European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 15, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The trend in House buying in the United states has been toward larger Homes with greater elegance and a More creative use of space. Not 2 big demand for spacious houses  residential Developer for associated press a decade ago just As the Energy crisis influenced americans to buy smaller More efficient cars it also affected the housing Market causing developers to construct smaller More efficient Homes. But today we Are seeing a demand for larger More spacious houses in the United states with greater elegance and a More creative use of space with sophisticated heating and ventilation systems. Developers have just begun to see the Impact of this trend in the demands of purchasers. Many House buyers for example want larger bedrooms that serve As secondary living areas. And the postwar trend to reduce the height of ceilings has been reversed. Homeowners appreciate a minimum of 9-foot ceilings. They often soar to 20 feet with dramatic window treatments. Many homeowners will actually incorporate a mini living room into their bedroom where one member of the family can read quietly and retire from the rest of the House. Comfortable lounge chairs Side tables and Small couches give bedrooms a new dimension. Some people even opt to have fireplaces As the focus of these bedroom and living areas. To complement these spacious rooms Home buyers frequently look for Large adjacent bathrooms often subdivided into two areas so that More than one person can use the room at the same time. In the Large bathrooms homeowners May also build Whirlpool Baths with separate showers and steam showers an enclosed Shower linked to a steam Generator. This provides an almost self sufficient mini health spa right in a bathroom. Previously bathrooms were Small with minimal and restrictive Light. Bathrooms Are now being built in the United states with larger windows and skylights to Page 16 the stars and stripes wednesday february 15,1989 provide a greater feeling of openness and Light. In the same vein  decks Are being built outside of the master bedrooms. These extended porches show even greater popularity in the Sun Belt for obvious climatological reasons. For the health conscious Homes will include Small separate Bay areas for exercise equipment and space for calisthenic and stretching. In Homes at one development at port liberte Jersey City n.j., this Bay area is located in the master bedroom near the Shower so that it can be used conveniently at any time. Port liberte has a Cross Section of Homes ranging from $150,000 condominiums to $900,000 family town houses built along a 21/2-mile network of Man made canals. Walk in closets these Days generally feature shelves designed for shoes and several hanging Racks for sport Coats and Slacks and a variety of drawers. The closet becomes Well organized transformed into a storage and dressing area with a Section that includes Large mirrors for dressing. Whatever Market developers Are dealing with there appears to be an increasing expectation of luxury. Areas for entertaining play an important role. Foyers Large formal areas Are separated from the living room and dining room decorated with tile and Marble. This is a place to Greet guests that reflects the Overall theme of a Home. American kitchens Are taking on a new flavor very european in style and design. Appliances and Cabinet work Are getting speaker and cleaner with much More sophistication in the Way they operate. The typical american buyer will take to this with enthusiasm. Smooth closed Range tops built in refrigerators built in microwaves separate double ovens and garbage disposals and compactors will be incorporated into More and More modern kitchens. A wider Range of counter materials will also be used including natural and synthetic stones As Well As tile and stainless steel. They Are durable and easy to live with and new in appearance. Kitchens will become an area where style is As important As design. The Bidet latest thing in american bathroom fixtures by Jill j. Lanford Spartanburg . Herald journal he Bidet. Add it to the list of things mama never told  touted As the fixture of the 1990s, the much maligned greatly misunderstood Bidet is finding its Way into More and More upscale bathrooms in the United states. Forget its naughty reputation proponents insist it is quite undeserved. The Bidet pronounced be Day actually dates Back to the Days of Napoleon when French cavalrymen discovered it was just the thing for Saddle sores. Bidet even Means Small horse in French says Scott Atcheson project manager of fixtures for Eljer a manufacturer. It has nothing to do with sex Atcheson says. Nothing to do with the prevention of social diseases. The Small horse is More a device of Comfort and Hygiene a european washing fixture that can be used for everything from a soothing soak for tired feet to the perfect tub for baby. Its primary use of course is As a Complete cleansing method of the Pelvic area a process doctors say can be particularly beneficial in reducing the pain of haemorrhoids rashes and tenderness following childbirth. The user sits astride the Bidet facing the hot and cold water faucets to begin the cleansing process. Fresh water enters the fixture through a vertical Spray in the Center of the bowl through a Flushing rim or integral filler or through a Pivotal spout that delivers a horizontal Stream of water. A pop up Drain Means the Bidet can also be filled with water. So Why the soiled reputation the first Contact americans had with the Bidet was during world War i when French prostitutes introduced the fixture to . Soldiers. The americans did t realize the fixture was widely used in Homes throughout Europe they associated it instead with wild women and wicked ways. Today Many people experience the Bidet while travelling abroad one reason Atcheson thinks its acceptance Here has come first and Foremost with the affluent. It s really become something of a status Symbol he says comparing it to the popularity whirlpools attained in the Early 1980s. In those Days Only the Rich had whirlpools now it in t uncommon at All to go into a modest Home and see  Many . Manufacturers Are banking on the same trend with the Bidet. While National statistics report that the fixtures account for Only 2 percent of the total Market sales Are steadily increasing. The plumbing heating and Cooling information Bureau estimates its growth at 5 percent yearly a veritable wave. We re up to about 10,000 units a year Atcheson says adding that Eljer produces six different models ranging in list Price from less than $200 to More than$700. But plumbing can escalate the Price probably another reason the Market continues to be dominated by the affluent. While most bidets Are made from China or cultured Marble there is a great Deal of variety in style finish and Spray design. They also come in a Range of designer colors. John Laughton marketing projects manager at american Standard says the luxury of a Bidet is in keeping with a trend toward larger and More spacious Baths rooms which Are having less to do with function and More to do with Beauty and a gracious Way of life. As bathrooms become More spacious and contain More amenities the Bidet should find its rightful place in the Home Laughton says