(ARA) – When your youngest child packs up his room, loads all his belongings into the car, and drives away – to college, a new job or his first apartment – the quiet in the house can be unsettling at first.
Then it hits you, your ’empty nest’ is a remodeling opportunity. You now have the time to redo that guest bathroom and design the ultimate bath retreat for the friends and family you are eager to invite over and renew old ties with. Yes, you may miss your children, but this is a great time to turn your home into the showplace you want to spend years enjoying. And by renovating your guest bathroom now, you can upgrade the space to meet your new hosting expectations.
With this remodeling project, you can easily target the green living lifestyle you’ve been dreaming about. Incorporating features that save water and money are hot trends across the country right now. Keep in mind that well designed bathrooms should be flexible and easy to use for guests of all ages and abilities. Socially sustainable design merges these two trends – sustainability and universal design – providing your guests with a bathroom that is not only beautiful, but also environmentally friendly, easy to use and overall a relaxing space to enjoy.
From the start of your redesign project, be on the lookout for products that offer socially sustainable design. There is a wide selection of water-saving toilets, faucets and showerheads that will meet your needs and style. For example, the high-design Aimes toilet from TOTO is a water-saving product that is American Disability Act-compliant and WaterSense labeled by the Environmental Protection Agency. This toilet has clean, elegant lines including an ergonomic, comfortable height design that facilitates rising from a sitting to standing position. The entire Aimes Collection blends elements of both modernism and traditional design to create stylish transitional products that offer the richness of history updated with technological innovation, new materials and an uncluttered aesthetic of today.
Style your upgraded bathroom with a faucet that is inspired by the beveled bases and winged, cylindrical ceramic handles of the 19th century. The Aimes Widespread Lavatory Faucet reimagines this design by flattening its profile, giving it a clean, modern, almost two-dimensional silhouette. Its lever handles are easy to use – even with a closed fist, a guest can effortlessly turn the water on and off. And with modest water flow of 1.5 gallons per minute, your water bill will be happy with this faucet, too.
Upgrade your toilet to improve the amenities in your bathroom with the Washlet S300 personal cleansing system, which takes the place of the unit’s seat and is easily installed on virtually any toilet. It uses pure, clean water – and a bunch of nifty technology – to make guests cleaner and more refreshed than they’ve ever felt after a bathroom break. TOTO’s socially-sustainable products take into account the person using it and the purpose of the product, which is why the Washlet S300 is perfect for guests of all ages and great for the environment as it eliminates the need for toilet paper – leaving trees free to clean the air.
Redesigning and upgrading your bathroom space for yourself and your guests will help you enjoy the vibrant new ’empty nest’ that you will fill with friends and family for years to come. And with a beautiful bathroom retreat that is stylish and easy to use – not to mention environmentally and budget friendly – you will find that your children, too, will be clamoring for an invitation.
