Kitchen & Bath
2006 Bath of the Year Winners
The bathroom has evolved into some homeowners' most favored oasis. Read our experts' Top Ten Tips and learn about our 2006 Bath of the Year winners.

For the 16th year in a row, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles' annual Bath of theYear contest brought in a diverse group of fabulous entries, from over-the-top and functional to visually spacious and richly ornamented. But one thing all three of our winning baths prove is that the bathroom has evolved into some homeowners' most favored oasis, as more and more request luxurious materials and products that will contribute to the creation of their very own sanctuaries.

The Experts' top 10 tips

1. Pick the right design team. Hire professionals whom you feel comfortable collaborating with and who will listen to you and accommodate your wishes. Have the team put together a great set of design documents—the more that is resolved on paper, the easier the construction will be on you and the more successful the finished project will be.

2. Think of individual rooms as parts of a larger whole that extends to the entire house and the exterior spaces.

3. Views into and from adjacent spaces should always be a consideration.

4. Keep the water closet close to the bedroom to avoid long, tired walks in the middle of the night.

5. Have a wet area with enough room to dry off after a bath or shower. A bench or a tub deck comes in handy for propping up a foot to dry off your leg.

6. Think about the placement of accessories early in the planning process.

7. The fundamental plan is absolutely critical. If the spaces are not shaped and laid out properly at the planning level, no expensive fixture or cabinet will save the day.

8. If the bathroom is large, be particularly conscious of maintaining a human scale and convenient distances.

9. In a master bath, try to arrange the space so that one can enter the bath, bathe, dress and leave without re-entering the bedroom.

10. Everyone's bathroom should be a luxury, no matter at what level. Always start early in the planning process, have a great builder in mind, and never forget great lighting, wonderful storage, and personalized design details.