirty and soapy? Need to wash your hair, right?

I'm sure this will go over REAL well, but I do kitchens and bathrooms for a living. Bathtubs are great, yes, for kids and pets, and in terms of re-sale, a residence should have at least one. But if space is an issue...

Just something to consider. Have at me!

john, how can something so enjoyable and therapeutic possibly be a waste?

bromelia, can't tell if you're serious.

I am always deadly serious.

Bromelia - A fifth of the world doesn't have access to safe drinking water. That is over a 1.2 billion people. And it's not just third world countries anymore - the American southwest is in a precarious position as populations continue to grow in arid climates.

How can anyone sit in a bathtub with 50 gallons of fresh, drinkable water, and not feel a twinge at their conscience?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2000/world_water_crisis/default.stm

my ipod
LUSH bath bombs
a *deep* tub (which I do not yet own)
a dimmer switch
thick lotion
a huge robe
and my daughter watching "Sleeping Beauty" so that I can get 20 minutes of silence


*and Laure... I love all the Garnier products in Europe as well. I have an addiction to their lotions and would stock up on those little tubs they have.

door closed.
candle lit. silence is the best soundtrack for me.
a long soak in the tub.
clear neutrogena bar on an exfoliating sponge for my face (sensitive skin).
lavender oil salt scrub (love that my fave is from trader joe, $6) for my body.
foot scrub with mr. pumice (not a pet name, it's the brand).
my biggest indulgence is la compagnie de provence body lotion (olive/lavender). makes my skin very happy. love the glass bottle & bold type.
a mani/pedi.
barely pink polish on nails (after the polish dries i use almond oil on my cuticles, makes my mani/pedi look flawless).

i feel like a million bucks afterward.

being "always deadly serious" may be a reason one needs to take a bath, but "enjoyable and therapeutic" are, like most things, completely subjective.

i drive a hummer, i smoke, i don't recycle, i leave all the lights and appliances and TV on all day since i find it very relaxing. does that make it okay?

Diptyque Choisya room spray

silence. ( i work in a community radio, so noise is my everyday bread)
beeswax candle lit.
nice smelling organic body wash by weleda or other organic companies.

Privacy goes without saying. That aside, what I love most is that everything be very, very clean, all the time. Clean, fluffy towels, clean robe (mine is very heavy Turkish terrycloth), nice toiletries with natural, soft scents. A window for ventilation. Peace and quiet.

modfan and john, I live in a place where water is not a problem. Plenty of water is flowing in the ocean a few yards from our house and I don't really see what difference it makes if a few gallons make a detour through our bathroom. Are you telling me that if I put less water in my bathtub, somebody in Somalia will automatically have so much more clean water to drink? How will it get there?

john@handmade..I was getting a picture of you as being a cool 'badboy'..but I think you are joking??..I do feel very guilty of ANY water just going down the drain, wasted..I always think of the countries without enough for a damn glass of water...It is horrific..and shouldn't be happening..but I'm a shower person due to laziness..(cleaning the tub)..but people choose how to use 'their water'...in their homes and hopefully are earthy friendly in other ways.

I've never been a bath person (I get bored), but I do indulge in hot showers, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream and obscene amounts of Lubriderm for my legs.

keeks, the most earth unfriendy thing are all the hormonal contraceptives that end up the the rivers, lakes and oceans.

bromelia, really?

so why recycle anything, especially if you live in affluence? how will my coke can benefit anyone else? why make an effort to occassionally take public transportation, even if my car guzzles gas and pollutes? after all, it's nice and cozy.

what if everyone thought that way?

i'm not the green police - by any means. we're all hypocrites; no one is perfect nor should they be. little things do make a difference, though.

John- The water that goes down the drain-- sink, toilet or tub -- gets recycled and reused. And people in other countries aren't wanting for water because we're hogging it all: they're in arid climates prone to drought and have horribly corrupt governments who won't allow for the sharing of resources.

Some people in THIS country don't have homes or food: should we all go live in the street and refrain from eating? Some people are too poor to afford internet: should we stop reading AT?

A flowing satin robe in a lovely pinky peach that makes me look gorgeous and makes me feel swanky as I swish through the apartment. Also, I am a complete hussy for smelly shower gels. It's ridiculous.

Actually people in other countries ARE wanting for water because we over-use our share of resources. If we were in their situation we would really feel it, but because we are not...we lack the empathy. One middle class US family uses roughly the same energy/resources as 100 people in other countries such as India!
Part of the reason i like AT is because it is online (as opposed to print magazine) and it does regularly feature how to be eco-minded when you live in a space that you dont own. We do need to be mindful.

Sydney, and how exactly does the unused water travel from the USA to India?

"How can anyone sit in a bathtub with 50 gallons of fresh, drinkable water, and not feel a twinge at their conscience?"

I can.

Although I rarely bathe while at home (and my showers are closer to 10 minutes long - so I guess that's @ 30 gallons a day) I have no problem doing so when I'm in vacation aboard ship using water that has been desalinated for my bathing and drinking pleasure.

I guarantee you that my cutting down on water usage here in downtown San Francisco or aboard a ship in the Caribbean isn't going to help a single person in India, Mexico or even Southern California.

Below is a link stating that CA declared a state-wide drought in June, 2008. The Colorado River has experienced drought conditions 8 of the last 9 years. I know, it's a drag. I think it does impact SF, though - so much for that guarantee.

http://www.mwdh2o.com/mwdh2o/pages/yourwater/WaterAlert/

John, I agree that if you live in an area where artesian wells are used, you should try to save water, or move away completely - who wants to live in a desert, anyway? This, however, would be less dramatic where there is plenty of water underground as well as above, so I'm going to run my second bath of the day now...

i would love a big bath. with feet. or an open shower like this one open shower

the best bath i ever had was a milk bath at Burke William spa. I've never been so relaxed... i still dream about it.

Milk bath? Must be wonderful, but just wait till the hungry-children-in-Africa brigade gets us.

Funny, right? Hungry children in Africa.

I love taking baths with lavendar bath salts. Very relaxing. :)

[Insert Crtman saying: "I do what I want!" here]

Bromelia - seriously? You think the water in your bathtub comes from the ocean? Bepsf - you think your water usage in SanFran isn't related to southern California? It's this kind of shameless arrogance that leads to these problems in the first place.

And, for the record - anywhere you live in the US water IS a problem. Three US states us a quarter of the country's water, and up to 35 states are expected to experience drought conditions in the next few years. And yet people some how think they are exempt from this problem?

Ignorance isn't not knowing something - it is knowing something and disregarding it.

It appears there are plenty of ignorant people on this discussion.

Modfan, I don't live in the US of A and never wrote that the water in my bath comes from the ocean. It comes from one of the many lakes just up the hill. Copious streams flow from these lakes past our house, the ocean where they all end up is a stone's throw away. This area has never known a drought and even in August, I don't need to water our fruit trees. In this situation, how exactly am I contributing to the droughts in California and/or robbing African children of precious drinking water by having a bath? Please enlighten poor ignorant me while I go and powerwash the driveway.

@bromelia: "keeks, the most earth unfriendy thing are all the hormonal contraceptives that end up the the rivers, lakes and oceans."

Are you effing KIDDING ME?? Nuclear waste, toxic chemicals, oil spills, and you think the birth control pill is the problem? Come on. That Pope of yours doesn't know diddly about the environment.

Sydney - While I'm sure it's true that I use way more water and other resources than people in the third world, it's ridiculous to think that we're physically sharing the same water. I don't even use the same water as people in Maine, and they're a lot closer than India.

And really, even if it was harmful, it would just be one of the million things that we do everyday that harms someone else. Even trying NOT to hurt people hurts someone. Do what makes you happy: life is too short to sit around feeling guilty for having things.

E.O.M

Jezebella, I am definitely not Catholic. While aquatic populations have been known to recover after oil spills, etc., they will never recover from the hormonal and genetic changes caused by the urine loaded with contraceptives that is flowing in the oceans. It's just that the pharmaceutical lobby is too strong to publish this widely.

I suspect that, if all hormonal contraceptives disappeared today (poof!), the subsequent over-population would be far more detrimental to the environment than this. Besides, nobody knows if they will "never" recover, you're exaggerating.

I think it's misogynist, anti-birth control propaganda, this BS about contraceptives killing the planet.

john@handmade..you are a nice person..and I thank you for your input and input to the greater community...: )

Here are some more luxuries, none more than $150, based on list of six components every great master bath should have:

1. Brilliant Lighting
2. Smarter Storage
3. Fab New Accessories
4. Heavenly Hardware
5. Yummy Textiles
6. Divine Decorations

Enjoy the pics and links:

http://jgkitchens.blogspot.com/2009/04/style-list-1-150-max-bathroom-edition.html