Jazz up that private space

The modern bathroom is an independent entity that's being given more attention than many of the house's public spaces. It can even reflect the owner's personality.

The biggest concession of the 21st century to residential design has been space. Bathrooms "" and kitchens "" were those inconvenient spaces architects dealt with as indispensables that had to be tucked in wherever there was space "" but you didn't seriously expect them to design those, did you?

As a result, no matter now much interior designers or house owners tried to jazz things up with tiles and shower curtains and brightly painted window frames, the result was always less than satisfactory. For spaces that were meant to indulge the senses, both lacked somewhat in appeal.

The last decade has seen somewhat rapid strides in freeing up these spaces from the hands of old-fashioned architects, to places of celebration "" almost.

Families that enjoy their food don't mind tossing a little salad or organising the pasta themselves, and therefore want a more convenient kitchen which has space for all their gadgets, for their microwaves and freezers and wine chillers.

But it is the bathroom that has reached iconic status "" no longer the dank, dark space buried under the staircase, but an independent, spacious entity with more thought devoted to it than perhaps even the living areas of the house.

Once, every Indian's dream bathroom was the rectangular in-room cubicle in the five-star hotel "" but how quickly we've outgrown that! No longer are we satisfied with anything as simple "" even primitive "" as that.

Of course, space is the luxury of the very wealthy, and apartments in housing societies still come poky-small, but increasingly more people are willing to redraw those dimensions by knocking two bathrooms to convert into one, or adding a part of some other living space to redefine the bathroom.

Yesterday's architect focused on three elements "" the shower area with taps and showers, the water closet and the sink "" and how uninspiring these were to look at.

The same potty in home after home, the same sink in which millions washed their morning faces... Faucets changed early enough, but were killingly expensive. Who wanted to spend lakhs on taps when the hard water would leave them looking like their tackier cousins in just a few months?

The water has not changed, and only maintenance will ensure that your faucets sparkle and look in mint condition day after day of splashing, but bathrooms, meanwhile, have changed even beyond those of the luxury hotels which now even come with glazed walls and private gardens.

Imagine sun-bathed spaces, an arcade of pillars, an armchair by the window to read while the water warms (or more probably as the bath is suffused with the mood enhancers you've added to the water). Imagine air-conditioning. Imagine a built-in gym for a spot of exercise, or a meditation mat where you can concentrate on your inner self to re-energise your mental faculties. Imagine a daybed where you can snooze while the local maalishwala gives you a run-down, or a quick pedicure.

The 6x6 ft bathroom is no longer a desireable option, not when you might want a jacuzzi, a bathtub that isn't boringly rectangular, where the purpose is not just to flit in and out for your morning ablutions.

Plants, flowers, ancient stone flooring (not glistening tiles), rough textured walls (again, no more silly tiles with motifs of sailing boats!), they're all in the realm of the possible, and designers are falling over themselves to place the bathroom if not at the centre of your home, at least as a reflection of your personality.

So, collectors can keep cupboards full of their stuff in one, readers might want to build their libraries here (dehumidifiers take care of the damp), and the truly hedonistic might even find the wall space for a plasma screen and a place to house their rare DVDs.

Central to the change is the mindset "" and enough bungalows from Chennai to Delhi display it "" but thankfully, there's the merchandise to support a great bathroom too.

No more are sinks merely oval as manufacturers in India for decades had made them (and no more do those who want to appear different have to go to such desperate levels as cutting up urlis from Kerala to use as sinks), no more are potties merely functional, and bathing areas can be as indulgent as you want to make them.

From ornate rococo designs on ceramicware to severe minimalism, from the generously shaped to the spare and lean, shapes now rule the bathroom. Colours too can be severe (black) or cheerful or simple (white).

Bathing areas can include from sink-in tubs at a lower level to family jacuzzis to separate, glazed-off shower cubicles (and not those tiny boxes some designers started off with, which are merely inconvenient).

New products such as floor warming systems for the northern winters, towel warmers (ooh!) and new body spa systems can be imported. Throw rugs and carpets on the floor instead of mere mats, remote controlled mood lighting, and artworks, there's space in the modern bathroom for everything.

Logically, then, music too plays an important role in the overall design perspective, with discreet speakers tucked away out of sight.

As bathrooms becoming increasingly central to your home, it's clear you'll have to pay a heavy price for your indulgences, but then the bathroom isn't merely a private space "" it's also your personal space.