Ultimate Guide to Planning the Master Bathroom of Your Dreams

The core purpose of a master bath is to provide you with a place of respite from the world’s chaos. It’s a place of self-care, to pamper yourself, and see to your own needs instead of the needs of others. A master bathroom has to serve the basic purpose of a bathroom but it can provide so much more. It can be a spa or a mini vacation from your busy life.

Your master bathroom should be a place you play music, grab a glass of tea or wine, and let your stress and tension melt away in your soaking tub. Even a place to read a good book or watch a movie on your device with peace and quiet. A calm space to get ready to face the world or shed your weariness before sinking into sleep. Your en suite should be a spa experience without the astronomical price tag. 

A guest bath is a practical, high traffic area for your guests to rest and deal with their business. However, your master suite is your private space, to be cherished and protected from the outside world. Focusing on the things that will help you seek comfort and relaxation is the best way to invest in your master bathroom and well-being.

A quality bathroom remodel that is elegant and timeless is a huge benefit to your home’s equity. It is estimated that you’ll easily see at least an 84% return on investment for a bathroom remodel, according to HGTV. 

Depending on the technology you install, the materials you choose, and the overall design, you could add a significant amount of equity to your home’s overall value. Not to mention, you’ll become the envy of your neighbors.

There are bold trends and ever-changing “color of the year” palettes, but the best way to see value returning year after year is to select a timeless classic look and update it with modern fixtures, and accessories. 

With an investment as large as a master bath, it’s tempting to go all out on the newest and best trends, but it’s not the most financially responsible option for the long run. Using accessory parts as your trendsetters, and keeping the timeless beauty for your mainstays and structures is advisable. The idea is to keep the neutral bones of your bathroom, which allows you to shift the cosmetic details to suit the current trends and preferences.

There is one phrase that every realtor wants to hear in the real estate world when they take on a listing: “Our home has a 5-piece master bath”. This means that it has five separate fixtures. Most commonly, this means a toilet, standing shower, separate tub, and two sinks. Sometimes a bidet or a double shower can replace the tub or second sink. 

The first configuration is the most popular with home buyers as it’s the most efficient for a traditional family. While it’s not a deal-breaker if your master bath doesn’t have all five pieces, it is a nice touch if you’re considering a full remodel and space allows.

With significant advancements in tile, hardwood, laminate flooring, decorative concrete, epoxy, and more, the options and combinations are endless. 

Flooring is a perfect opportunity to create a grounding layer of visual interest. You could go neutral with your flooring, with a solid or monochromatic layout, or pop in some high contrast flooring to make the rest of the room pop.

Variety of color, shape, and complexity creates endless possibilities for unique and beautiful designs.

Modern laminate flooring mimics hardwoods and other building materials. It’s durable and versatile while providing beauty and simplicity to your design.

Sealed hardwoods provide depth and character, but need to be meticulously maintained to prevent water damage.

Interior use of concrete adds longevity and durability to your bathroom. Concrete can be manipulated to look like wood grain, stone, tile, and more with the right techniques.

Epoxy is virtually waterproof, easy to clean, long-lasting, and has the ability to be dyed with pigments, mixed and swirled for a marbleized appearance that is otherwise unachievable.

Clever, clutter-free storage is the end goal of any bathroom. Cabinets that accent the flooring and countertops with creative storage options are essential in an efficient bathroom. To keep the environment restful and spa-like, less is more. 

Solid colors in greys, deep moody blues, or off whites give a good balance to flooring options and maintain a classic, timeless look. Most greys, whites, and blues will go well with any countertop you choose. A glossy finish will give the bathroom a polished look, while a matte or weathered finish will give it a boho or farmhouse chic style.

Marble, quartz, and slabs of slate are great traditional countertops, and tile is seeing a surge in popularity. DIYers have found Pinterest dreams in refinished and repurposed dressers, wine barrels, and more for countertops. What you choose to top your cabinets for your dream master bath is ultimately up to you, but remember to consider the material’s longevity.

High-efficiency toilets, faucets, and showerheads are making a huge impact on bathroom designs in 2020. Soft inset lights, elegant faucets and showerheads, and quiet flush toilets are being seen more and more. 

Gold, bronze, antique brass, and brushed nickel are gaining or maintaining popularity. The only real difference in how these fixtures have changed in the last decade is the sleekness or flamboyance of each individual design. A unique option that we see more and more of is artisan-made glass or acrylic handles and knobs for cabinets.

The idea of a soaking tub is that you can sink in and soak your whole body. No more shifting around to get comfy and scrunching up to cover yourself with water with these tubs. You can simply drift into the water to soak.

Bath Bomb perfection. Free-standing tubs, like clawfoot, or bucket tubs, are growing in popularity. Free-standing soaking tubs are a luxury many strive to add back into their dream master bath.