Follow these 5 easy steps to design a stunning and functional Master Bathroom in any home.
Are you dreaming of a space in your home where you can retreat and enjoy all the luxuries? Take the time to consider what’s important for you and your needs and follow these 5 tips to a perfectly designed master bathroom. Soon you’ll be soaking up the pleasures of a beautiful and comfortable space in your custom home. Regardless of size you’ll be able to incorporate many of these features in your bathroom for a more enjoyment. From Space needed to plush floor rugs, follow these essential steps to make your space perfect.
The Space / Setting the mood / Fixtures / Touch & Feel / Crisp & Clean
The space:
How big should it be and what’s the best floor plan for a master bathroom? Most of this will be dependent on the size of the home as a whole. However, big or small, there are always steps you can follow to ensure the space will work for you and create your “Special retreat”, a room that you will find yourself gravitating to and love for years to come. Here are 3 size examples for a master bathroom: Generally a master bathroom is on average 5-6% of the new home construction, or about 120 sq.ft. in a 2000 sq.ft. home.
Toilet spacing:
The main function of a bathroom right? Well it’s the one component that we’d like to keep out of sight if possible, especially if the room will be used by more than one individual at a time. Toilet space falls into 3 categories:
-Open: typically for smaller rooms, this would be situated beside the tub/shower
-Partial obscure: Tucked behind a wall or partial partition
-Enclosed: Contained by a door or full partition
Tub/shower size:
The tub/shower is one component that has endless possibilities and can range from a single-stall shower for one, or the luxury dream bathroom with separate showers including body sprayers for two, and soaker tubs for multiple people. In general, follow these rules for your tub/shower:
-Small house: with a tub/shower combo 60-inches-by-30-inches and for shower only 30-inches-by-30-inches
-Medium home: individual tub 72-inches-by-40-inches and individual shower 48-inches-by-48-inches
-Large home: Well use your imagination. Nothing’s holding you back from literally soaking up the most luxurious master bath. Custom tile, jet tubs, and anything goes here.
Lighting and setting the mood:
Lighting is one of the elements in a master bathroom that is so important. We’ve never heard anyone complain about too much light, but defiantly not enough is a constant complaint. Don’t fall victim to “Not enough light”. There are 3 main considerations for lighting in your bathroom:
Natural light:
Adding light starts with the consideration of Natural light or windows/skylights. Nothing can beat natural light but planning for that in a bathroom is important. Consider sight lines and a good balance between privacy and light. Celestial lights (high/narrow windows) are a good consideration and can be incorporated into most bathrooms.
Directional lighting:
Light fixtures that serve and direct purpose are critical. Lights over your mirror or make-up station are essential for the functionality of the room. Consider fixtures over the vanity, toilet and shower locations as a base for good lighting. This is especially important if there is no Natural light available in the bathroom.
Ambient lighting:
Feature lighting should not be overlooked and add that little extra bit of personality to your beautiful master bathroom. This is where you can have some fun. Some options are: Adding coloured lights to accent the colour pallet of the room, floor lighting, pot lights, shelving lights and the list is endless. Have fun with it, but ensure you map out the electrical requirements in the initial planning.
Fixtures and quality:
Any bathroom in your home is a commonly used space, with fixtures that get used every day. Like the saying goes, “You get what you pay for” – it can’t be more true than in the master bathroom. The extent of budget, will most likely regulate what goes into the finishing of the room. However, the quality of the fixtures is one area that should not be overlooked. The “Special of the week” toilet might sound good now, but when it fails and floods the room, you’re probably going to regret your choice. Headache and additional expense will be soon to follow. Good products may cost more now, but they will provide you with peace of mind.
Do your research and purchase fixtures that will last a lifetime and ensure you can comfortably enjoy your dream oasis for years to come. Two names that we depend on are: Kohler and Delta. Avoid the lure of cheap products and contractors that don’t stand by their work.
Look, Touchy-feely, create the space:
Nothing says “Awe” more than walking into a room where the colours, textures and feel, simply grab and embrace you. The way you feel in the space is possibly the most important. Big or small, dark or light, you want to feel great in this space. The touchy-feely of your bathroom starts from the moment you step into the room. What’s under your feet, is it crisp ceramic tile, smooth to the touch or is it that cushy floor mat that wraps around your toes. Here are the important things to consider when adding the finishing touches:
Colours:
It’s important to have fun with colours and the choices are endless, so grab a colour wheel and start having fun
Flooring:
in-floor heating, floor mats, textured flooring, in floor heat ect.
Towels:
a good opportunity to use these as an accent feature and don’t limit yourself to only 1 colour
Accents:
flowers, soaps, air fresheners and art work are other starting points that should be considered in the space.
*Remember this is your space. Personalize it, have fun and make it your own. You’ll be in it every day.
Crisp and clean: Storage and things to hide away:
In your bathroom there are essential items. Toilet paper, towels, make-up, soaps, tooth brushes ect. These are the common essentials in any bathroom, and displaying these or storing them away should be planned. In your master bathroom, the most common space to store these items is in a vanity. However, there are countless other ways to utilize wall space, floor space and other shelving to make your space functional. Toilet paper by itself is nothing to look at, but nestled in a feature basket makes it functional and a subtle addition to the decor of your room.
Here are some other innovative storage ideas for your perfectly designed master bathroom:
Open shelving:
store your towels as a piece of art and add colour and texture to the space. Use a feature ladder or open shelving
Cabinets:
plan your cabinets and vanities for useful drawers and cupboards. Today there are endless features to be included in cabinetry and they don’t have to be expensive
Baskets:
roll up towels, toilet paper and soaps can be shown effectively and be a functional improvement to your bathroom
Hooks and bars:
use hooks to hang your robes and towels. Beyond the shower-rod, this is a easy way to
Custom details and built-ins:
sky is the limit with what can be done on a custom basis. Mostly in the larger spaces, custom cabinetry, shelving can include items such as: pop up TV’s for your bathing experience, benches, feature details like waterfalls, audio and other personal needs, or wants.
After all things are considered, here are other essential considerations in any bathroom design:
-The general shape of any bathrooms should be square or rectangular, and this includes powder rooms
-Tubs and showers should be situated along the perimeter of the room and when possible the toilet located behind a private partition AND away from the sight line of the door.
-In large space bathrooms be overly cautions of cluttered areas. Space shelving and display pieces with a balanced design approach.
-Windows are awesome when possible and should allow ample light but cautious of sight lines if privacy is a concern.
-Budget accordingly. Leave some cash for some accent pieces to really personalize your oasis
Designing the perfect master bathroom starts with YOU and what your wants and needs are. Consider the space and plan accordingly before jumping into it.
Delonix Homes is a Custom Home Builder in the Fraser Valley BC, passionately building custom homes, custom dreams. They are the proud winners of such accolades which include: Best Customer Service, Best New Home, Best Design, Best Kitchen Renovation, and others. They are a Mike Holmes Approved Home builder and have carved a niche, building exceptionally high quality homes for discerning home owners.