Masterful Master Baths

Today’s master baths goes beyond mere bathrooms to also serve as places to pamper, relax and rejuvenate. Since it’s where your day begins and ends, it’s definitely a space you’ll want to be comfortable in and enjoy. The amenities in some master baths today can rival those of a luxury spa. So what are homeowners doing these days to create their own personal retreats?

Savvy Selections

Natural stone is as popular a choice as ever for bathroom floors and walls. Extending the tile work from the shower to the walls can help minimize the number of different elements in the room, and extending the tile to the top of the wall can give the illusion of higher ceilings. Using a radiant heat system to warm the floors will make for happy feet and can even be installed in the shower floors and walls. Eliminating that icy tile feeling first thing in the a.m. will certainly help take the “ugh” out of your morning routine, as a heat-ready timer warms things up before you step into the shower. Utilizing space as effectively as possible is a priority for most folks. To help there is a huge selection of custom, built-in storage solutions that replace the standard linen closet as well as complement the design of the room. One recent trend that has become a new standard is the 36″ high vanity, which offers both more storage and drawer space.  To shake up the cookie-cutter image of more traditional bathrooms, consider the unfitted look, which features furniture-style vanities and cabinetry.

Making Room for Luxury Showers

In the last few years, many homeowners have begun to view the tub as more of a “nice to have” feature, instead of a “must have.” As the shower is used on a daily basis, bathrooms are often being designed with a larger shower,  and some folks are choosing to remove the tub altogether. Frosted-glass shower doors and glass-block enclosures are being traded for frameless glass doors, giving the space an open and elegant look. Nowadays rain showerheads and handheld showers are more common fixtures than the body sprays that were popular a few years ago. A bench or a shaving step in the master shower is frequently incorporated for added convenience and safety. For those who still have a tub on their “must-have” list, free-standing, sculptural tubs are becoming increasingly popular and add visual interest to the room.

A Clean Look

Modern, sleek and clean are three words that describe the look of master baths these days. Fussy details with lots of mouldings are not as common as they once were. Simple designs, with fewer profiles to catch dust and dirt, make cleaning an easier task. There has also been a return to polished metals, like chrome and nickel, tying in to the sleek, modern esthetic. Using a warm color palette and creamier hues can be the key to keeping the area from looking too “cold” when going modern, plus can make the space seem larger. Larger floor tiles, such as 12-by-18 or 18-by-18 inch, are being incorporated more often, and require fewer grout lines also making for easier cleaning. There are many variables to take into consideration when designing a well-planned master bath, and making a clear list of the functions the space will need to handle is  a necessary first step. For instance, do the kids use it too? Is there another tub available for bathing pets? Or, how many people are getting ready at once? The connection to the closet, dressing area and bedroom  is also important to examine. To accommodate people’s different habits and schedules, there are many strategies for how to connect the spaces to help minimize the disruption on your significant other. Whether you want a bathroom with all the bells and whistles, or are just looking to upgrade a few key features in your existing space, a design build expert can help create a master bath that’s uniquely yours.