THE FOCUS: SHOWERING Boosting the therapeutic qualities of water

THE SPOTLIGHT IS ON MAXIMISING THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF WATER

THE TREND EXPLAINED

The move towards showers that offer a personalised experience provides an even greater opportunity to

develop your bathroom as a sensual retreat. As manufacturers have invested in shower technology, they are giving us more potential to enjoy the benefits of hydrotherapy at home. You could choose a sportsstyle directional shower head designed to deliver an invigorating experience and help relieve muscle pain, or a plate-style head with water that falls like soft rain to drench the skin and relax the mind. Waterfall and laminar (hose) streams, strong massage jets and splash-free ultra-fine sprays can all be used to enhance your enjoyment of water.

An increasing number of shower heads offer more than one type of spray, so that you can switch between options according to the way you and your

partner or family members like to shower.

Dornbracht Aquamoon Experience shower, from

£10,999, C.P. Hart

EXPERT DESIGN ADVICE

Yousef Mansuri, director of design, C.P. Hart

Water pressure is a measure of water flow through a pipe and is measured in bars, from about 0.1 bar

(low pressure) to 3-5 bar (high). For optimum performance, choose a shower compatible with your system: generally the higher the pressure, the better

the shower performance. Most people like to fit a hand shower as well as an overhead option, to be able

shower without wetting your hair, or to fit a hand shower on an adjustable riser to offer both. Plate-style overhead showers average 240-300mm in diameter, and go up to 600mm, with similar-sized square and rectangular versions. Buy from a quality manufacturer

to achieve an even spray across the head. Luxury shower panels can measure 1,000-1,200mm in length, and need high water pressure to operate effectively.

Gessi Cono shower heads, £1,212 each,

C.P. Hart