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Creating a Spa-Like Setting
Creating a Spa-Like Setting

As the stresses of the work day start to fade away and the kids get tucked in for the night, retreating to the master bathroom to soak in a large tub for an hour of relaxation might sound like a great idea. But the truth is, most homeowners don’t have the time—or the inclination—to take a bath.

 “I’ve been in the industry for 34 years and I’ve been in many homes consulting with a variety of clients throughout the Delaware Valley  region,” says David Cerami, a certified kitchen and bath remodeler and the founder/president of HomeTech Renovations. “Time after time I come into these master bathrooms and I ask the homeowner, ‘How often do you use the tub?’ People always say they’ve never used it, or maybe once or twice during their entire stay in the home. Yet the tub takes up a third of the room, or more in many cases.”

Many homes built in this area over the last 20 to 30 years follow the same footprint when it comes to master bathroom design. There’s limited space for a walk-in shower— Cerami likens it to a phone booth—with a vanity on one wall and an inexpensive soaking  tub in the corner, usually made from fiberglass or plastic and sitting under two windows.

Inevitably the tub winds up collecting dust because most people only use the shower.

 “I’ve seen plants in tubs; I’ve seen storage of miscellaneous bath items; I’ve even seen toys in tubs for kids or grandkids. I’ve seen everything but people actually using the tub for themselves,” Cerami says.

 “The original builders are in business to make a profit, and when they build most of these suburban homes they want to be able to replicate things pretty easily and quickly. It’s cheap and it has the appearance of luxury, but it’s not in touch with what most customers want or need. People from the real estate industry say you need a tub, but that’s just not true.”

HomeTech Renovations can help solve the issue for homeowners with its commitment to unique, customized bath designs that and advice in creating a luxurious master bath retreat. are both aesthetically pleasing and functional at the same time. The award-winning, designbuild  company also specializes in kitchen remodels and additions, and Cerami and his team bring personalized attention to each and every project they oversee.

When it comes to master bath renovations, the first thing they’re usually asked is to remove the oversized builders-grade tub and design a space that is more practical.

 “The No. 1 request we get is to increase the size of the shower and the functionality of the shower,” Cerami says. “Why wouldn’t you want a shower that is more like a spa experience? It can have a rain shower head, a hand- held shower head, body sprays or room to sit down. People want more of that human car wash experience with beautiful tile surrounds, a space that is well-lit and modern amenities.”

HomeTech is also mindful of customers looking to remain in their homes through their senior years, improving the accessibility in showers while retaining style. Cerami adds that barrier-free showers—with no curb to step over while entering—are popular with homeowners of all ages.

For those who still prefer a tub, he suggests a free-standing tub that will take up far less space than a builders-grade, drop-in tub and add visual value as well.

 “It becomes an architectural  feature of the room or even an art piece,” he says. “There are some beautiful free-standing tubs on the market and they will fit just about any style and décor that we’re trying  to design a room around.”

Cerami also recommends adding a 3/4-inch water line to deliver more water pressure to fill the tub faster; a composite material for the tub and a maintenance system to retain the warmth of the water; and a handheld shower head to make it easier to rinse off. “All of these things have a way of making the tub experience more pleasurable,” he says.

However, customers seeking to keep any tub at all in the master  bath are few and far between when master bath space is limited. As long as there is one tub elsewhere in the house to bathe young children, Cerami finds that it fits most people’s lifestyles to opt for  a larger shower, and he believes it has no impact on future resale value. “That seems to be a big myth,” he says. “I’m not trying to discredit realtors, but I hear people say all the time that their realtor told them they need a tub in the master bath. But why? There’s never an answer to that question and there’s no logic to it, especially when only 6 percent of all homeowners use the original builders-grade tubs.

 “Given a telephone booth for your shower versus a nice, big shower that you’re going to use twice a day, why not have that wonderful experience and throw that piece of plastic out the window? See what we can do for you at www.HTRenovations.com!”

HomeTech Renovations
518 S. Bethlehem Pike
Fort Washington, Pa. |  (215) 646-7477
HTRenovations.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 19, Issue 3 (September 2018). 
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