Ask your Chicago or New York friends about pool baths and you might get a puzzled stare. We Florida homeowners couldn’t live without them, though. Imagine your children’s friends running across your wood floors or your party guests dripping all over your upholstered furniture to get to the powder room, and you quickly appreciate the pool bath’s practicality.
Just because it’s practical, doesn’t mean your pool bath shouldn’t be pretty, too. Our Florida design pros share their insights on creating pool baths for your home this season.
Make your pool bath as stylish as a master with custom Wood-Mode cabinetry and handsome details worthy of your best parties
Location rules
Yes, your pool bath should be accessible from your pool area. It should also have a lockable door. (Nobody wants to be walked in on during a pool party!). Many clients have their pool baths in a cabana or pool house.
If it’s not located within a separate building, your pool bath should be in an easy-to-reach spot in your home. “With so many kitchens and great rooms opening onto the lanai, it’s not uncommon to see the pool bath serving as a rest room for these areas even when no one is swimming,” according to Wood-Mode Florida Representative Susan Goldblatt.
This Kohler bath reflects coastal style shared by many Florida homes
Style rules
Because your pool bath is part of your home’s social flow, it should reflect the style of the surrounding rooms. “They normally are not big bathrooms,” notes Cesar Verdugo with Ft. Lauderdale-based Living Color, but, he notes, they should be as attractive as powder rooms. Both, after all, are part of your entertaining space.
Verdugo ties his pool room designs to the surrounding rooms by carrying through the same cabinet and hardware finishes, even the same flooring, if it’s water and moisture-friendly.
Courtesy: AIA Warren Architecture, LLC
Your pool bath can be as elegant as your powder room or master with Wood-Mode
Functionality rules
These are going to be heavily-used bathrooms. Their surfaces will be subjected to chlorine, as well as water. “It’s really important to select durable finishes for a pool bath,” cautions Goldblatt. Verdugo agrees, and often specifies quartz counters and tile floor and walls.
This Wintergreen quartz countertop by Zodiaq recalls the look of beach glass – perfect and practical for a pool bath!
Your pool bath doesn’t need a tub, but a shower is a necessity. It’s where your guests will wash the pool water off of their swimsuits and skin. “Building in a niche for soap and shampoo is a nice feature to include. So are a bench and hand shower for older guests’ seated use – especially here in Florida,” notes Goldblatt.
“I like to include multiple shower heads in pool baths,” Verdugo notes. “It’s perfect after a pool day.”
Multiple showerheads, like this Siderna collection from Brizo, add luxury to your pool bath
Your pool bath should also have ample room for towels, potentially even a hamper if you regularly supply the towels for your pool parties. Robe hooks just outside of the shower or tub area and a bench within are also great guest conveniences.
Safety rules
Your flooring neesd to be highly slip-resistant as most visitors will be running in from the pool with wet feet. Installing decorative grab bars in showering/bathing areas for both children and seniors is an accessory not to overlook. If you don’t think of grab bars as decorative, you haven’t seen the latest styles, often with the same detail and finishes as the faucets and accessories. They also work well for active homeowners or guests who may be recovering from surgery or injuries.
Grab bars, like Moen‘s Kingsley can add to your pool bath’s safety and style!
Final thoughts
If you’re looking to add a pool bath to your Florida home, or upgrade the one you currently have, our local designers are the ideal professionals to help you make that happen. The outcome will be enhanced resale value in future years and enhanced comfort and convenience now. Contact one of these bath pros today to discuss your wishes and concerns.