06/12/2026
Maybe We've Been Looking At Bathrooms All Wrong
After more than 40 years in the flooring and remodeling industry, I've watched bathroom design evolve dramatically. Today's bathrooms are more beautiful than ever, but somewhere along the way they also lost a little of that laid-back, relaxing feel.
Living in modern times, it seems almost everything revolves around waterproofing and hard surfaces. And to be fair, some of the most beautifully designed bathrooms I've ever seen and worked on are absolutely stunning.
Yet they always seemed like they were missing something.
Oddly enough, I think European spas put their finger on it years ago.
Wood.
Not because it was trendy. Not because it was the latest design idea. They simply understood how a room should feel. Warm. Comfortable. Inviting. A place to slow down and enjoy the moment.
For decades we've been told that real wood simply wasn't an option in wet areas, so we stopped thinking about it.
And honestly, I didn't put all of this together until I started working with Thermawood. It didn't just introduce me to a different flooring product, it opened the door to a different way of thinking. One where real wood could once again be used in places that have long been dominated by tile, stone, and other hard surfaces.
As I watch today's homes, I'm seeing people move back toward warmth and character. Flooring where every board isn't identical. Homes that feel natural instead of manufactured. Spaces that feel welcoming the moment you walk through the door.
Maybe that's what we've been missing.
A bathroom that feels less like a bathroom and a little more like the place in the house where you actually want to slow down for a while.
We think it's about time we looked at real wood again. Not just for its beauty, but for its ability to make a house feel more like a home.
While bathrooms may be what started this conversation, it's only part of the story. Thermawood-USA also offers real solid hardwood flooring designed for applications that were once considered off limits, including installation directly over concrete slabs and radiant heat systems. Available in Red Oak, White Oak, and Antique Heart Pine, with impressive 12–16 foot lengths and widths from 7–10 inches, it's another example of how real wood is finding its way back into places many of us never thought possible.
