Upscale amenity defines new level of luxury

Upscale amenity defines new level of luxury

If home design has a soul, it might be defined by how the physical structure interacts with its physical occupants. Consider the ultimate bath suite. For most homeowners, it might include a jetted tub, oversize shower, or maybe a steam bath. But one Minnesota homeowner, a second- generation Finn, had more traditional, and decidedly Finnish, ideas in mind when it came time to design a new bath suite for his family’s home.

The goal was to create a space that mirrored the functional design aesthetic frequently seen in the bath suites of Finnish homes: clean lines complemented with wood, glass and chrome accents. Taken individually, these elements are surely pleasing. But in this bathroom, they find new harmony when combined with distinctly upscale amenities, including the centerpiece, a traditional Finnish sauna that introduce a more personal sense of purpose and underscore this bathroom’s place in the home as a haven for renewal.

The bathroom echoes the great traditions of Finnish design: organic materials and clean lines that are at once traditional and comforting, but progressive. Yet each design element has purpose: natural wood provides an organic backdrop for the senses, and glass block softens and diffuses, but doesn’t obscure, the view outside.

The design is pure Finnish, but the heart of this bathroom, a custom Finnleo® sauna, should strike a chord with anyone who ever had a tough day at the office or on the golf course, or felt the stress of balancing family and career. The sauna is really the pressure relief valve, a haven of comfort and solitude that is designed to soothe, relax and reinvigorate. The sauna measures nine- by-nine feet, and features neo-angles, low-voltage lighting and is built of clear Nordic pine from Finland. It seats up to nine people on three tiers of benches that are made of a light, clear-grained wood that stays comfortable to the touch at any sauna temperature.

Outside the sauna, the seven-by-nine foot tiled shower area sports two multi-head showers plus an integral bench for bathing kids or shaving. Immediately adjacent to the shower is a changing area, toilet and home fitness center.

True to their Finnish roots, the family uses the sauna as an integral part of their daily routine. It provides a personal sanctuary for mom and dad, a quiet space to catch up on the day’s events, or to wind down in solitude. The unique benefits of sauna use have become increasingly popular in modern society. The physiology of perspiration includes how sweating helps rid the body of wastes, regulates body temperature, and invigorates our largest organ, the skin. The metabolic effects of sauna and sweat baths, the positive influence of negative ions released by steam, and the more subtle spiritual benefits of the sauna experience all contribute to a heightened sense of well-being. Medical studies show that frequent sauna use helps reduce stress and keeps your circulatory system running smooth.

Adding a steam sauna to your home might seem like an unrealistic plan, but in reality adding a sauna room to your home is not as difficult as you might think. There are a number of affordable kits and sauna steam room plans available that make construction easy, even for the novice home renovator. Consider these two methods of producing steam when planning your sauna room. In a traditional Finnish sauna, water is poured over hot rocks on top of the heater to produce the steamy, humid conditions. The other option is to use a steam generator in an enclosure similar to a regular shower stall.

Any Finnleo personal sauna is the perfect place to calm down and let the soothing warmth lead you into the path of meditation.

For more information on saunas and steam baths, call 800-346-6536, or visit their website, www.finnleo.com.