According to HGTV, an atmosphere of personal indulgence, which used to be the domain of day spas, is finding its way into master baths remodels. Limited only by imagination and a project’s budget, standard master baths are turning into customized retreats. The good news is luxury can be incorporated into any design.
“We’re starting to put in more luxurious items,” says Sara Ann Busby, National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) president-elect and owner of Sara Busby Designs of Elk Rapids, Mich.
Unsure about how to describe your desired style? Not a problem. A book like Yes/No Design: Discover Your Decorating Style With Taste-Revealing Exercises and Examples, by Diane Love (Rizzoli International Publications) can help sort through different styles. Paying a visit to decorator show houses, kitchen and bath showrooms and plumbing showrooms provides the opportunity to see bathrooms firsthand and get ideas for your project, says Jessica Clock, a designer with Carmel Kitchen Specialists Inc. of Carmel, Ind.
For master baths, no material is too luxurious or too unusual. “(People) are going over the top,” Sara Ann says. Of course, “over the top” can mean different things to different people. To some, it might mean splurging on granite countertops. To others it could mean going top-of-the-line from top to bottom.
To create a custom floor plan, consider hiring a certified bathroom designer, who will analyze the size of the space and your family’s needs. Some things to discuss with the designer include:
Shower or Bath: The master bath has undergone some changes in recent years. Giant tubs, once wildly popular, have fallen out of favor. Instead, people are choosing custom showers including overhead showerheads, wall-mounted showerheads, hand-held showerheads, shower tiles, rain bars, body sprays and steam showers. “People aren’t spending the time in the tubs,” Sara Ann says. “They can get the same benefit and be in and out in five minutes (with a shower).”
Choosing a custom shower with a smaller bathtub can have a big impact on the layout of a bath, too. “A big tub with a nice surround takes up a tremendous amount of space. We can do a great big custom shower in a lot less space,” Sara Ann says.
