If living large is the penultimate expression of luxury, then the master bath is measuring up to that sentiment in spades – and sprays. Indeed, these suites, and baths in general, are becoming larger and offering more opportunities to add bells and whistles in showers that fit consumers' personal style.

Manufacturers surveyed by Kitchen & Bath Design News are also seeing a rise in enclosure materials that bring the outdoors in, providing the tranquility of nature.

As a result, today's consumers are enjoying a nearly endless array of choices for stylizing their baths, from the deluge of decorative finishes and dynamic choices in materials and shapes in tubs and showers to the multitude of add-ons available in shower systems. And personalization remains the order of the day – especially when it comes to shower systems, tubs, bath enclosures and surrounds that dominate these most personal of rooms.

SHOWER POWER

The shower is the belle of the bath these days, and most manufacturers would agree that consumers' hectic schedules are a driving force in this trend away from tub-soaking. "Years ago, everyone had to have a whirlpool bath," says Jeff Carney, v.p./sales and marketing for Grohe in Bloomingdale, IN. "Today, I think, the shower is a more important feature in a bath."

"[Indeed], people want a separate shower for a number of reasons. One of them is instant gratification. If you use a tub, you have to fill it up, [which] takes a little while. You must maintain the water temperature with a regulating pump and some sort of heating system. With a shower, you can hop in, get instant hot water and stay in it as long as you want," contends Paul G. Williams, v.p./sales and marketing for Basco Shower Enclosures in Mason, OH.

While most agree that with a shower one can accomplish a lot more in less time, many manufacturers see the trend toward stand-alone showers as a complex issue. "The bath is the last sanctuary where you can control your environment," comments Lou Rohl, COO for Rohl, LLC in Costa Mesa, CA. "And you have a lot more control with a shower system than you do with a tub. You can start with a steam, then cool off with your showerhead and, at the same time, [get clean], too."