Saturday, September 9, 2017

What Message Do You Send?


Bathroom design has climbed numerous notches in the past decade.  Today, successful design focuses on creating a personal oasis that provides an escape from the outside world. It is a space that your clients call their own, devoid of texts and tweets, and a place where they can literally wash away the stresses of the day.
 
The baths you create for your clients provide them with a refuge and a place to relax.  Many clients are inspired by their travels.  Does your sales team ask prospects where they like to relax, what is their favorite spot to vacation and what hotels have they stayed at that made an impression?  If your clients stay at hotels, resorts and spas that spark their imaginations, you can use their curiosity to explain that you can help them create a similar place of wellness and relaxation in their home. Many of the baths that you design feature jetted, soaking, air or combination tubs, sculptural freestanding baths that serve functional and aesthetic roles, steam showers, multispray showers with music, aroma and color therapies, etc.  The list goes on and on.
 
You know that space is always a challenge when designing a new bathroom.  Powder rooms are particularly challenging.  However, it is the bath that is renovated most often because it is the bathroom that friends and family use the most.  Regardless of the space your clients have for a bath renovation, your message should explain that good design can make even the smallest of powder rooms look and feel relaxing and inviting.  Good design creates a feeling that offers the most amount of enjoyment and fun in the smallest amount of space.  Good design is not available from transactional online purchases.  Good design is a distinctive competency that provides your showroom with competitive advantages.
 
Designing a master bath gives you the opportunity to improve the quality of your clients' lives while simultaneously permitting them to make a unique design statement. There are health and wellness benefits to promote alongside practical considerations.  New baths should be easy to use, provide practical value and make your clients feel like a million bucks every time they cross the threshold.
 
The trend toward outfitting bathrooms with beautiful furniture reflects the changing dynamic of master baths.  The master bathroom has become a room that is a refuge from the frenetic pace of daily life. The bath is a haven where your clients can make unique design statements and enjoy spa-like experiences while remaining in their homes.  The bath is a place where individual family members can steal a few minutes all to themselves to relax and rejuvenate. 
 
Bathrooms are now viewed and used as another living space, offering another place for your clients to relax.  Bathrooms can include sofas, comfy chairs, benches and other pieces that extend the living area into the bath.  Wood tones add warmth and serve to contrast white ceramic and acrylic surfaces of tubs, basins and water closets. With this transformation, the standard white vanity has given way to elegant and expertly crafted furniture pieces that create the look and feel of stress-free luxury.
 
Clients that don't want to fill their bath with built-in cabinets and countertops can opt for freestanding étagères, cabinets, armoires, wall-hung vanities, seating areas and storage pieces. And DPHA has a number of members that manufacture these stunning pieces that help set your showroom apart.
 
Function is another critical factor. A beautiful bathroom is an organized bathroom.  Your clients' days are hectic.  They don't have time to search for their favorite tube of lipstick or wait for their curling iron to heat up.  That's why bath furniture manufacturers offer multiple storage solutions and convenience features that include interior adjustable shelving, pull-out trays, interior lighting, hairdryer/curling iron holders, interior electric receptacles, USB port charging stations and drawer dividers.
 
In larger baths, there are opportunities to create separate spaces with different vanity types, styles, and heights for individual grooming stations.  In these circumstances, you can distinguish two spaces by installing mirrors, sconces and other types of lighting.  A common practice to help separate space in the bath is to use wall mirrors, armoires, étagères, ceiling-hung mirrors or a wall of mirrors. 
 
Are you using your design expertise to explain that what you do improves the lives of your clients or are you merely focusing on the number of finishes?
 

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