We are often asked: Isn’t ‘high-end’ and ‘luxury’ the same thing? And, if not, what’s the difference?
The answer is more than just semantics. Ultimately, it’s about what’s more practical for your lifestyle and your budget.
Luxury vs. High-End
Luxury means different things to different people. For instance, luxury could mean a heated floor to one person, but to another, it could be a waterfall in the middle of the bathroom. The former is a practical feature, the latter, highly unnecessary, but both are things that are going to make you feel good, and that’s really the bottom line.
“Custom” is another term that we associate with high-end as well. Having these things custom-made, getting some extra-special woodwork done or a one-of-a-kind design is a very personal thing, and we find that it contributes significantly to the enjoyment of your home.
We work with brands that have upgraded lines of products such as Delta, which has a sister line called Brizo that offer items in higher-end finishes but that don’t necessarily have added features. They function exactly the same and cost more because of how they are made or because they are a designer brand, but they don’t add any bells and whistles, per se.
Luxury, on the other hand, is something that you don’t necessarily have to have. For instance, you don’t have to have a touch faucet, so that would be more in the realm of luxury. The distinction, then, would be that luxury items are high-quality, plus they have added features that go “above and beyond” the standard functionality of the item.
Now, It’s Personal
For some of our clients, luxury is important when they are finally able to think about themselves. The kids are out of the house, and it’s not just about getting something that’s going to do the job – it’s about splurging a little.
Maybe it’s a new tub or tile; or perhaps it’s something that is kind of a treat, something just for them. Usually, it’s just a feature or two that the client really likes, such as a particular floor tile, a chromatherapy tub, radiant floor heating, the list goes on.
Ultimately, however, it’s about finally getting what you want. And make no mistake – you deserve it.
Luxury Bathroom Ideas
Luxury is generally the milieu of clients who are accustomed to a certain standard of living, a certain way of doing things. It’s marble floors, a bidet, steam showers with 360˚ body sprays and rain showerheads – the extra stuff. You don’t necessarily need it, but if it’s going to bring you joy, it’s always a good idea.
Other luxury bathroom ideas might include having a TV set into the mirror, a bidet toilet seat or a stand-alone bidet that is separate from the toilet.
We’ve also done motion-sensor lights and motion-activated features; for instance, you could have a back-lit quartzite countertop that activates when you walk into the bathroom. We’ve also installed motion lighting that will follow your movements. There’s another cool feature where the toilet seat flips up automatically when you walk into the room, and under-seat lighting comes on. You see this in some luxury hotels and it’s pretty neat.
High-end Bathroom Design Ideas
If you have been living frugally, spending money primarily on your kids for the past 20 years, you might want to splurge a little to get some nice features you can enjoy.
On the higher end, you could be wanting more functionality, wanting to update to a more modern style. All of that is associated with high-end bathroom design. It’s not luxury because we’re not taking it that extra step beyond. It’s more expensive because it is higher quality, it’s a nicer design, and possibly the brand is better-known.
Heated floors are a great example because they have a very specific function. It may be more than you would have spent on yourself in the past, but it’s something that’s going to make you feel good. Plus, heated floors have added practicality as it may decrease reliance on your heating system and save you on your energy bills.
Custom paint colors for your cabinets are also a common upgrade. Most of the cabinet companies we work with have standard sizes, but we can always get cabinets custom-made to an exact size and style if that’s what you really want.
Are you looking for great ways to upgrade your St. Louis bathroom? We’d love to help. Reach out today and let’s talk about what’s possible.
