Lights, Color, Relaxation

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Color has always been an important part of Denise Turner's life.

The president of Alta Lorma, Calif.-based Color Turners makes a living advising companies on what colors they should add to their toasters, chairs, tables and other merchandise to help them sell better. Simply put, certain colors on certain products put consumers in a buying mood.

Turner is also a believer in the power of chromatherapy, a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners use colors to help heal anything from excessive acne to seasonal affective disorder to insomnia.

Critics deny that chromatherapy has any healing properties and take issue with the lack of scientific evidence to support these claims.

But whether or not those claims are substantiated by science, consumers are drawn to colorful options. For years, home accessory companies spruced up their product offerings by adding new colors to entice buyers. And now, manufacturers of bathtubs, LED lights, faucets and light bulbs are grabbing onto the chromatherapy trend.

Some of these products are meant to help harried homeowners soothe away the stresses of the day. Some, like temperature-sensing faucets, add function to the fun — they serve as an indicator of how hot the water is. The LED lights are blue when the water is still cold and red when it becomes hot.

Beyond that, it's simply a way to jazz up the kitchen or bathroom, and it is often offered in combination with other luxury options such as heated surfaces and aromatherapy.

Luxury bath heavyweight Jacuzzi has received such positive responses from consumers to their chromatherapy (one colored light in the tub) and illumatherapy (lighted jets) that they expect all luxury bath lines to offer these options in the future, according to customer service representative Marissa Chapa.

"It gives an additional sense of relaxation and comfort to the overall feel of the unit," she said.

For those who are ready to illuminate their bathrooms with chromatherapy, first consider the cost. A luxury Jacuzzi with colored lights can set someone back more than $5,000, depending on which options are selected.

Color light kits are available for DIY enthusiasts at a fraction of the cost. Amerec offers a light kit for a steam room ceiling for about $330, and Mansfield's chromatherapy system is a programmable system with seven light settings for $350.

For a smaller dash of color, many models of sink and bathtub faucets or showerheads with LED lights are available for less than $100.