Bath

By Frances Ingraham Heins, New York Times News Service. Albany Times Union.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Towels are one of the most abused necessities in our daily lives. We step on them and dry almost everything with them.

Most of us like a towel that is soft, fluffy and absorbent, but not all towels are created equal. The best towels are made of 100 percent Egyptian cotton, according to Anne Martin, director of marketing for WestPoint Stevens, the nation's largest producer of retail bath and bed fashions.

"Egyptian cotton costs more but is the most absorbent and luxurious," said Martin. "Don't be fooled by the silky feeling of Egyptian cotton, because it's also one of the most durable cottons."

Always look for towels with a long fiber loop. Check by folding the fabric and comparing the length of the loops from the base to the turn. Towels with long loops not only look plush but also are the most absorbent.

Although it is attractive, the velour side of a terry cloth towel is not as absorbent as the loop side. People tend to buy the velour towels for appearance, rather than their drying capability, added Martin. "That's why you see so many fingertip and hand towels in the velour finish, because they tend to provide a more luxurious appearance, like velvet."

In a recent WestPoint Stevens survey, consumers say they chose towels first for softness, followed by absorbency, quality, color, price and brand name.

Bathrooms Are The Winner As Study Pins A Value On Specific Housing Amenities

Lew Sichelman, United Feature Syndicate
Copyright Š Chicago Tribune

WASHINGTON -- The more bedrooms and baths, the more expensive the house. Ditto for the size of the lot, the overall square footage of the house, the view and so on.

But exactly how much more are these and other physical attributes worth? The answer, of course, depends on a number of variables, not the least of which is location.

Based on the largest and most detailed study of its kind to date, you might be surprised by the particular features held most dear by home buyers.

Each additional 1,000 square feet of living space increases the price about 3.3 percent. Each additional bedroom, meanwhile, jacks up the value about 4 percent. Air conditioning, on the other hand, adds about 12 percent.

It is bathrooms, however, that have the most profound impact on values. According to the study, each full bath adds about 24 percent to the selling price of a house.

The research by two Florida State University professors, based on the 21-county Philadelphia area, is probably the most inclusive pricing model ever constructed. While most other models look at the impact specific characteristics -- such as a swimming pool or the fact that a house is located in a gated community -- have on value, this one studied dozens of features, everything from skylights and cathedral ceilings to exterior finishes and the pitch of the roof.

"We looked at a tremendous number of variables," says G. Stacy Sirmans, the Kenneth Bacheller Professor of Real Estate in FSU's Department of Risk Management/Insurance, Real Estate and Business Law. "Most other models are not nearly as inclusive."

Sirmans and David Macpherson, an economics professor at the Tallahassee school, based the study on nearly 29,000 transactions over 8 years in the Philadelphia area.

Originally, their study, which was funded by the National Association of Realtors, was to be national in scope. But when they couldn't obtain data for the entire country, the researchers settled on the Philadelphia region as "the next best thing."

Though the Sirmans-Macpherson survey is more comprehensive and wider in scope than previous valuation models, which tend to be location specific, the findings aren't gospel in all parts of the country. After all, what a specific characteristic may be worth often varies with consumers' tastes and preferences, the price of the property and local custom.

For example, a basement is highly prized in the Northeast but practically unheard of in the West. And while you wouldn't dare build a house without air conditioning in Miami, it is considered unnecessary in Flagstaff, Ariz.

"It's very difficult to extrapolate values; that's why the original intent was so appealing," says Sirmans. "That's not to say our findings don't apply everywhere, but we just don't know for sure that they do."

Still, the findings are significant in that the study goes far beyond characteristics that are common to every house. And where comparisons can be made, from block to block or region to region, they constitute "a strong guidepost" for owners and their agents to better determine proper listing prices, says senior NAR economist Paul Bishop.

Typically, the physical attributes that have the greatest effect on value are the property's location, the total square footage, the number of bedrooms and baths and its overall condition. Appraisers also often look at market conditions and the type of financing when making their valuations, but real estate agents rarely go beyond these key features when analyzing the market.

Sirmans and Macpherson, on the other hand, looked at hundreds of property characteristics to determine how the contribution of each one, not just alone but also in combination with one another, affect price.

Age hurts pricing, but not until a house is five years old, the researchers found. Still, it isn't until houses are 21 to 30 years old that the effect of age is more pronounced. But, when the place passes the century mark, it is likely to command a premium as a historic property.

Having a basement adds about 9 percent to the value. But if the laundry room is in the basement rather than on the first floor, the marketplace deducts about 2 percent.

Not surprisingly, selling prices increase with square footage. But the value increases at a descending rate as the size of the property goes up, the study found.

Each additional bedroom adds about 4 percent to the selling price, but a walk-in closet in the master or a loft has no pricing significance.

On the other hand, every extra full bath is worth 24 percent.

Here are some other findings:

- While it is often said that swimming pools lower value because they tend to narrow the market considerably, buyers are willing to pay about an 8 percent premium for an in-ground pool. If the pool is above ground, though, the house isn't worth a nickel more.

- Garages add about 13 percent. But the value of a larger than average garage is only slightly higher. And, like an above-ground pool, a carport adds no value.

- Two- and three-story houses are most highly valued. But the market makes no distinction between one-story split levels and one-story ramblers or ranch houses.

- Are buyers willing to pay extra for storage space? The study seems to indicate they aren't. A usable attic adds only about 2 percent to property price.

Bold Bathroom Tiles

By Stephen Treffinger
ŠThe New York Times

Q. I'd like to replace the tile in my bathroom with something besides the usual plain four-inch squares. What styles and patterns can you suggest?

A. It's scary how many bathroom walls look exactly the same, as if there were some law dictating their appearance. Fortunately there isn't, so feel free to shake things up. Think about playing with the shape, size or color of the tiles. Any of these will help personalize the space.

If you are feeling especially bold, take a look at a new line of tiles, above, from Ann Sacks. They were created by Angela Adams, a designer in Portland, Me., best known for her colorful handmade rugs and textiles. There is nothing business-as-usual about this collection; it provides lively color combinations, sculptural textures and unusual shapes. The tiles are expensive - from $33.50 a square foot - and in any case it may be best to use them sparingly, on one wall only, for example, or as a backsplash or border. They aren't in stores yet but you can order them after Aug. 1; for information, annsacks.com or (800) 278-8453.

Mosaic glass tiles now come in hundreds of colors and in several sizes, from small monochromatic squares to larger striated varieties that look like marble or gemstones. Because of variations in the surface, you avoid the more flat appearance of standard, uniform tiles. Bisazza, an Italian company, makes them, priced from about $9 a square foot; for information, bisazza.com or (305) 597-4099.

If you would prefer something more subtle, try going off the grid. Instead of the standard horizontal pattern, apply rectangular tiles vertically. Ono restaurant at Hotel Gansevoort, in TriBeCa, has metallic tiles turned on their ends, and it looks great. Walker Zanger makes a small, narrow metallic tile, from about $42 a square foot. For information, walkerzanger.com.

Q. I have some wicker chairs that are suffering from midseason malaise. How can I give them a fresh look?

A. Wicker is often thought of as the material from which the furniture is made, but it is actually a generic term for hard woven objects, typically made from some sort of plant fiber, rattan, willow or bamboo, for instance. Some wicker is made from a paper fiber rush, a sort of twisted kraft paper innovation from the early 20th century, and wicker can also be synthetic resin or plastic.

Whatever kind you have, you can give it a lift by adding color. Wicker is traditionally painted white, so a bright blue or emerald green would give your pieces a more modern look. The easiest way to get full coverage is to paint with a power sprayer, which is often available from a rental agency.

For pillows, fade-resistant fabrics come in all sorts of colors and patterns. Calico Corners carries Sunbrella's line. For information, calicocorners.com.

Take care to choose good towels	Bathrooms Are The Winner As Study Pins A Value On Specific Housing Amenities
Bold Bathroom Tiles