Wellness Design "Home gyms are out, Home Saunas are in. 2026 renovations are prioritizing ‘Wellness Zones.’ People are turning primary baths into full-blown spas. Is a home sauna a ‘must-have’ or a ‘nice-to-have’ for you?
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Been getting more wellness-zone conversion calls in the GTA this past year than the previous five combined, so the trend is real on the ground and not just TikTok hype.
Quick notes from the Toronto builds we’ve been on:
Infrared cabins are the easy win. 110V or 240V plug-and-play, drops into a closet or corner of a primary bath, no venting drama. Most land $4k to $8k installed.
Traditional Finnish saunas are where budgets surprise homeowners. Dedicated 40-60A circuit for the heater, cedar or hemlock walls, foil-faced vapor barrier taped at every seam, sloped floor with a drain, and real exhaust if it’s interior. Realistic GTA spend on a finished 4x6 or 5x7 inside an existing bath lands $12k to $25k.
Two things people almost always miss: joist load under the heater plus fully-soaked bathers, and the Toronto permit requirement for any new wet zone. A small structural review up front saves the rework later.
For most of our clients it lands nice-to-have once they see the Finnish-build number. Infrared is doing most of the actual conversions.