Future Bathrooms: Retreat or Workplace?

Published: November 02, 2011
By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon
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Bathrooms of the future let you do business while you’re taking care of business.

The bathrooms of the future could allow you to stay connected while you're in the loo. Image: Ideal Standard

I don’t know about you, but I consider my bathroom a calming retreat from my wired-in, always-accessible life. So I had mixed feelings after reading about bathrooms of the future.

The bathrooms of 2021 and beyond, say a team of designers, psychologists, and engineers, will allow for phones in the shower, mirrors connected to the Internet, and walls that connect to social networking sites. That’s a lot of connectivity in a place where we usually go it alone.

But if you feel anxious about missing any text messages or Groupon bargains, these developments should give you some peace of mind.

Some other features on the horizon:

Bathroom cabinets that remind you to take medication and order refills online.

Interactive mirrors that offer style and makeup tips.

Scales that let your Facebook friends know how your diet is going. (We could live without that.)

What do you think about being fully wired in the bathroom? What features would you like to see in the bathroom of tomorrow?

Lisa Kaplan Gordon

is a HouseLogic contributor and builder of luxury homes in McLean, Va. She’s been a Homes editor for Gannett News Service and has reviewed home improvement products for AOL.