Architectural Digest Pro: The Four Wellness Spaces Homeowners Want Now
For AD PRO, I asked designers to share their insight into building and outfitting these four luxury wellness spaces that are on the rise.
Meditation Space
Any quiet, protected space can serve as a meditation room, says AD100 designer Jeremiah Brent. Privacy is paramount. “It doesn’t matter how beautiful or restful a space is if you don’t feel you can truly get away from it all,” he adds. Brent gravitates toward unusual spaces that often get overlooked in a floor plan. “I love the idea of finding a spot that feels too small for a living room or too central for an office,” he explains. If the space is not fully enclosed, “a chic room divider, rug, or even a shift in lighting can help define it.”
In his family’s former Los Angeles home, the designer transformed an atrium with a vaulted ceiling into a meditation room, employing antique Spanish-marble tile underfoot, a low wood table from a Paris flea market, and a vintage club chair upholstered in a Carolina Irving Textiles stripe. The wood, stone, fabric and other natural materials helped create an environment of rest... (Click here to read the rest on AD PRO.)
Pilates Studio
Ample space, good ventilation, and natural light are what make an at-home Pilates studio inviting, says designer Nabela Noor, who recently built her own inside her historic home in Pennsylvania. If given the choice between siting the studio in a basement or an above-ground space—such as a garage—she recommends the latter every time. “You can open the garage doors and have that natural air and light gush in,” she says.
A hundred square feet accommodates a single Pilates reformer with enough clearance to perform full-body exercises around it—though mat-only practices can get away with less. The reformer machine itself often represents a significant part of the budget… (Click here to read the rest on AD PRO.)
Bathhouse
The at-home sauna was just the beginning. Now clients are leveling up, commissioning entire bathhouses—custom hydrotherapy suites that might include hammam-style steam rooms, jetted tubs, cold plunges, and experience showers with aromatherapy . The ultimate at-home indulgence, it requires both technical precision and design restraint to avoid feeling clinical.
“These rooms should balance form and function, and invite you in because they feel calming and grounded,” says Alison Downey , principal of AD PRO directory design firm Downey in New Y ork. She specifies nature-derived materials such as “limestone, hand-made clay tile, natural river rock and warm woods like walnut, fir, and oak,” usually in a “light, earthy color palette.” Behind any cladding, a waterproof membrane and insulation are essential to prevent mold and maintain temperature control… (Click here to read the rest on AD PRO.)
Pickleball Court
The pickleball craze has rooted itself into backyards across the country, especially those harboring disused tennis courts, says AD PRO Directory landscape designer Russell Wightman, whose Altadena, California-based firm recently completed a tennis-to-pickleball court conversion in Beverly Hills and is currently working on another in Malibu. Whether renovating or starting anew you’ll want to choose the right court finish, says Wightman. While acrylic is the go-to surface for pickleball pros, PVC or vinyl sport-court flooring is better suited to a wide skill set (and softer on the joints). Ensuring proper drainage around the court is important to avoid damage caused by standing water.
The real design work happens around the court. “I like grass or a softer plant surface there so players aren’t worried about tripping if running for a ball,” says the designer. Site the court a safe distance from tree canopies… (Click here to read the rest on AD PRO.)