What would your dream treatment room/place be like?

[adriaannnaaaa!]

I am looking for advice on how to set up my future treatment room, or actually, an entire area for my business. In the next several years I plan to move and set up a practice in NY where I grew up. Right now an architect is working on plans to re-do my parent's detached 3-4 car garage, putting an apartment over the large garage. I plan to keep part of the downstairs a 2 car garage, and then have a separate entrance for a little spa that I can work from. I'd like to set it up for the possibility of another therapist working with me, so I know I want to have 2 treatment rooms, probably one set up to be able to use as a wet treatment room. I'm also a huge fan of saunas, so I'd like to have one of those, perhaps an infrared one. I think it would be good to have a waiting room, too. I can easily fit all these areas in the space, but before the architect gets too far with the plans, I thought I'd check with all of you to find out what you'd make sure to include if you could "start from scratch."

For instance, would you want a sink in each treatment room? A walk-in shower? What kind of flooring would you want? Ideas for lighting? Electric lift tables?

There's so much to think about, and although I have several years to fully put this plan into action, I need to plan the space as soon as possible. Any suggestions are welcome...Thanks!

 

[visual_lace]

well how much do you want to spend?

Can you go for a vichy shower? Are you even interested in a vichy shower? What about one of those capsule tables where they can steam with a vichy style shower in the capsule? Do you want a hydrotub? They almost need a room by themselves, but they are sort of put client in and walk off and the computer does the rest, a good break for you, but they tend to require quite a bit of selling by you - lots of people just think a hydrotub is like a home spa tub.

Now either of those options (vichy shower/hydrotub) require, to put it mildly, specialist plumbing - super fast heat up of huge quanities of hot water and sufficient water pressure for 7 shower heads for the vichy shower, plus enough pressure to cope if another tap is turned on. This is all ridiculously expensive, a huge investment, and I'm sort of assuming beyond what you are thinking - I can't imagine that many people wanting to put a vichy shower in their garage could expect to get anything back if they sell the place - an apartment over the garage and a couple of rooms without vichy shower/hydrotub fit out could add value to the property.

Do you want to get into Watsu? A heated indoor plunge pool that could be used for Watsu, or as a heated indoor plunge pool could be an idea put the sauna in with the plunge pool...

On a more realistic level, electric lift table - a must, sink and built in cupboard along one wall, lovely. A walk in shower, if you want to do a lot of wraps/scrubs, you really would want to have.
Amber have some amazing looking equipment for spa stone heaters and treatment bars and some of it can be on wheels, so you could move it out easily if the place is sold, or you expand into the rest of the garage or just move it between 2 rooms. http://www.amberproducts.com/ They've even got CONTEMPORARY SPA DECOR KI TREATMENT KIT for "a new spa? upgrading a treatment room?" and MOBILE TREATMENT ROOM TREATMENT KIT "Make every room a Treatment Room!"
There are other ranges with similar products. (I have to admit I just am fixated on their double basin hot stone warmer, it looks amazing, shame it doesn't seem to come in AUtsrlain voleforum.xxxes, and I couldn't really justify that much money when I already have a stone heater that works well)



The actual fit out, Asian inspired or whatever, it really depends on what you like. Fashions will change as to what it the best looking option, since you're planning well in advance. Subscribe to a couple of spa mags, and keep the photos of what you want your place to look like.

 

[Love Life]

Wow, Melb, what fantastic ideas! I will be hoping to spread my purchases over several years, but since the building will be done in the next year, I do need to plan my space needs now.

I think you're right that I probably won't be going the super-high-end vichy shower route, but a heated indoor plunge pool is a fantastic idea, especially with a sauna nearby. I will need to figure out plumbing for that. I did check out Amber products' website and bookmarked it; thanks for the link. I will have to check out some spa magazines...thanks so much!