New Wealth Status: Plenty of Bathrooms

The real world might be worried about foreclosures and short sales, but when it comes to real estate, the well-heeled are focused on ... bathrooms, reports the Los Angeles Times. In fact, today's not-so-humble mansion should have two bathrooms for every bedroom if it hopes to compete. (Think en suite bathrooms for every guest room, along with uber-luxurious bathrooms elsewhere.) One 18,000-square-foot home in Bel-Air recently set the bar with 41—that's forty-one—bathrooms.

Why? Two notable quotes help explain:

• "The bathroom has become the dressing room," says one archtitect. "They really don't look much like bathrooms anymore."
• "The idea is never to inconvenience yourself or a guest," says a Pasadena agent. "You almost cannot have too many bathrooms."

(More luxury living stories.)