6 trends in luxury bathrooms

Custom-home buyers view the master bath as a retreat and fit it out accordingly. Often they’ll incorporate ideas from luxury hotels in countries they’ve visited, such as door-less showers and mirrors with integrated TVs. 

“Whether it’s a big bathroom or a small bathroom, clients are putting in details they might have seen in a spa, such as frosted glass, chunky glass, clean lines, and floating vanities,” says Phil Kean, an architect and builder based in Winter Park, Fla.

Melissa Messmer, a chief designer with SR3 Design in Beverly Hills, Calif., says homeowners are sparing no expense when it comes to finish materials and technology. The finishes include natural stones such as marble, granite, cut glass, onyx, and other semi-precious stones. TVs have also become part of the experience, whether they’re in the vanity mirror, over the tub, or in the water closet. Often music is piped in to enhance relaxation.

While some clients are scaling down the size of the master bath, they’re not skimping on the details, says Mary Jo Peterson, a kitchen and bath designer based in Brookfield, Conn. Digital controls allow homeowners to preprogram water flow and temperature, music, and color-therapy lighting for the shower or tub, and they still enjoy pampering themselves with body sprays and ceiling-mounted, rain-shower heads.

The following projects illustrate six design trends that are making a splash in the bath.

1. The Personal Spa

There’s seemingly no end to the upscale appointments homeowners choose for the bath — everything from massage tables, barber chairs, and saunas to toilets with built-in bidets, lighting, and music. Heated floors and towel racks are a must in cold climates.

In the photo above, a wall made of rough, raw stone above the vanity and along one wall of the wet room unifies the two connected spaces. Instead of a whirlpool tub, the homeowners opted for a large walk-in shower. Lighting is zoned on separate dimmers for convenience and energy conservation. The custom trough sink and wall-mounted faucets heighten the commercial-spa ambience. (Design by Victoria Shaw, Binns Kitchen + Bath Design, Pickering, Ontario, Canada; Photo: Tim McClean Photography.)

The photo above illustrates an 800-square-foot, resort-style master bath that opens onto a covered lanai facing a lake. Features include a separate spa tub, walk-in shower, and countertops at different heights to accommodate each spouse. (Design by Phil Kean Designs, Winter Park, Fla.; Photo: Harvey Smith Photography.)