Solstice Kitchen & Bath

What Do You Need in a Master Bath Remodel?

November 7, 2023

A master bathroom is more than just a purely functional space where you go to shower and brush your teeth. This bathroom design is often created to meet the needs of more than one person and is a space used daily to get ready for the day ahead or to wind down at the end of a long workday. It sits adjacent to your master bedroom and therefore should gel with your personal style to create a space where you will enjoy spending time – whether that is putting on makeup and styling your hair or soaking in the tub to relax.

You may be planning a bath remodel to update your room’s style and functionality, or perhaps you have decided it’s time to move a wall and create the spacious master bath you always wanted. Regardless of the scope of your bathroom design plans, there are several key elements to consider for your master bath. From key fixtures like the vanity, toilet, shower, and more to your color scheme and materials, these items are essential to creating a space that balances style and functionality to enhance your home life.

Start by considering what you like – and more importantly what you want to change – in your existing master bathroom. Do you need more storage? Would you love to fit both a freestanding tub and a walk-in custom shower? Is your bath design color scheme outdated and badly in need of a refresh? Write it all down, save photos of bathroom styles and features that you love, and consider your available budget. This will help your bathroom design expert to understand your goals and to create a design that fits your needs.

Let’s explore the key items you need to consider when planning your ideal master bathroom design.

Vanity Storage for Two

Storage is essential throughout your home but is even more important in a busy bathroom designed for more than one person and intended for daily use. The foundation of your bathroom storage is the vanity cabinet. It offers space to keep items stowed away neatly and out of sight. It also helps to ensure that your master bathroom is clutter-free, which is essential not only to maintaining your room’s style but also to keeping users of the bathroom safe. Without sufficient storage, you run the risk of items being left on your bathroom or shower floor, which is a significant trip hazard. A cluttered space is also much more difficult to clean and maintain, so ample storage will improve your enjoyment of your new bath design for years to come.

In a busy master bathroom, a double vanity is the perfect choice, once your room is large enough to accommodate it. In a double vanity, each user of the bathroom can have their own designated storage space. Include customized storage accessories for everyone’s needs, from styling tools and makeup to shaving supplies. You can even incorporate built-in charging points with a designated space to set down devices while you are in the bathroom. One option with a double vanity is to include a central tower cabinet, which offers additional storage and separates distinct spaces for each person using the vanity.

Space to Get Ready

Your vanity size, style, and shape also help to define the space where you and your partner can get ready. Choose a vanity countertop that pairs well with your cabinetry and your backsplash. Remember that this countertop material must be able to withstand constant moisture including standing water, as well as spills of styling and makeup products. It helps to choose a countertop material that is as durable and easy-to-maintain as it is stylish. Engineered quartz is a top choice as it checks all the boxes.

With a double vanity, you should have ample countertop space for two and can include two vanity sinks so you are never vying for space to brush your teeth or wash hands. Keep your countertop space clear by utilizing your vanity storage. If you want to keep a few items on the countertop, whether for convenience or decoration, make sure they are carefully selected and neatly arranged. You could use a decorative tray to keep everything together and place stylish containers on it to hold things like cotton swabs.

Mirrors and Lighting

Now that your vanity and workspace have been established, think about the mirrors you will place above the vanity and your bathroom’s lighting plan. A double vanity in a busy master bathroom design calls for either two mirrors or one large mirror that allows everyone to see clearly when they need to get ready. A large mirror typically extends from above the vanity to the ceiling and the width of the cabinet. It reflects light and makes your room seem larger, and it goes with any bath design style. Twin mirrors can be frameless, beveled glass, or framed in a material (such as wood to match your cabinetry, metal to match plumbing fixtures, or a unique material to create a design focal point).

Your bathroom lighting plan must take into account the full picture of your lighting needs. Consider key areas that require targeted task lighting, such as the vanity and the shower, where you need to see clearly to perform tasks. Pair this with softer, ambient light sources, or include a dimmer switch or smart lighting controls, that allow you to set the tone for your space. With the right light sources and controlled lighting, you can go from a bright space where you can get glammed up for a night out to a spa-style bathroom where you can soothe away the stress in a bath or luxurious shower.

A Spacious Shower

A luxurious shower is central to a busy and stylish master bathroom. If you have the space in your bathroom layout, create the shower you always wanted with a large, customized shower style. Make it a shower built for two with dual showerheads on opposite walls. Up your shower game by incorporating a combination of rainfall and handheld showerheads. You could even go for a massaging shower panel for the ultimate shower experience.

Set the scene for your luxurious shower with a custom enclosure. Choose a tile that fits your bathroom design style and enhances your space with color, texture, and pattern. Create a sleek look with a frameless glass shower enclosure or combine a custom half wall with a glass shower panel. You could also incorporate a built-in shower bench, ideal for relaxing in a steamy shower. Add a recessed shower niche where you can store essential shower toiletries, so they are available when you need them.

Luxury Tub for Soaking

Showers are essential to a master bath, but a stylish soaking tub will really take your bath design to the next level. If you have enough space, then a sleek freestanding bathtub is a popular choice, as it creates a clear focal point and enhances your room’s style as much as its functionality. Choose a tub style that fits your room’s design aesthetic, with minimalist lines ideal for a more contemporary style while traditional bathrooms benefit from a tub with an embellished pedestal base.

Pair your bathtub with a wall-mount or floor-mount tub filler that matches your room’s style. Finish your tub area with conveniently located and stylish storage such as a ledge, a tub caddy, or a piece of unique furniture such as a repurposed cocktail table.

Plumbing Fixtures to Enhance Style and Functionality

In addition to your showerheads and tub fillers, you also need to select faucets for your vanity sinks. Typically, you would select a single style, material, and finish for all plumbing fixtures to create a uniform style throughout your bath design. You could also select light fixtures that match the finish of your plumbing fixtures or choose a different finish to get the popular two-tone metallic style for your bathroom.

Pay close attention to the components of your faucet selection as these parts make a significant difference to the durability and longevity of your faucets. Consider touchless faucets, which are ideal for homes with children or individuals with limited mobility. They are easy to use, have a sleek style, and are low maintenance.

Ample Ventilation

For a busy master bath design, used daily by more than one person for showers, baths, and getting ready, it’s important to plan for ample ventilation. Invest in a high-quality ventilation system, and ideally choose a model with low noise output so you don’t ruin your master bath’s relaxing vibe. A top-quality ventilation system will help to remove odors and moisture and minimize ongoing issues that can arise from excess moisture. This makes it much easier to clean and maintain your bathroom and creates a more pleasant atmosphere for daily use.

High-End Toilet

The toilet is an essential component of any bath design, whether you are creating a small powder room or a spacious master bathroom. In your main bathroom, why not go for a model that incorporates comfort and technology to improve your day-to-day experience?

The latest innovations in toilets incorporate automatic flushing, lights for nighttime use, heated seats, noise masking, and bidet capabilities with water sprays set to your preferred temperature and water pressure. They can be operated with a remote control or touch-free technology and can even include saved settings for each user’s preferences.

If you have the space in your master bath design, it also pays to place the toilet in a separate toilet compartment or at least separate by a half wall. This makes it easier for more than one person to use the bathroom at the same time.

Stylish Accessories

These finishing touches give your bath design character and can be just as important to your enjoyment of the space as your chosen fixtures. Accessories add warmth and personality to a bathroom and are an ideal way to add color and texture to an otherwise neutral bathroom color palette.

  • Choose cabinet hardware that works together with towel bars or rings, toilet paper holders, and robe hooks, all accenting your cabinet and tile colors.
  • Select textiles such as bathmats and towels that are cozy and evoke the aesthetic of your bathroom. All-white gives off a spa vibe, while choosing textiles in a color is an easy way to dress up your design that can be changed over time.
  • For countertops and open storage, choose containers that enhance your design style, such as glass jars, wooden crates, or baskets.
  • Finish off your design with a few personal items, such as a framed photo or painting (just be sure it is moisture resistant), plants, or candles.

Extras Like Laundry Hampers or a Walk-In Closet

One bonus item – if you have the space consider adding extras that can enhance your overall experience. In a spacious bath design, adding extra cabinetry can serve as a linen closet or hold pull-out laundry hampers for each user of the bathroom. No one will have any excuse to drop dirty clothes or towels on the floor! Depending on your master suite setup, you might consider upgrading or installing a master walk-in closet as part of your bathroom remodeling plans. Once you are embarking on a remodel, it is a small additional task to upgrade your closet storage with a customized storage system.

If you are looking at ways to update your home’s style and functionality, a master bath remodel is an ideal choice that will enhance your daily life. Master bathrooms are busy spaces, used every day and typically by more than one person. Think about your design vision for your master suite, and then choose a layout, fixtures, color scheme, and accessories that will create a space where you can get inspired for the day or relax at the weekend.