The Master Bath

This is an excerpt from the Book called “A Guide To Design And Renovation “ by Steve Thomas And Philip Langdon. Continue reading to learn more about The Master Bath, thanks to the author.

Developing A Floor Plan

If you are renovating or adding an entire master suite, then you’ve probably been compelled to do some planning of the master bath as well. The number and placement of the lavatories, the size and placement of the windows, tub, shower, toilet, and bidet all have an impact on the size and shape of the bath’s floor plan and thus the corresponding bite it takes out of the rest of the suite. If you are renovating just the master bath (or have skipped the last chapter), it is still worthwhile to think these issues through, as a properly designed and executed master bath must dovetail with the master bedroom it serves. In the last chapter we tackled the general space-planning issues. Here, we need to focus on the particulars of the master bath itself.

Lavatories And Makeup Areas

Unless you are installing a large spa or whirlpool that will become the focus of attention, the master lavatory and vanity are likely to be the largest mass in the room, with the greatest run of horizontal surface to command the eye. The lav is also the bath’s most frequently used element, so engineering the right elevation and location, with all the necessary accoutrements close at hand-soaps, makeup, shaving cream, towels, etc.- is essential. (The lack of such a work area is probably one of the things that motivated the renovation in the first place.)

Common sense and standard practice suggest the lavatory be set into a counter will storage beneath. Drawers are generally more useful than the open space filled with pipes- so the more drawers, the better. You can tailor their sizes and shapes to fit your needs and habits. Frequently used toilet articles such as electric shavers, hair dryers, and contact lens steamers should be within easy reach. You might even contrive a drawer equipped plugged in.

You probably will want double sinks in your master bath, one for you, the other for your spouse. In laying them out, make sure there is enough room beside each bowl for toiletries and grooming equipment. The National Kitchen and Bath Association says 11 inches between the bowls is the minimum; 18 to 24 inches would be better. At the end of the counter, allow at least 6 inches between a bowl and the wall-12 inches if you can-so you don’t feel jammed into a corner when using it. It’s no fun to bump your elbow against the wall while trying to shave.

Some couples like to have two lavatories side by side so that they can organize their day while performing their morning ablutions. Others prefer solitude. Although lavatories are customarily placed side by side to utilize the same supply and waste pipes, nothing prevents placement on different walls. Some designers situate one lavatory where it commands a view of the outdoors. The placement of lavatories should take such habits and preferences into account-again with the caveat not to anything so idiosyncratic that it would deter a buyer of the house later on.

If space is tight (as it was in my own master bath), consider installing just one lavatory. It is better to have one large, well-situated bowl with ample room around it than two small ones crammed into an inadequate area. If two people rarely wash up at the same time, eliminating one bowl may, in practice, pose no hardship. Decisions like this force you to be clear about your habits and priorities.

Another possibility is to install a separate vanity just outside the bathroom, typically in the woman’s dressing area. Many first-class hotels use this tactic to provide a place for making up in a more spacious and tranquil situation while freeing up the bath for one’s partner. Upon reflection, it is indeed a curious custom we have of building but a single space in which to excrete, bathe, and beautify ourselves. The economics that initially drove the design of the modular bathroom no longer apply. There is no reason-especially in a master bath-to be enslaved to an old design paradigm.

The standard height for the top of the lavatory counter is 30 to 32 inches, but professional designers generally suggest raising it to around 36 inches-standard height for kitchen counters-as many people find this elevation more comfortable for reaching and bending. Any counter space at which one will sit, such as a makeup vanity, should either be tabletop height (27 to 29 inches) or be furnished with a stool.

In a custom-designed bathroom you can tailor all these dimensions to your particular ergonomics. You can even place each lavatory at a different height, yours to suit you, your partner’s to suit him or her. A five-foot-two woman will have different preferences than a six-foot-three man. Experiment by placing a washbasin with a mirror in front of it at different heights to see what is most comfortable.

A mirror directly in front of the lav is not always necessary; one placed on the side wall or even on a retractable arm might do the job just fine. In general, women need more mirror area than do men, and prefer an arrangement whereby they can see their faces from several different angles. Three-part mirrors work well, as do mirrors on swing-out arms.

Lighting

Lighting around the mirrors and lavatories is of special importance. There is nothing worse than giving yourself a good look-over in the teeth. Dimmed down, they will create pools of soft light, perfect mood lighting for romantic soaks in the tub when the moon is full.

If the toilet is in a separate compartment or otherwise segregated from the bath, you will need to provide illumination (and ventilation). The simplest and least intrusive might be a recessed down light. The same holds true for the shower. Most recessed down lights are rated for use in damp (but not wet) locations.

Finally, do not overlook the possibility of shared illumination, both by day and at night. One of the most appealing features of the third-floor suite “This Old House” did in Melrose, Massachusetts, was a wall of glass block between the bedroom and the bath. Which gave the whole room a sense of light and space, without making it feel exposed.

Showers, Bathtubs, And Whirlpools

All of us at “This Old House” consider a walk in shower an essential ingredient to a master bathroom. Most men prefer showers to baths so much so that the lack of a shower can be an impediment to selling a house. At the same time, separating the bathtub and shower gives the room a sense of elegance.

In my own master bath I placed the tub by the windows overlooking the garden on one side of the room and located the shower on the other side of the room next to the lavatory. My shower is 3×3 feet, dimensions I fell are minimal for a master shower 4×4 feet would have been better.

As in all baths and showers, we recommend the use of a pressure-balanced antiscald valve for both comfort and safety. It is no longer uncommon to see two or more shower heads in a shower stall. The extra plumbing will amount to a small percentage of the overall cost of your bathroom, so if you have the space for a larger stall, and your budget can accommodate the increased cost of the tile, shower doors, plumbing, and so on, these is no harm in this. There are many times in my household and I suspect yours too, when my wife and I both want to shower at the same time. Such an arrangement would be welcome; the kids would have a great time in it, too.

As you design your bathroom, you might consider a shower stall with an L-shaped entrance, which would need no door. In the home magazines such designs look expensive, but when you consider that a merely acceptable shower door will cost hundreds and a first-class shower door around a thousand dollars, a self-sealing shower stall starts to make economic sense.

Two other devices of note are a computerized faucet with a microprocessor-controlled mixing valve with which you program your ideal shower temperature. Another is an adjustable track-mounted “personal shower,” some models of which not only look good, but help you rinse your body and clean the shower stall.

The typical bathtub measures 60 inches long by 30 inches wide by about 16 inches deep. These dimensions are suitable for cleaning one’s self but not for a good long soak. By the time the water is up to the overflow drain, you can barely submerge yourself in hot water. Moreover, the tubs are designed to be installed flush against walls on three sides, which makes the tub feel closed in and inhospitable.

What one really wants is a vessel long enough to stretch out in, and deep enough in which to become fully submerged. Additionally, one wants space surrounding the tub for soaps, bath gels, reading material, and simply to avoid the feeling of being hemmed in. It would be nice to be able to look out onto a garden or other natural scene, to calm the soul while soothing the body. The Japanese have their traditional furos, or soaking tubs, and the Europeans long, deep bathtubs. American manufacturers are beginning to catch on, though; some of them offer “bathing pools,” which are whirlpool baths without the pump and jets. These tubs come in lengths from about 5 to 7 feet, in widths from 3 to 6 feet, and in depths from 18 to 32 inches. Just as with a whirlpool they can be mounted in a built-up pedestal and given the necessary surrounding space and accoutrements.

Very large tubs, like large whirlpools, may require structural modifications to the floor joists to carry the additional load of the tub, water, and occupants. Using all the hot water in a water heater at once shortens the life of the unit, so many large tubs and whirlpools may require a separate water heater to fill the tub.

But, despite the extra work and trouble, an adequately sized, set-in tub with a carefully designed surround will not only be great to use but will become one of the key design features of the room.

Whenever “This Old House” has done a master bedroom in the last five years, our homeowners, without exception, have wanted a whirlpool bath. I can hardly blame them; I wanted one, too, and coughed up the money to install a top-of-the-line cast-iron model.

No doubt the swirling water and silver bubbles are soothing, but you have to ask yourself if it’s worth the cost. In my own household, my wife rarely uses the whirlpool, although she does take frequent bubble baths. I use the whirlpool perhaps ten times a year. If I had it to do over again, I would install the same unit, in the same manner, without the whirlpool apparatus.

After polling Jock Gifford, who has designed many of our “This Old House” projects, “This Old House” producer/director Russ Morash, and several of our “This Old House” homeowners who insisted on a whirlpool, I find, without exception, that no one would install a whirlpool again. We have nothing against them, you must understand, but it seems that they are rarely used.

In making the decision among a tub, a whirlpool, or a bathing pool for your master bath, here are several things to consider:

Are you a shower person or a bath person? If you rarely take baths, perhaps you’d be better off getting a luxurious, extra-roomy shower and sticking with a standard tub.
How well does the tub fit you? Climb into a few, probably on the showroom floor at the plumbing supply house (no matter how ridiculous this may make you feel).
Do you plan to bathe alone or with company? The tubs are sized accordingly. Be aware that the bigger the tub, the longer it takes to fill and the more hot water it will require. If it’s likely you will be using the tub alone, you might consider a smaller model.
Finally, will the soaking tub or whirlpool be used by other members of the household? If so, consider whether it should be installed in a family bathroom. That would reduce intrusions on your privacy in the master suite. (For more information about whirlpools, see the exercise bath chapter.)

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