Looking to create a unique bathroom? Forget the tumbled marble floor and granite countertop. Go stainless instead.

Today's trend setters are adding stainless steel throughout the bathroom. They are adding sinks, medicine cabinets, bathtubs, and shower stalls. Even the toilet is taking on a new life.

"We've done bathrooms that were all stainless -- walls and fixtures and toilets," said Mark Weber, an architect with Wheeler Kearns Architects in Chicago. "We've done wall panels that are stainless, almost like you're walking into the inside of a ship."

As stainless steel continues to influence kitchen design, some home owners are moving it into the more private retreat of the bathroom. They may add one element, such as a sink, or use several components to blend the space together.

How Much to Add?

Some use all stainless steel fixtures or mix stainless with similar materials. Pair a stainless steel sink with satin nickel cabinet handles and door handles and a stainless steel toilet.

How Daring Are You?

Those who are more daring add the metal look to large sections of the room. "I did a house where the complete shower area, medicine cabinet and custom sink were stainless," said Jim Brunetti, owner of Avenue Metal Manufacturing in Chicago. That home owner spent about $35,000 on stainless steel throughout the bathroom and kitchen, where they added stainless cabinets, he said.

Others are adding stainless steel tubs. One 48-inch by 78-inch model is priced at $6,300 for the standard tub and $7,500 for the tub with whirlpool jets, said Annette Carnow, owner of Aquaworks, a bathroom showroom in Chicago's Merchandise Mart. "It's a colder look, but as a tub it warms up real fast because it conducts heat."

Don't Forget the Toilet

Acorn Engineering Company has stainless steel toilets that take the prison toilet look to a more sophisticated level. One model combines a sink and toilet in one unit, complete with a side panel that opens for storage. The Neo-Comby toilet and wash basin also includes a towel rack and toilet paper holder.

Another option is a hanging shoe storage container made of stainless steel. Brunetti is making one for a home owner who wants space to fit 20 pairs of  shoes. The cost is expected to be between $6,000 and $8,000.

Who Uses It?

Those who use stainless are looking for a unique element that will create a statement in the bathroom. They may use one fixture as a focal point or add several to make a strong design statement.

"I've had people go with a really contemporary look where they'll use it with concrete or mix and match it with granite or slate," said Stephanie Bennett, president of Diamond Spas, Inc., a plumbing fixtures company in Broomfield, CO. "Other people try to do a softer look with more traditional colors."

Disadvantages

Stainless steel is a unique look, but there are disadvantages to using it.

• the products are far from mainstream; some designs have to be custom made to fit a particular room layout
• Stainless steel is more difficult to work with than some other materials; once it's built there's no give to it
• It is more costly than porcelain or vitreous china
• It may affect a home's resale value.