Bathroom Design
Take Cues From Japan for a Zen-Like Bathroom
Escape stress the Japanese way: with a blissful soak in a tub amid natural materials and minimalist beauty
There’s more to a heavenly soak in a piping-hot bathtub than turning on a faucet and easing in. The Japanese seem to have the blissful act down pat. For centuries they've honed the daily bath ritual to pure perfection. From aromatic cypress tubs to fresh mood-enhancing additions like basil and blood oranges, these ideas will help you evoke the traditional Eastern aesthetic in your own bathroom.
Bath time is sacred. And for the Japanese, a bathroom is similar to a sanctuary. The space should feature clean lines, sharp angles, natural light and little else. No clutter or unnecessary distractions. A minimalist aesthetic heightens the experience of soaking in the room’s most important feature — the tub.
An estimated 100 million Japanese and foreign travelers annually visit onsens (natural hot springs) at hotels or ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) near the country’s 20,000 thermal springs — often to escape the cities’ high population density and bustling urban life. Hot springs have long been meccas for both body and mind, and even the smallest Japanese apartments feature a deep, inviting tub for personal, meditative soaking.
Use natural light and materials to create a neutral color palette, whether it’s dark tiles to encourage introspection or light, caramel-colored cypress tubs that give off a fresh aroma and, unlike a chilly porcelain tub, won’t send icy shivers down your spine when you rest your head on the rim.
It’s Japanese custom to rinse off before a soak in a bath or hot spring, and bathrooms usually feature the traditional stool and bucket that date back centuries. In fact, bathing isn’t traditionally practiced for cleaning; soap isn’t even brought into communal or private baths. Bathers wash beforehand on a small wooden bucket while sitting on a stool, so bathrooms feature an adjacent shower with a blend of the room's natural materials, whether hardwood floors or river-rock-inspired tile. The act of cleansing beforehand allows you to focus on the meditative, not functional, purpose of a nice, hot soak.
Dark floor and ceiling tiles offset the hardwood and encourage a sense of introspection and meditation here.
The steaming waters and dark hues here are meant to imitate a sensory deprivation tank, to relieve daily stresses.
Interiors encourage meditation, but baths can also invite the exterior into the daily ritual.
Tubs can feature large windows overlooking either well-manicured, private gardens or untouched wilderness.
Reflect the changing seasons with rotating design details. In some regions in Japan, winter blood oranges are placed in guests’ bathrooms to use as a natural addition to the calming, hot waters. Employ the seasonal fruits, flowers or scents of your area, like aromatic basil or lavender in the springtime.
Natural materials can also extend inside, with elements like a cypress tub, matching hardwood shower slats or rainwater showerheads that mimic a gentle waterfall. The aesthetic can be further enhanced by natural and hand-crafted materials, like a hand-stitched bamboo soap holder or woven straw cabinets.
More: 10 Zen-Conjuring Bedrooms That Encourage Calm
More: 10 Zen-Conjuring Bedrooms That Encourage Calm