Add glitz to your bathroom with these glass pedestal sinks. (Courtesy of Cheryll Gillespie)

The bathroom is our own private little sanctuary and it was the focus of my attention last weekend as I attended the annual Kitchen and Bath industry show in Chicago. A great show where global suppliers introduce their new product releases and innovations to dealers, designers and media alike.

There were two main trends at this yea’rs show- environmentally friendly products and individuality. There was no shortage of product or creativity.

Water conservation and improved water quality were a consistent theme as I wandered from booth to booth. Over the next couple of years I predict that we will be hearing a lot more about how poor water quality and chlorination is literally killing us.

Did you know, for instance, that when we bathe and shower in chlorinated water we increase the likelihood of cancer in our lifetime by 93% and that we absorb 600% to 10,000% more contaminants in one 10-minute hot shower than if we drank the same water all day .

David Fowler from Wellness Enterprises shared these disturbing facts with me last week. I don’t even want to shower until I install a water filter. These are scary facts; luckily there are a number of products focused on improving our water at home. My personal favourites were the Everpure and Wellness Enterprises line of filters - both have great websites full of interesting water facts.

Generally, your toilet is your largest user of water at home and older versions can use up to five times more water than new state of the art models. If you have an older toilet at home, you should consider replacing it with a newer model. If you have a new model how about replacing the seat with a bidet seat?

On countertops we saw 2-inch thick textured glass; married with all sorts of woods and coloured and exotic stones. Sinks and tubs were flowing with creativity. There were tubs carved from one pieces of stone weighing over two tons; modern clawfoots; aluminum tubs and sinks that are literally works of art (check out linkasink.com).

Add a sexy alligator tile on the floor; a fabulous wallpaper on the wall; a sleek water-saving faucet, heated towel rack; and a chandelier over the tub and you have a bathroom that you just won’t want to leave. The trend in bathrooms is to maximize your use of textures (even in a small bathroom). Bundle up as many of the luxury items as you possibly can and find a home for them in your bathroom. Now that’s what we all deserve.