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Garden bathrooms
There have not always been conventional bathrooms throughout human
history, but in the past few hundred years they have taken on a major
significance in our architecture and domestic living designs.
In the past, some bathrooms were simply places out of doors where water
might be available, for bathing, such as rivers, ponds, streams, or
waterfalls. There are many ancient sites that have been excavated that
represent this kind of natural arrangement, in proximity to natural
resources with flowing water and natural drainage. For instance, many
Native American sites were planned adjacent to rivers, and for this same
reason, many of the largest cities in the industrialized world - like
Paris, New York, San Francisco, Bombay, or London, are situated on major
harbors, rivers, or other bodies of water.
There are modern bathrooms designed to bring in the organic natural
environment into otherwise sterile and detached-from-nature living
arrangements such as those found in modern condos and apartment building
or city dwellings. These so called garden baths are created around a theme
of nature with as much natural light as possible - perhaps from windows or
from skylights - and with the presence of plants emphasized, through
houseplants, hydroponic water gardens, interior fountains with aquatic
plants, and outdoor plants that are viewed through a picture window, bay
window, or door that opens onto a secluded terrace or patio.
In order for you to design and create your own garden bath, you will need
to consider several factors, including the availability of natural light
and the sustainability of green or flowering plants. If you live in a
situation where this might seem impractical or impossible, you still may
have options, and you can consult a design or indoor plant expert to get
more ideas. Some people use special lights which offer a full spectrum of
light and thus enable one to grow plants in low light conditions where
those same plants might ordinarily not survive. And there are other ways
to create the feeling of the outdoors, by reflecting light through mirrors
or by choosing furnishing and accessorites made of materials that are
organic like bamboo, rataan, or woven plant fibers.
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