Bathrooms are a Homes True UnderachieversARA Content Research shows Americans are slow to invest in major bathroom remodels, but new products can enhance an existing bath ARA - Judging by the myriad of magazines, decorating shows and how-to books that assail the average homeowner, its easy to believe that Americans live in the lap of lavatory luxury. Its a world of gold-plated, claw-footed soaking tubs, special steam showers and huge, double-sink vanities in everyones home but yours, right Wrong. While new home builders and developers know and provide what people really want in the bath, homeowners tend to be painfully slow about upgrading their existing baths. Leading plumbing fixture and accessory manufacturer Moen Inc., which is also a leading researcher in trends related to kitchens and baths, says its data shows that most Americans have plenty of work to do if they are to catch up with the bathroom ideal. For example only 14 percent of American homes master bathrooms have a stand-alone tub and separate shower stall. That compares with an estimated 98 percent of the bathrooms shown in the average home-decorating magazine! But its no wonder -- more than half of homeowners report that their master bath is less than 75 square feet in size. Also, more than half of us shower every morning not behind a decorative etched glass door or a marble dividing wall, but behind the common shower curtain. You wont see many of those advertised in the latest edition of "Dream Baths." Too often, the bathroom plays second fiddle to the kitchen when it comes to prioritizing home renovation projects, according to Wanda Jankowski, editor of Kitchen & Bath Business magazine. "The kitchen has retained and even built upon its position as the focal point of the home and a center of both socialization and function. But the mas |
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