Bathroom transformation: From hygiene to well-being?

Summary in the original language of the document

Western bathroom standards, which have long been dominated by ideas of hygiene, seem to be in the process of change. Whereas transformations of kitchens have been well studied, little attention has been directed towards the contemporary development of bathrooms. This paper provides a case study of the transformation in design, use and meaning of Danish bathrooms, drawing lines back in history but focusing mainly on current changes. The study looks into the continuous development in physical frameworks, practices and images, interpreting the bathroom as a complex arena, where many different forces interact. The empirical basis comprises a combination of statistics, a review of magazine and media coverage, visits to exhibitions, and qualitative interviews. The paper outlines various seeds of change and analyzes how new tendencies are taken up in relation to actual bathroom renovations. Especially, ideas of well-being and withdrawal are pointed out as challenges to existing hygienic ideas.