Hardwoods flood the bath

THE traditional notion that wood and water don't mix is I getting a second thought with the emerging trend of using hardwood millwork in bathrooms, such as for trim, tub surrounds, and even flooring, according to the American Hardwood Information Center.

For one thing, hardwoods exude luxury. "These days, everyone is looking back into the home for comfort," says Christopher Cole, president of bath furnishings firm Cole & Co, Dallas, Tx. "People want more luxury and pampering. especially in the bathroom."

Ginny Burns, an interior designer in Parkton, Md., agrees: "There are so many hard surfaces in a bathroom. Wood softens the feel and adds natural warmth."

Bath vanities, linen chests, cabinets, and corner hutches are available in various hardwoods, and can be further upgraded by adding moulding, toe kicks, and "feet."

Moulding also adds drama and style to walls and ceilings. Burns uses hardwood chair rails, bead board, paneling and crown moulding to tie in with wood fumiture and cabinets. In one project, a window seat and bead-board walls enhanced the Victorian feel of a larse townhouse.

"The bathroom is getting more important, and it deserves the detailing that other rooms in your house have," she says.

Burns especially enjoys adding drama to a powder room. "It's fun to do something special in that room," she says. "You can go a little wild with bold wall paper or paint because people don't stay in there long."

Whirlpool baths have become staples of today's master suites, and their large size naturally makes them the room's focal point, Burns says. "I try to make the tub the first thing you see. The tub is really what the bathroom is all about. It's all about relaxation, crawling away from the cares and woes and stress of the world."

A hardwood surround helps soften the look of a tub and pull together other wood accents and fumiture in the room, says Marcella DeShong, owner of Midwest Luxury Baths, Pendleton, In. "You can paint or stain the surround to complement other areas of the room," she says.

A beadboard surround adds a casual country, cottage or Victorian feel, she says. Raised paneling is more formal, while smooth wood can look more contemporary. Surrounds are assembled on site, sometimes with kits sold by bath manufacturers.

Bathrooms once were considered out-of-bounds for solid hardwood flooring. Today's polyurethane finishes have changed that. These finishes offer water resistance that old-fashioned versions never could. Blends of synthetics, resins, plasticizers and other film-forming ingredients bond to form a water-tight seal, yet do not peel when wood expands and contracts.

Oak, maple, cherry, ash, walnut and hickory are favored for use in the bathroom because they are especially stable and strong.

"I like hardwood because it's a classic," says Karen Lewis, a bath designel with Hancock Kitchens, Portland, Me. "It's not going to date itself. It's resilient. And unlike tile and marble, it's not cold under your feet."

LUXURIOUS oak bath is as functional as it is beautiful, featuring etched glass doors, tall linen cabinet, pulled-out sink base cabinet {lanked by fluted columns, vanity mirror area with spice drawers lor small item storage, and chest next to the soak tub that features a custom wood too and furniture leel accenls.

Homeowners should remember, though, that even with the new finishes, a hardwood floor may be an inappropriate choice for a bathroom with high humidity. If they do install a wood floor, they should use area rugs and remember to immediately wipe up any water.

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