Dreaming Big, Living Well

The regular shower has a rain head and other specialty options; the “woodwork” is actually tile.

Thirty years ago, Roger Hain and his wife, Regina, traveled to Baden-Baden, Germany, where they enjoyed an extraordinary spa experience. Hain was so impressed that he vowed to one day have a home spa that provided as many similar amenities as possible. Decades would pass before this dream could be fulfilled, as career and family priorities intervened. Upon retiring, Hain decided it was time.

Lots of glass and natural wood give the spa an open, airy feel.

Hain selected G.M. Roth Design Remodeling of Nashua to tackle the project. He knew the work would be complex, but the firm had experience with intricate builds. “I wanted to transform part of our walk-out basement into a spa featuring two heat stations, a cool-down station and a regular shower,” he explains. “The spa wellness treatment is very specific. You enjoy a dry sauna, which achieves temperatures of up to 176 degrees Fahrenheit but no humidity. Then, you go to a steam shower that is 100% humidity but with temps of only 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Next comes a cold plunge into about 64-degree water.

This project made all of us up our games. We learned a lot and tackled some things we had never dealt with before.

If you wish, you can repeat the process, or go back to the steam room, or simply rinse off in the regular shower. The sauna in particular provides tremendous therapeutic benefits. One Finnish study showed that this process, when done regularly, reduces your risk of heart attack by 52%, and also increases life span in general.”

Hain notes that each segment of the process has to be physically isolated from the others. This added to the challenge, as the spa area is small. On the plus side, it received a fair amount of natural light, and 30 years ago, when the house was being built, Hain had the foresight to sink PVC pipes into the basement floor in hopes of one day having his spa.

“Roger was meticulous in planning what he wanted,” says Dean Rascoe, sales and marketing director for G.M. Roth. “He had a clear idea and paid enormous attention to the details. This helped us capture his vision. The small space was a challenge, and there were also safety things to be worked out, as each area—sauna, steam shower and regular shower—had uplighting, and the electrical had to be isolated from any moisture.

The custom plunge pool is surprisingly deep given its small circumference.

“The plunge pool is not large, but it is deep. To meet Roger’s needs, it was recessed into the floor to allow easy access and exit. Choosing the right materials also necessitated some research. Roger wanted natural materials, and we used those where possible. However, with so much moisture, we had to opt out of natural stone in the regular shower as it would mold, and go with a porcelain tile that looks like stone. Similarly, the materials in the plunge pool area look like wood, but are in fact tile. There is a tremendous amount of tile craftsmanship in the entire project.”

Great attention was paid to the color palette for the spa area, with a warm beige chosen for the paint. The color harmonizes with the earthy woods, stone and tilework, creating an overall calming ambience. The glass doors on the individual wellness areas add to the open, airy feeling and allow light to flow throughout. Accent lighting is used to highlight shelving, thus helping define and brighten spaces, and all lights have dimmer capabilities. Small details like matching black hardware to shelving trim make the spaces feel cohesive.

“This project made all of us up our games,” says Rascoe. “We learned a lot and tackled some things we had never dealt with before. We were proud of the results and very pleased to deliver the finished product for Roger.”

Hain is thrilled with the results and uses the spa nearly every day. “It’s wonderful to have this in my home,” he says. “G.M. Roth did an outstanding job. They met every challenge and now my dream is a reality.”

PROJECT TEAM

G.M. Roth Design Remodeling
603-880-3761
gmroth.com

Helo
helosauna.com