AT HOME : The Bathroom
It is not a large room, this bathroom, but it is a pleasant room where people tend to linger because of the ambiance of light, the ambiance of seating; the seating involves the body while it is being bathed or being ‘lightened’.
To the bathtub in a moment; first, the toilet. Challenged and conquered has been a toilet that rings the bottom, cramps the legs, tingles the feet if any length of stay is engaged in. The toilet in this bathroom is a comfortable chair which also functions perfectly as a toilet. Why not. It has a back and arms and a gently curved seat with a series of horizontal rings that adjust the size. The back is slightly sloped with a head rest and lumbar support. The arms are flat enough for relaxing the arms upon, narrow enough to provide a handhold while getting onto or off of the toilet. The height is adjustable with a two tiered platform that rolls out from underneath. It is a molded one piece item.
The bathtub is bowl shaped with one side flat where it meets the wall and bottom of a large window; the window has translucent vertical blinds that can be conveniently adjusted by a person in or beside the bathtub and, by means of a clever device, by a person relaxing on the toilet. The bathtub has a ledge around it wide enough for a person to sit easily upon and swivel while entering or exiting the tub. A two or three tiered platform can be rolled out from under the tub and used as steps. The interior of the tub has a ledge like seat with sloped back, head and arm rests: the posture is as if in a sensible garden chair where one can sit with legs crossed. The depth of water can go from ankle deep to neck deep. Even at its fullest it is ecologically thrifty due to the design. The tap is hand/finger and foot/toe friendly. The shower head on a hose can be hooked above the tub for stationary use by a person standing or seated, hand held for hair or body or tub washing. Or douching. Or cleaning the bathroom.
The floor is of ‘soft’ cement warmed by an in ground system, sloping gently but efficiently to a center drain. The walls mimic the floor in material, heating; walls and floor meet seamlessly. The bathroom, in effect, can be used as a shower.