Bathtub escapes; As house prices rise, luxury, costs balance.(LIFE - HOME)

0 Comments | Washington Times, The, May, 2003

Byline: Christian Toto, THE WASHINGTON TIMES As soon as Barbara Emanuele's three daughters are tucked in at night, she retreats to her "escape place" - her posh new bathtub. "I sit [in the tub] from one to two in the morning reading my book," the 43-year-old Rockville resident says. "No one's allowed to bother me." A home's bathtub can be a drab, functional part of the house.

Or, for Mrs. Emanuele and others like her, it can be a relaxing place to begin or end the day. From Jacuzzi-style bathtubs with water jets massaging those knotty muscles to claw-footed models that evoke simpler times, a home's bathtub can say a lot about the homeowner. Area interior designers say homeowners are splurging on their bathrooms more than ever, a change Christopher...