Inside Out

Nothing says contemporary like advanced technologies that make life easier or let homeowners do things they couldn't do before. And homeowners are particularly impressed when they can do these things in the bathroom.

While technology is often hidden in traditional home styles, contemporary baths celebrate it. According to Gabriel Karlis, president of Ft. Lee, N.J.-based JD Audio and Video Design, Inc., which works for both custom builders and production builders, says tech elements that people can see and touch are natural selling points in contemporary baths.

The newest items are those that have become common in hotels and resorts. After enough people learn to enjoy a particular amenity in a hotel, Karlis says, it starts to appear in homes. One such up-and-coming amenity is the installation of a small LCD TV in the toilet area. "You know the screens on car headrests? People are starting to want them in the toilet area at home," he says.

Less-visible technologies are also often worth pointing out to customers. In a 34-home development by American Properties in Demerus, N.J., for instance, Karlis is installing speaker wiring in almost every room in every home — including bathrooms. "The developer realized many buyers were ripping out walls right after the sale so that additional wiring could be installed for speakers, computers, HDTVs and other devices," he says.

In the bathroom, few things demonstrate contemporary flair more loudly than speakers in the shower. Karlis uses the Symphony Xtreme line by Sonance, which, he says, is the proven leader in waterproof speakers. And shower amenities don't stop with sound. Karlis has also specified waterproof remote controls from Crestron in the shower, so homeowners can control a bathroom television mounted on a swivel arm.

Karlis also predicts that, in coming years, more production builders will begin to install flat-panel televisions behind bathroom mirrors. "The glass used for this arrangement has a slight tint, so it isn't a mirror someone will use to put on make-up," he says. But he says it does make a convincing contemporary statement.

He recommends that builders who put a lot of electronics in bathrooms install additional venting to suck out moisture.

Karlis even sees a growing desire for cameras in the bathroom, particularly to provide reassurance for elderly homeowners. Cameras can be positioned to protect modesty, but where they can still see when someone has fallen, for example. Karlis says that Net Media's Recessed Eye Camera is unobtrusive and visually appealing.