The Sweets in Master Suites

Little things make all the difference in master suites. These bed-and-bath suites remain big business for remodelers, but client demand has shifted from showy spreads to smaller, elegantly customized getaways. Homeowners today care less about the "house tour" quotient of the master suite and more about what Jeff Santerre, CGR, of Prestige Custom Builders in Seattle calls "house candy." Luxury details that sweeten the space's functionality top the wish lists.

Gilday Design & Remodeling in Silver Spring, Md., delivered a virtual box of chocolates when it reconfigured the top floor of a 1960s split-level in Washington. Smartly reallocating space transformed a dim, stuffy, two-bedroom, one-bath space into a handsome master retreat. Redesigning the existing space and adding two small bump-outs "changed everything," the homeowner says. "It made the room larger, added light on all sides and gave us cross-ventilation. But it's the little details that make it an environment." Custom detailing and sensitive space planning put this job over the top.

"We wanted a roomy bedroom with a lot of light and windows," the homeowner says. Company vice president Tom Gilday, CR, CKD, made the room feel much larger with three clever changes. He expanded existing window space, raised the ceiling in the dormer areas and moved the closets to an interior wall, freeing an outside wall for a sunny bump-out. "We increased the scale in the dormer area with the same floor space," Gilday says.

The homeowner says she loves everything about the bedroom, especially the details. The casement windows, for instance, open almost all the way to admit balmy breezes and the soothing sound of a backyard waterfall. A ceiling fan keeps the air fresh and flowing. At the homeowner's request, the television is recessed into the wall opposite the bed so that it absorbs no floor space. Instead, it steals a few inches from the ample walk-in closet/dressing area. In the closet, Gilday installed a CD player and sound system that pipes surround sound to the bedroom and bath. The ceiling lights operate on dimmer switches. The dormers' low walls hide luggage storage.

A second bump-out expands the other upstairs bedroom, which Gilday converted to a roomy master bath. Here, too, the homeowner wanted lots of light. Other musts were a big shower (for her husband), a big tub (for herself), a double vanity, a linen closet and a separate compartment for the commode. Gilday tucked all of it neatly into the room, using a neo-angle corner unit to provide a generous-size shower without cramping the space.

Above all, the homeowner says, "I wanted an environment that was peaceful, a totally private spa." Gilday interior designer Leslie Roosevelt worked with the homeowners on every detail to produce a serene, functional bathroom that satisfies that wish. The stone-look ceramic tile floor, marble vanity top, white cabinetry and brass fittings create a bright, crisp, calm and classy atmosphere. The homeowner chose southwestern colors but specified muted shades of gold and persimmon for a subtle, soothing look. The faux-painted, barrel-vaulted ceiling lends light, whimsy and a touch of drama.

The homeowner says heating vents in the floor "make all the difference" in this luxurious room. Her favorite detail? The window over the bathtub. "Nobody can see in, but I can see the sky," she says.

To design a master suite that suits a homeowner's needs, you must get personal, says Mason Hearn, CGR, of McGuire, Hearn & Toms in Manakin-Sabot, Va. One of the first things he asks master suite clients is how they live. Does one person sleep later, so the other needs a place to dress without disturbing the sleeper? Do the clients need elbow room for both to use the vanity at the same time? Do they need a two-headed shower? "Knowing their routine and lifestyle is very important if you're going to make a master suite that is uniquely of the client," Hearn says.

That said, expect your clients' design preferences to reflect these national trends:

Style: Restraint, quality and comfort are the operative words. People regard their home as a safe haven and the master suite as the most personal, traditional part of that haven, Hearn says. Homeowners want quiet and privacy but not an escape from family activities. They want their space to extend outdoors, with a private terrace, balcony or rooftop deck.

Bedroom: Santerre says smaller bedrooms appeal to his clients, for budgetary reasons and because they are intimate and cozy. Small need not mean dull. Give the room an interesting shape to avoid the basic box. Ted Brown says his company, Traditional Concepts in Lake Bluff, Ill., designs master bedrooms with little or even no furniture other than the bed and nightstands. His clients want room for a sofa or a couple of chairs and a coffee table, at most. "Light, views and volume ceilings drive the design," he says.

Fireplaces and media centers are no longer givens. They belong in the suite only if the clients really plan to use them. But be sure to allocate places for family photographs and, if requested, a piece of family heirloom furniture, Hearn says.

Bathroom: Combined with the dressing area, the master bath often is larger than the bedroom, Brown says. Homeowners favor furniture-look cabinetry, ample lighting and understated natural materials such as matte-finish limestone, travertine, tumbled marble and granite. Even the fittings are subtle - satin-finish nickel or rubbed bronze, for example, instead of chrome. Towel bars, robe hooks and toilet paper holders match the faucet style for a coordinated effect, Santerre says.

Twin lavatories are standard, reports Hearn, whether they're separate pedestal units or basins dropped into the vanity. Brown installs 25-inch-deep vanity tops to accommodate more items on top. He also puts outlets everywhere for maximum convenience, including behind drawers so that hair dryers can be stored plugged in. Big showers with multiple heads, body sprays or steam functions are de rigueur, even if it means the room is tubless. Big showers require oversized drains, Brown advises. Frameless glass shower doors are most popular.

Hearn says his clients, regardless of age, like comfort-height toilets, which are about 2 inches higher than standard. Several manufacturers offer comfort-height seats in most of their popular models.

Closets and dressing areas: "The one overriding concern is storage," Brown says. Homeowners want closets and dressing areas with lots of clothing storage, and they want them custom-designed, with his-and-hers shelving, drawers, dressers and rods. "We ask our clients if their shirts are hung or boxed, how they store their clothes, how they keep their shoes," Hearn says. Brown's clients ask for upholstered islands in the walk-in closet that double as seating and storage. He even has installed packing stations and small, built-in desks in the dressing area for briefcases, mail and messages.
 

Wendy A. Jordan is senior contributing editor of Professional Remodeler magazine, and the author of numerous remodeling books for contractors and homeowners.