As if you needed another reason to redo your bathroom, now it's possible that a spa-like bathroom may actually be good for you — that healthy living may include infusing your life with calm ... particularly first thing in the morning. Not convinced? Consider this:

According to Ginny Long, director of public affairs at Moen — one of the leading manufacturers of bathroom products — "Moen has worked with anthropologists to conduct extensive research of consumer behaviors and usage of the bathroom specifically."

The studies explore desires of people in all stages of life — single people, families with children, empty nesters and retired people — and share a perspective of what constitutes an ideal bathroom.

And while Long claims the studies found that defining exactly which elements describe a dream bathroom is highly personal, the one common theme has to do with creating a retreat to feed the soul.

But the Zen-like washrooms that are popular today are clearly an evolution of a much more basic and unglamorous lavatory which not too many years ago was located outside and a respectable distance downwind from the main house. The advent of indoor plumbing and resulting migration of "the facilities" from the outhouse to the water closet have made life thoroughly more civilized. Nonetheless, our forebears would find it incredibly hard to believe some of the remarkable luxuries that are available in the 21st century.

Whirlpool tubs, multiple showerheads with a range of sprays from massage to pulsating, programmable bathtubs, built-in hair dryers, steam rooms and saunas are transforming ordinary bathrooms into at-home spas.

Over the past 20 years, bathrooms have really become the place to relax. In fact, it would be no surprise if you were reading this article neck deep in a tub of Mr. Bubble right now.

Today's fast-paced living requires more pampering. As a result, the master suite of the millennium is beginning to look more like a retreat with attributes of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" five-star resorts than mom and dad's tiled cubicle of the '60s. Jets, steam and storage are all part of the current trend to turn the bathroom into an oasis-like get-away.

What characterizes current bathroom trends, according to Marshall Hickox, co-owner of Honolulu-based Homeworks Construction, is the integration of multiple-functioning components.

"Technology has enabled us to pack a lot more into a small space," notes Hickox. "With steam room/sauna/shower combinations and toilet/bidets — even the simplifying of a single-spigot/single-handle faucet — things are getting pared down so that we can put these spa-like features into a bathroom in a regular-sized home."

And, he adds, the price is reasonable. "For just a couple hundred dollars more, a new shower can become a steam room."

Ten years ago, according to Hickox, if someone said they were incorporating a steam room or body sprays into their bathroom, it would have been considered unusual and expensive, and you would have needed to have plenty of space to accommodate those items into the plan. "Today, with the product hybrids, it's a lot easier."

"We're also seeing a lot more in the way of custom vanities," he says. "Vessel bowls and vanities are not just made by Kohler or typical manufacturers, but you're seeing artisans designing bowls, and vanities are now becoming more like artwork."

Hickox says that while you can really pack more features into the bathroom suite, the overall look remains cleaner, sleeker and more modern, and is achieved through the application of natural products such as stone, glass and steel.

And while prices of some features have become more reasonable, the high end seems to have gone even higher. Jacuzzi has a hydrotherapy-jet tub that comes with a state-of-the-art entertainment center, a 10-inch high flat-screen television, CD/AM/FM stereo system with floating remote control, four surround-sound speakers, foot jets and neck jets for $25,000.

Meanwhile, moving from the sublime to the somewhat ridiculous, at T. Oki Trading, you can even get a futuristic toilet.

"You can walk up to the toilet, it opens automatically, it has a bidet system and when you're done it flushes and closes ... you touch nothing," says store owner Bruce Okimoto of a product made by Japanese manufacturer Toto.

"Toto has a new Jasmin design toilet which has a deodorizer ... it removes the odor," says Okimoto, who believes Japanese products have an edge over the competition because they deal with stricter water-usage codes than American manufacturers.

The amazing amount of new products on the market is the reason Hickox believes that designers and homeowners can easily create their own style.

Designs and products that work in smaller spaces, and specialty items like furo tubs are all hot items here locally.

"In Hawaii, a lot of people are looking for deeper (furo) tubs. We carry four different models," says Okimoto.

Experts also note an increased focus on lighting — adding the options for mood settings, and generally going with the more-than-functional room including features for relaxation, privacy and pampering.

"Even more than the kitchen, bathrooms reflect the personality and the needs of the homeowner," offers Hickox. "And because people are spending more time there, they want to have something that sets their bathroom apart."

The days of bathroom design being limited to new colors of porcelain or scented toilet paper are gone. Designers relate stories of clients coming home from trips to exotic places with new ideas for bathroom designs based on something they saw in a hotel suite half a world away. And it seems to be that concept of getting away — the sanctuary — that is crucial in restoring order to a world gone mad. First thing in the morning and last thing before bed, the bathroom is the one place to rejuvenate and unwind.

It's no longer just about installing double sinks or separating the shower and the tub. But more about soothing the soul and rejuvenation, homeowners are looking for a place to relax, regroup and recharge.