This modular home sauna brings together ancient global wellness traditions with a contemporary design

Saunas are increasingly popular outside their native Finland, and today the power of deep heat can easily be enjoyed in the wild and through architect-designed retreats. Meanwhile, hammams, which form part of ancient weekly rituals spanning from Morocco to Turkey, and thermal bathing, popular from Iceland to Australia, have never been so hot.

Now, you can combine all wellness traditions in the comfort of your home thanks to Italian sauna specialist Effe, whose state-of-the-art ‘Petra SH’ system includes a sauna, a hammam and a plunge bath – handy if you don’t have a Scandinavian lake to jump into at the end of your garden.

A home sauna, hammam, and plunge bath all in one

Founded in 1987, Effe is well known for its innovative and flexible designs that can be easily installed in all sorts of locations. Its new system can be fitted in either public or private spaces, from hotel wellness centres to mini home spas. Customers can choose from clear or opaque glass for the front wall, depending on how much privacy is needed.

Launched at Milan Design Week 2025, the new ‘Petra HS’ system is inspired by the centuries-old sauna and Turkish bath traditions. ‘I spent a lot of time looking into the history of saunas and hammams, two age-old traditions that are deeply embedded in different, distant cultures,’ says its designer, Marco Williams Fagioli.

‘I found the symbols associated with these ancient wellbeing practices absolutely fascinating; for instance, the tradition of lowering the height of the door, so bathers had to bow as a sign of respect when they entered. I wanted to incorporate all these aspects into my project, so the experience would be even more stimulating and authentic.’

‘Petra HS’ is built using eco-friendly, recyclable materials. The sauna is clad in Swiss pine, a hardy Alpine wood that withstands the cold and has well-known relaxing and anti-bacterial properties. Its distinct fragrance, warm tones and natural texture help create ‘a revitalising, multi-sensory experience’.

Meanwhile, the hammam cabin features an innovative recyclable material obtained from pure minerals, chosen for its capacity to protect against moisture and thus prevent the proliferation of bacteria. It is enhanced with digital textures that give the material ‘a natural look and an organic feel’. Other cladding options include Travertine Vena Aurum porcelain tiles by KronosCeramiche.

Powered by an Effe Nuvola Smart steam generator installed under the bench, the hammam boasts automatic steam and temperature control, an open-door sensor and a touch-screen control panel. It can be combined with a sensory shower featuring colour therapy and fragrance diffuser.

After a session in the sauna or hammam, you can then submerge yourself in the cold water immersion bath, a practice that stimulates blood circulation, tones tissues and ‘promotes a profound feeling of physical and mental regeneration’. The steel plunge bath is sunk into a bespoke Aspen structure with matching clean lines.

Other recent Effe launches include the ‘Cabanon’ collection of outdoor saunas, designed for Effe by Rodolfo Dordoni and Michele Angelini, and ‘Sei’, a micro wooden structure developed with Agape and Cesare Roversi.