Don't Poo Poo the Bidet

 

Don't Poo Poo the Bidet - Meet the Toto Washlet™

The bidet is probably the latest “discovery” to the American homeowner. Similarly, Toto’s smart seat Washlet™ is a bidet and seat in one that has gotten consumers curious, an option for consumers who may otherwise not be inclined to purchase a separate fixture.

There are several reasons to explore the benefits to adding a Washlet™ on your toilet. Comfort and convenience remain the number one reason consumers have stated as their interest in the Washlet™. The Toto Washlet™ maintains a comfortably warm seat that users find enjoyable, and the gentle clean of warm water makes the “go” a more pleasant bathroom experience. What’s more, there’s no need to use paper to dry off; the Toto Washlet™ dries your tooshie with gentle warm air. How convenient is that? 

Once consumers explore the comforts of using a Washlet™, they soon realize the hygienic superiority of a Washlet™. With an air dryer and remote control (for pulsating, oscillating, and warming features) there is no need to wipe, and the auto-flush feature makes the Toto Washlet™ a truly handsfree experience. Of course, some prefer to use a small amount of paper and expedite the drying process; however, doing the math, you will soon realize that your toilet paper costs have decreased dramatically. Less money going down the drain and less likely to encounter a backed-up commode.

The Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020 led consumers to identify with the need for a Washlet™ and began to take notice of the obvious benefits; however, the ecologic and economic advantages make a strong case for leveling-up your toilet with a Washlet™. 

When the COVID pandemic hit and supply chains were disrupted, consumers began stocking-up on bathroom tissue. With bathroom tissue hording and fear of it being out of stock indefinitely, consumers became curious with the bidet. According to a CNN report, the average American uses an estimated 57 squares of toilet paper each day, that’s over 400 rolls per year, or 50 pounds! At that rate, a two-person household will go through an entire tree of TP during that time. If you are an advocate for the environment, knowing you are contributing to the betterment of our planet by using less paper is reason enough to add one of these hygienic and enjoyable Washlets™ to your bathroom. Seen from another metric, reducing your paper consumption would be a cost savings of over $500 per year!

So, whether you are interested in the hands-free hygienic benefits, the economic advantage and cost saving you'll enjoy by using a lot less paper, the lessening of your footprint on the environment, or if all the benefits appeal to you, then you'll will be hard-pressed to find a more comfortable and enjoyable bathroom solution than the Washlet™.

Bathroom Trends for 2022

Bathroom renovations are in the spotlight, and we love the trends we see flourishing in 2022! Gone are the days of rigid utilitarian bathroom designs. The vision for 2022 sees this space as an inviting, spa-like atmosphere. An environment where tranquility stands at the forefront of the design process, with focus on creating a peaceful sense of form and function melded into one luxurious experience. The vision of these bathroom interiors offers much more than purely functional essentials, they are quickly becoming at-home retreats resembling personal spas.

Photo: TotoUSA

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began during the final months of 2019, I think it is safe to say that life hasn’t been the same for anyone. It has turned lives upside-down, impacting how businesses and the world interact with one another. Seems like everything runs a little slower with the current supply chain issues, service-related businesses being short staffed, inflationary pressures, and out of stock products continuing to remain out of stock after many months. However, not just mere inconveniences, physical and mental health conditions have surfaced, and in the face of hardship, we seek to ease our troubles in a variety of ways, one healthy way to adjust is to reflect on the positive effects of the pandemic.

The National Library of Medicine reported on an investigation that studied the effects of COVID-19 on individuals and families. The study revealed that a large proportion of the participants shared common themes in terms of positive effects from the many changes to daily life. The three most common themes were increased family time (33%), greater work flexibility (29%) and ability to enjoy a calmer life (19%). National Institute of Health

Photo: CreativeMarket.com

As we all begin to return to life as usual, homeowners seek to renovate, which leverages their benefit of a flexible work schedule as they strive for continued enjoyment in a calmer life. What better place than your bathroom to transform into an inviting space, allowing you to relax and enjoy tranquil rejuvenation in a lavish at-home personal retreat?

According to Houzz, modern, transitional, and contemporary styles remain the leading choices for renovated bathrooms. The percentage of homeowners who relax in their renovated bathroom by soaking in the tub was up six points compared to last year, outpacing the share of those who unwind with long showers, Houzz said. Bathroom Place can help bring your dreams to fruition! So, as your bathroom renovation dreams starts to take shape, check out some of the top bathroom trends 2022 has for inspiration!

1. Wet room

This could mean renovating the entire bathroom to include everything in a water-friendly environment or simply grouping the shower and tub together. Many of the designs we see include a showering area with a freestanding tub separated but within the same shared space. A wet room differs from a walk-in shower in that a walk-in shower is not enclosed and may have a raised step into the shower area. There are no “rules” to designing a proper wet room, but should be inviting and tranquil, reflecting the spa-like luxury you envision.

Wet room

Photo: Susan Schwab, Design by company kd

Walk-in shower

Photo: ©Adobe Stock / onzon

2. Classic White

White has been a number one vanity color choice for many years and as far as we can tell, will continue to be a number one choice for bathroom designers and homeowners. Clients choose white for its crisp and clean appearance, which is further accentuated by Bathroom Place’s appeal toward a contemporary and functional design. Everything blends well with white, and below is an example of the simplicity and elegance that the classic look of black and white delivers. This beautiful vanity collection, Parker collection, is available exclusively at Bathroom Place showrooms, shown below in matte white and available in stone grey, natural walnut, and black elm.

We also like the tiled wall, which introduces subtle movement and ties together the coordinating tiled shower area of this tidy space. The half-tiled wall is not only an appealing design but offers a fabulously stylistic and practical backsplash.

     Photo: maderenovation 

3. Textured, patterned and geometric tile

From flooring to walls, textured tile adds dimension and depth to your bathroom space. Textured flooring in showers is a great choice for safety, being anti-slip - as textured flooring may be slightly rough. We love the textured tile look throughout the shower and entire bathroom space.

     Photos: Bathroom Place

A beautifully appointed textured accent wall with a 3-D effect adds tons of interest. We love this disjointed small hexagonal-shaped accent wall, protecting a bare painted wall from splash in this classic shape with an interesting twist.  In years past, hexagon tiles were found in floor tiles, now we see the hexagon tile continuing to grow in popularity, placement, and size.

     Photo: Bathroom Place

Another smartly designed accent wall with textured tile: below, this composition showcases Inolav’s floating vanity from the Logan Collection, constructed of hardwood and natural elm wood, it is complemented with a textured wall behind the vanity and framed with chrome accent borders. Finishing the look with a grey velvety wallpaper on both the left and right of the tall LED mirror, the Hotel Collection. This mirror and others can be found at Bathroom Place showrooms or online.

     Photo: Bathroom Place

From hexagon to herringbone, from subway tiles to Moroccan designs, you are sure to find something that will add elegant accenting to one wall or to your entire bathroom dream space.

Cool blue hues continue to don some of the most elegant bathroom designs. Lighter cool blue shades (such as steel blue and rock grey) and robust blues (such as navy and indigo) range in ambiance from a light and airy feel to a contemporary design with a punch of intensity. 

Depending on the shade of blue, your bathroom may be designed to have a clean, casual, beachy feel or an aura of formal elegance. Below we see a light and airy bathroom designed with a steel blue, grey, and white color pallet. 

This in-home contemporary spa remodel further showcases the elegant, yet relaxed atmosphere, by allowing in a lot of natural sunlight. The open space concept features contemporary floating vanity, premium shower features, and a one-piece, universal height toilet, the Toto SOIRÉE®.

Photo: TotoUSA

4. Introduction of warm tones

Choosing navy blue and indigo hues allows you to create a clean and contemporary space that doesn’t sacrifice the dramatic, ultra-modern style you want. Below we showcase the modern and elegant Adrian Collection in navy blue with gold trim and handle pulls for a touch of warmth. The Adrian, also available with a white, grey or natural walnut finish, delivers spacious organized space with drawers.

     Photo: Bathroom Place

Sure, cool tones continue to be a popular choice for homeowners and designers, but the introduction of warm tones into the same space has been trending into 2022. Warm tones may be introduced by incorporating warm accents, such as the gold trim shown above, or with a natural wood vanity to complement robust blue hues.

     Photo: Axion_Concept

In the photo above, you see the design team at Axion Concept blended many of the fantastic 2022 trends with cool blue hues and Moroccan tiles, incorporating a walk-in shower and tub combo, introducing warm tones with the natural walnut wood from our Parker Collection, all adorned with gold accents and fixtures. 

Bravo, Axion Concept! 

The perfect modern bathroom with Moroccan charm!

This designer chose to introduce warm tones with a creative wood design in the shower. The interesting design checks the box for several of the 2022 popular trends, with wood textured and patterned shower walls, walk-in shower, and contemporary rain shower with handheld – WOW! This shower system, the Holden Collection by Inolav, is sold exclusively at Bathroom Place showrooms. This collection is available in all the popular metal finishes: gold, matte black, brushed nickel and shown here in classic polished chrome. 

     Photo: kbrdesignbuild

Lighting plays a huge role in the overall ambiance and feel of any space, and below we see a fantastic and inviting space, designed using white and warm earth tones. Here the designer used classic white furniture and a white soaking tub, adding warmth and cozy comfort with rosy brown and vanilla peach hues.

Photo: 641West Design 

5. LED Lighting & Mirrors

One of the most frequent complaints we hear from homeowners is the poor lighting currently in their bathroom. Recessed lights are a great solution used to achieve proper illumination throughout the bathroom space. The designer usually aims to spread out the light source positions to best effectively mimic natural light. You may also choose accent lighting to target and brighten décor elements, such as wall art or architectural features. Task lighting is another important lighting consideration. 

Task lighting helps to illuminate specific activities, such as detailed makeup application and hair styling where beauty lighting is most appreciated. Beauty lighting is used in the fashion and modeling industry  and helps to soften your features by casting light in all  directions, which softens shadows and allows for detailed  makeup application and hair styling.

Featured below, an infrared (IR) sensor to turn on/off LED lighting - we love the touchless feature.

When applying makeup, a couple additional features that LED mirrors may offer is the ability to change the color temperature to match the lighting conditions you will be under, and with the cabinet mirror, a 5x magnifying detailing mirror provides the precision you need to apply makeup around the eyes and lips. 

Lighting on some mirrors allow the user to apply makeup under cool, soft white, and warm color hues. Soft white will be warm but just beginning to show cool, which is ideal for applying makeup. Since natural daylight is the most flattering type of light, a bulb that matches this color is the best choice.

Cool temperature        

Soft white temperature

Warm temperature       

The convenient plug for all your hair accessories is a charming and useful feature of the LED cabinet mirror, shown here in 24 inches, also available in 42 inches and may be flush wall mounted or recessed. 

Here we see a practical and elegant way to add task lighting in your bathroom, the illuminated or LED mirror. Designer, Rose Architects, shows how to illuminate a bathroom space with proper ambient, accent, and task lighting. Displayed here, we see our Legacy LED mirrors side by side in this gorgeous master bathroom. The sleek styling of these mirrors creates an elegant showpiece full of depth and functionality.

Photo: rosearchitects