Why You Should Pay Extra Attention To The Primary Bathroom When Designing A Home
Let's face it: Designing a new home takes a lot of time, effort, and money. Once you've signed off on the home's exterior and curb appeal, it's time to step inside and take a whack at putting together the home of your dreams. Between creating the master bedroom, living room, and outdoor patio, it can be hard to know where to start. If that sounds eerily similar to what you're going through, allow us to give you one clue on where to pay extra attention — your master bathroom. As the primary bathroom of your new home, master bathrooms are packed with accentuating features that you don't want to neglect, especially when it comes to style, comfort, luxury, and more.
Much like their name would indicate, master bathrooms — also known as primary bathrooms — are en-suite bathrooms attached to the master bedroom. Master bedrooms typically host two people, oftentimes those in charge of their family unit or one cohabiting couple. As residents of the master bedroom, you may prioritize factors like room size, lighting fixtures, and closet space, yet the adjoining master bathroom is rarely given the time and effort it deserves. As you work on designing your new home, consider giving your primary bathroom some extra love with our guided advice.
What to prioritize when designing your master bathroom
First thing's first: Style. One easy way to pull off a stylish bathroom is by simply matching the backsplash with the tiled floor, especially if the bathroom is smaller than you anticipated. Having a cohesive color palette can make your bathroom appear large, organized, and high-end. Once you've tackled aesthetic decisions, ensuring your comfort in the bathroom can help you truly enjoy spending time there and encourage you to optimize all the bathroom fixtures. For example, consider the type of shower head you'd prefer, the material of your bath mats, the style of your his-and-her sinks, etc. Since the primary bathroom is usually stuffed with the most features in the house, don't be hesitant to optimize every detail.
Unlike secondary and guest bathrooms, primary bathrooms are designed with luxury in mind — seating, bathtubs, bidets, and hot tub jets have all been integrated in primary bathrooms for their high-end qualities and convenience. You'll want to consider the opulent features you'd like to have in the bathroom, especially since it's the first place you go in the morning. Additionally, don't sleep on good lighting fixtures in the primary bathroom. Since it's the designated spot for getting clean and ready, you'll want the best lighting for the best view.
What to look out for when designing a master bathroom
Now that we've covered features to look out for, it's time to note what design features to be weary of. For starters, ventilation needs to be extremely effective in a master bathroom, especially since more than one person is using it daily. Improper ventilation can lead to larger issues like mold growth, mildew, and a generally stinky room. Since your primary bathroom is the biggest and most well-designed bathroom in your house, it's important to make an effort to keep it clean. Consider installing an exhaust fan that releases outside so that you don't have to worry about a humid environment.
You also want to make sure each fixture is placed efficiently. That means not having your sink built too close to the toilet or your shower built too close to the bathtub. Instead, it may be better to designate the toilet and shower to their own spot with the bathtub and sink elsewhere. Incompatible fixture placements can lead to additional issues, such as lack of comfort, failure of waterproofing, and more. You may even consider hiring an interior designer to sign off on your bathroom design choices before you take any drastic steps.