For the master bath, less space and more luxury

Nov 02, 2023

After decades of relentless expansion, the biggest trends in the design of master bathrooms seem to be toward little luxuries.

Architects, interior designers, builders and homeowners appear to have reached the same conclusion: A bigger bath is not necessarily a better bath.

Consumers are spending less on square footage and more on luxe materials that keep a bath from looking like a locker room. They want fixtures and floor plans that reflect their personal definitions of practicality and comfort.

Here are some of the ways master baths are being fine-tuned for better function and more comfort.

? His-and-hers water closets: Venus and Mars seem to agree that two toilets, each in their own compartment, are better than bickering over a single commode. Her toilet seat can always be in the down position. His toilet tissue can be draped over the top of the roll rather than hanging down behind it.

The overall space isn't getting larger, just being remapped. Often each water closet has its own door. Apparently, and particularly for couples who share a rush-hour bath, there can indeed be such a thing as too much togetherness.

Some couples are going one step further, devising two smaller baths — one for him, the other for her — rather than one large shared bath. In some cases, both have equal access to a commodious and communal dressing room. Sometimes, one bath will have only a tub, the other a shower.

? Stand-alone fixtures: While built-in bathtubs are still the norm, freestanding tubs — now in stainless steel, copper and teak in addition to porcelain and solid-color acrylic — are coming on strong.

The flexibility for placement is part of the appeal. Rather than being sunk into a static built-in platform, some stand-alone tubs can be found floating smack in the middle of the bathroom floor.

Vessel sinks and pedestal sinks are also challenging built-in cabinet-style vanities with the usual undermounted basins. Sitting atop a counter or vanity that may look like a piece of antique furniture, vessel sinks are typically higher than most undermounted sinks and require less bending. Pedestal sinks are shapely elements that consume less visual space than built-in vanities.

In another acknowledgment of comfort and practicality, more and more consumers — and not just the elderly or physically challenged — are choosing chair-height toilets with seats that are 17 or 18 inches high. Sitting down and getting up again is easier than with low-slung models that have 15-inch-high seats.

? Bubbling cauldrons: Whirlpool tubs continue to be big sellers, but one-person tubs seem to be gaining on two-person units. Apparently, couples who invested in two-person whirlpools in the past found they rarely had time to soak together or preferred more solitude.

Obviously, the smaller units take up less space, leaving more bath real estate for a separate shower, separate toilet compartments or other highly desirable amenities — such as a whirlpool footbath. MTI Whirlpools is now marketing a foot spa called Jentle Ped. It's like a mini built-in bathtub for tired, aching feet.

Plumbed in and hard-wired like a regular whirlpool tub, the Jentle Ped massages the feet, ankles and calves with heated water and bubbles that spew from directional jets while you sit. Made of acrylic, it comes in 50 different hues and retails for between $845 and $1,860 (www.mtiwhirlpools.com or (800) 783-8827).

? Heated floors: Hydronic systems conduct heat by running hot water through tubes under the floor and are usually part of a larger household heating system. Radiant systems consist of a grid of electrical wires under the floor and can be confined to the bath alone. With the latter, you can warm up a bath without having to turn up the heat all over the house.

? Heated towel bars: Once found only in posh hotels, warm towels are becoming household staples. Electrically heated towel bars are now widely available at home centers for $100 and up. Some have thermostats so you can set the degree of terrycloth toastiness that suits you. Some have programmable timers that turn the units on and off at desired times.

? Fog-free mirrors: Electrically heated, they keep water droplets from condensing on the glass surface.

? Steam showers: For under $1,500, you can turn an ordinary shower into a steam bath with an electrical steam generator. The shower needs to be fully enclosed so the steam doesn't fill up the bathroom. Increasingly, pre-fab acrylic shower bases come with integral bench seats, just like custom-tiled showers, so that you can sit comfortably while steaming.

For some consumers, reducing the size of the master bath leaves them with more to spend on high-end materials — granite, marble or limestone floors or countertops, brushed- nickel faucets, glass-tiled shower enclosures, architectural woodwork or such niceties as decorative, mood-suitable lighting.

The demand these days is for bathrooms that are well- appointed and customized to meet the particular needs and preferences of individuals.

Sign up for email newsletters