MODERN BATHROOMS ARE MOST ATTRACTIVE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 190, 28 August 1937, Page 8

MODERN BATHROOMS ARE MOST ATTRACTIVE

The hathroom of to-day, as contrasted with older types of '"bathrooms, affords evidence of the progress made in respect of this part of a home. In our grandparents ' days — especially in eolder countries lilce the British Isles — the majority of houses were built without bathrooms. That day has gohe. Until quite recent times, nevertheless, homebuilders regarde.d the hathroom as the least important section of the home, to be formed from any odd nook or corner large enough to contain an iron or wooden tuh or cut-down barrel. Then follpwed the elongated galvanised iron bath, which was not neeessarily even a fixture in the room. Gradually the quality of bath improved, and in the course of . time a washbasin was added to the bathroom. a Here again was ample scope for ugliness. It seemed to be part of the ritual of the plumber to construct a maze of lead pipes under the basin, When hot water was added to the bathroom amenities, sundry additional pipes had also to be interlaced with the network. All that, happily, is passing away. The bath is now built into the tiles. The basin is mounted on a pedestal which conceals the plumbing. No pipe is shown. The taps simply start straight np from the basin or straight out from the tiled wall. The efieet is completely pleasing. Indeed, a modern bathroom usually evokes more favourahle comment from a visitor who is being shown over a house or flat than any other room. Light from tinted windows plays on eoloured tiles, marble, glassware, stainless steel, or chromium. Glass or metal towel-raeks, mirrors, and glass shelves are part of the ensemble. Hot water is available at three poibts — the washbasin, the bath tap, and the shower. The source of the hot water is coneealed. It may.he in a storage tanlt in the ceiling or in the kitchen, where a tiny gas ilame burns continuously at a heater. The increased water pressure which follows the turning on of the water tap serves to turn np the gas, so that the water is hot as it flows into bath or basin. Actuaries of life assurance organisations say that the life of men has increased during the past 40 year from 47 to 59, and of women from 50 to 68. They attribute this faet largely to increased standards of comfort. It would he interesting to know how far the evolution of the bathroom had influeneed this trend, .