Fancy A $50,000 Bathroom?

[neubie 2]

ST Life! 28 Aug 2010

Retiree Richard Tay was bowled over when he used the toilet in his son's newly renovated flat for the first time last month.

What amazed him was the "resort-like design" of the bathroom of the five-room Housing Board flat in Bukit Panjang.

Mr Tay, 66, tells Life! in Mandarin: "He built a glass panel to separate the bathing area from the toilet bowl, had a big ceiling shower head and new wooden shelves fitted." His son, Lawrence, 32, a system engineer, parted with close to $20,000 doing up his two toilets.

Similarly, guests at the two-storey terrace house of architect Philip Yong never fail to be impressed by the $50,000-plus marble-tile wall whenever they use the bathroom in the master bedroom.

"So far, everyone who has used that particular bathroom has said the wall is very 'she chi', as they feel it is like sticking more than 1,000 pieces of $50 bills on the wall," says Mr Yong, 37, using a Chinese term for lavish. The wall, which has a motif that resembles a tiger's stripes, may be expensive in the opinion of many, but to him, it is money well spent.

"The bathroom is the first place I visit every morning when I wake up, so if what I see makes me happy, then the money is worth spending, right?" he says.

Bathrooms that make a splash are a growing trend. Where once the toilet area had the lowest priority on the renovation list, the humble place where you do your business is now giving kitchens and walk-in wardrobes a run for their money.

Interior designers, architects and retailers of bathroom accessories in Singapore tell Life! they are seeing a growing number of individuals who are spending more on loo space. Mr Yong, for example, forked out "more than $100,000" to renovate the five bathrooms in his Upper Thomson house, Hotel-style bathrooms are all the rage, never mind that the fancy taps each cost in the hundreds. Those flush with cash are even opting for top-end toilets such as Toto from Japan, which has a massage function and costs up to $25,000.

Ms Jermaine Ng, director of architecture and interior design firm Seven Heaven, says that on average, eight in 10 clients who walk into her office ask for "designer bathrooms", an increase of 40 per cent from five years ago.

These "young and adventurous" homeowners are spending $15,000 to $40,000 on their bathrooms without so much as batting an eyelid, she says. Just five years back, the figures being bandied around were "$10,000 to $20,000", she adds.

She notes that helping to fuel the loo largesse is the "increase in the range of activities" home owners can do in their bathrooms, such as indulging in a "weekend steam, bubble bath with more members of the family".

This is echoed by the president of luxury bathroom products company Grohe, Mr Bijoy Mohan, whose company has experienced 72 per cent year-on-year sales growth in the Asia-Pacific region over the last two years,

He says: "The bathroom is transforming into a sanctuary to relax and unwind. It is not just for utilitarian purposes anymore.

"There is a growing appetite among homeowners for premium fittings to adorn their homes and they recognise the value behind paying for products that are well designed and of good quality."

Indeed, Ms Gwen Tan, partner at Formwerkz Architects, says: "In the past, it'd have been rather lavish to spend $10,000 on brand name fittings and wares for a master bathroom, but these days, one can easily splurge $30,000 or more on fittings alone."

She notes that prices for bathroom products have been rising steadily, with "revisions in prices at least once a year".

Mr Ryan Chong, marketing and communication manager at bathroom and kitchen supplies company Innovare International, says his clients are willinq to pay between $250 and $650 for a designer tap, when a normal one costs from $48".

Over at the gleaming Bukit Timah showroom of luxury sanitary fixtures purveyor, W. Atelier, managing director Gani Atmadiredja has seen monthly retail sales almost double - from about $150,000 to close to $300,000 - from five years ago.

One of the most luxurious items on show is Toto's Neorest suite, an integrated all-in-one toilet system that boasts an automated seat cover that opens as one gets near and even has massage functions.

The system costs from $8,000 to $25,000 for the latest model that will be released next year. Mr Atmadiredja says sales have been picking up since it was first offered here five years ago.

"From one or two sets a month five years ago, we now sell five to 10 of these Neorest suites every month," he says, adding that his customers consist of both expatriates and locals aged 30 and above.

Newly-weds Alvin and Elayne Lim may not have the Neorest suite, but the bathroom on the second floor of their 156sqm HDB executive maisonette in Tampines definitely has that "resort feel".

"We combined two bathrooms into one to create a bigger space. In there, we have a movable bathtub, rain shower heads, full-length mirrors and his and hers vanity tops," says Mr Lim, 33, who works in the sales industry. They spent almost $17,000 on the bathrooms, out of a renovation budget of close to $60,000.

Mr Lim says: "We travel for holidays quite a lot, so we want to feel like we are overseas. That's why our bathroom feels like what we would find in a hotel or resort." Never mind that his parents are concerned that just cleaning this super-size bathroom of about 18 sqm will become a chore. "I wash the bathroom once a week," he lets on with a laugh.

The desire to have a bathroom that "we appreciate and are willing to fork out for" also prompted assistant brand manager Charlotte Teo, 26, and her husband, investment banker RYan Yang, 29, to spend more than a quarter of their total renovation costs of "above $100,000" on three bathrooms in their three-bedroom apartment in Coronation Road'

But not before they flipped through countless magazines for inspiration for their dream home. In the end, they decided on a theme of modern tropical and extended the same look to their bathrooms. "Each part of the house, including the bathrooms, makes up a whole and it therefore needs to sing the same song throughout," says Ms Teo.

So now, their bathrooms are fitted with custom-made sinks, laminated cabinets, matching lights and a $2,000 toilet bowl that she describes as "super comfortable as the seat moulds to the shape of your bottom".

But their favourite features are the double sink and double shower heads in the master bathroom. "We never get in each other's way when we are preparing to go to work every morning," says Ms Teo.

Unlike her, designer Patrick Ng, 34, did not have a theme in mind when he set about renovating the bathrooms in the private apartment in Jansen Road than he shares with his girlfriend, a 35-year-old marketing communication manager.

But he admits that the "country-style designs in the toilet" favoured by the previous occupants were "obiang", a colloquial term to describe something that is uncool or off-beat.

"In the end, I decided to create a minimalist and clean look for the bathrooms to match the black-and-white palette that I have throughout the house," he says. That decision to transform the toilet into one featuring a customised glass shower screen, a rain shower head and a sleek basin cost him $15,000.

Although his parents feel that the design in his bathroom, particularly the glass shower screen, is not child-friendly, Mr Atmadiredja believes these sentiments will not prohibit more home owners from splurging on their bathrooms.

He says: "The bathroom is probably the most frequented and utilised room in your house aside from your bedroom, so people are willing to spend more now because they are beginning to see it as an essential investment for their home."

Agreeing, Ms Teo says: "We are probably not going to do anymore renovations in the next 20 or 30 years, and it is important to feel comfortable at home, so this one-off pain is okay."

Splash out

MORPHOSIS OMEGA SHOWER FIXTURE

Cost: $54,000

Info: A shower enclosure that comes with both rain and cascading waterfall showers, steam bath, body jets and aromatherapy functions, as well as interior lighting and an LED display.

Sales to date: One sold since 2008

Where: W.Atelier showroom (75 Bukit Timah Road, 01-02, tel:6735-6546)

MORPHOSIS ALPHA BATHUB

Cost: $24,000

Info: Luxurious bathtub that comes with whirlpool and lumbar jets, wireless remote control, mixers and hand shower as well as a sound system.

Sales to date: Five sets sold since 2007

Where: W.Atelier showroom

NEOREST SUITE INTEGRATED ALL-IN-ONE TOILET SYSTEM

Cost: Between $8,000 and $25,000

Info: The toilet lid opens automatically when it senses the user approaching. There are innovative features such as warm seat, rear cleansing with massage options, a deodoriser and a warm air dryer.

Sales to date: Five to 10 sets every month now, up from just one or two in 2005

Where: W.Atelier showroom and Fullsun (146 Jalan Besar, tel: 6295-0966)

GROHE ONDUS SHOWER FITTINGS

Cost: Between $1,500 and $12,000

Info: A range of manual or digitally operated basins, bath and shower mixers, available in four finishes; black, white, titanium and chrome.

Sales to date: Not available

Where: Interior Affairs, 29 Tai Seng Avenue, 02-01, tel 6632-7471

GROHE RAIN SHOWERS

Cost: Between $599 and $2,144

Info: Available in various colours, they are easy to install and have an "Eco" button that allows you to cut down on water consumption.

Sales to date: Not available

Where: Interior Affairs

Edited August 28, 2010 by neubie