Location: Brooklyn, New York
Designers: Jennifer Carpenter, Travis Talmadge, and Jason Goodman
On offer: Co-founders Travis Talmadge and Jason Goodman partnered with Jennifer Carpenter of Verona Carpenter Architects to bring their convivial spa concept to life. Inside the bones of a former 1930’s soda factory, Carpenter put a contemporary sheen on the industrial aesthetic with the help of matte black geometric wall tiling, a cement-tiled reception desk, and a surfeit of plants. Brooklyn-based illustrator Amit Greenberg was commissioned to create a mural inspired by an ancient Roman bathhouse for the communal soaking space, while the treatment rooms hew organic with tribal masks, kilim rugs, and vintage anatomical prints.
Standout features: New Yorkers subscribed to the taxing ritual of self-care have a seemingly endless supply of new “treat yourself” venues — from Chillhouse’s pastel palace in SoHo to The Well’s sprawling temple to Goopism in Flatiron. Joining the fray is Williamsburg’s recently opened Bathhouse, a subterranean destination that blends the social aspects of a traditional bath house with a thoughtful menu of modern-day treatments. Visitors can either leisurely rove between an array of cedar saunas, steam rooms with ceilings lined in LED constellations, and thermal pools or can book private scrubs, sports massages, and sessions in the high-tech sensory deprivation tank. Open to the public, the street-level restaurant serves chef Nejc Šegura’s Northern and Eastern European cuisine, and martinis made with house-infused vodkas. Patrons of the bath house are free to dine while donning their kimono-style robes.
