Her designer, Barbara Schlattman, put the bathroom television on a rotating pillar so that it can be seen from the tub or the exercise area. Although she enjoys using her bathroom for parties, Mrs. Paulson says she built it as a retreat. That's a typical rationale, says Geoffrey Godbey, a professor at Penn State University in State College, Pa., who specializes in leisure studies. But that doesn't mean secluding oneself altogether. At her parties, Ms. Drysdale designates another bathroom for that purpose.
Many bathrooms have toilets that are closeted off to offer privacy in a crowd.
But only recently has a such a wide array of other home products moved into the bathroom. Vicki McCaw of Aiken, S.C., recently bought one as an anniversary gift for her husband. It sits directly across from the fireplace and a pair of fish tanks under construction in the couple's bathroom. Mrs. McCaw says she first ordered the J-Allure without a TV, thinking it too small, but later changed her mind. He promises more high-tech products for the bathroom, although he won't get specific.