Bathrooms are built from materials chosen for being cold — tile, porcelain, chrome — so we put one warm thing on the wall. Solid teak, the same wood spas and steam rooms specify, shaped and sanded through five grits, then sealed with oil rubbed in until water beads and rolls off the edge.
In the bathroom it earns its wall space every few hours — glasses at 7 a.m., a candle at 9:30, the washcloth in between. It is the smallest piece of furniture in the house, and it moves the temperature of the whole room without touching the thermostat.