Ultimate Luxury: A Home Massage Therapy Room

ULTIMATE LUXURY: A Home Massage Therapy Room

When the chill of a Northern Arizona winter day sets in, many of us just want to cocoon in the luxurious warmth of our homes, even if that means missing out on some of our favorite personal services. While the explosion of Zoom and other online technology has made it much easier to replicate many of those luxuries in the home, some just don’t translate. Massage therapy is perhaps the ultimate example of this conundrum — it smooths out the physical and emotional tension throughout your body but requires those same tired muscles to struggle with weather-beaten traffic and icy sidewalks to reach your relief. Converting a closet or creating a new space to serve as your personal massage room is clearly the best solution. It just takes a little effort to create the right environment for your at-home sessions.

• The room — It should be intimate and free from distractions, so to accommodate a massage table, yourself, your therapist and any equipment without seeming too big it should be no larger than about 150 to 200 square feet. A windowless room with dimmable lighting is best. • The table — The dimensions of your ideal table will depend both on your size and that of the therapist you will be working with. The most luxurious platforms will be padded with 3 or more inches of foam and fully electric with an internal heater; some high-end tables are filled with warm sand or other alternative materials.

• The sights — Soothing, earthtoned neutrals are preferable for the walls, which can be adorned with one or two simple drawings or wall hangings made of such natural materials as dried plants, rocks or shells. A cozy rug can cushion feet and any stray noises.

• The sounds — A small but high-quality set of speakers, either placed in the room or embedded in the walls, can play relaxing new age or classical music to soothe your mind and mask any ambient noise that leaks through the walls.

• The smells — If you have found aromatherapy is effective for you, use candles or diffusers to bring healing scents into the room.