What's New
In the Wet Room?

Some of the latest products
for bathrooms include:

PH OTO COU RT ESY HA ST I NG S TI LE COLLE CTI O N

.

Kohler's
undercounter
sink, in cobalt
blue, the newest
accent color, has
60 scallops in
the basin; a
specially lit
mirror from
Hastings Tile is
shown with
striped tile.

bath is a good investment; it will
increase the resale value of a home
quickly. "Possibly within a year," Lynn
says. But if you already have two
baths, then adding a third will
probably not be cost effective. Rather,
renovating one or both existing baths
(particularly in the master suite) is a
better option.
Investment is similarly influenced by
the type of products used. For
instance, if a homeowner specifies
granite counters, which cost about
three times the amount of a plastic
laminate, the rate of return quickly
diminishes. On the other hand, if the
home owner plans on staying in that
home for at least five or more years,
the investment will still be recouped.
"Especially in older homes, when

it comes to selling
focal point of an it helps to have a
remodeled bath-
extra large
bathroom is a
room," says Ms.
floating tub. The Mager.
room uses black,
"Be
realistic
white and
about the cost of
pastel-colored
the job. According
ceramic tile.
to Professional
Builder and Remodeler's 1991
remodeling consumer survey, home
owners and remodelers differed on
what a bath remodel should cost.
Nationwide homeowners expect to
pay $3,800 for a bath remodel while
contractors say that same job will cost
$7,700, about twice the price. (In the
Midwest consumers expect to pay an
average of $2,600.) Again, it's
important to note that the cost of the

Above: The

A wall-mounted
console table
features dark
green marble
with black and
white veining.
Table, by Kohler,
is available in
variety of leg
stylings. Jacuzzi's
J-Dream offers
the highest tech
whirlpool shower,
with such
functions as
hydrotherapy jets
and cascading
waterfall.

FALL '91 13