How to Create a Universally Appealing Master Bath
It’s no surprise when a client has a very long wish list for their renovation project. It’s important to have specific goals, especially when it comes to functionality. Our interior environments affect how we progress through daily life. The room in our home that this might apply to the most is the bathroom.
Bathrooms are also the most multi-functional rooms of the home. We toilet, we bathe, we shower, we brush our teeth, wash our face, we dress, do our make-up and manage our hair - the list is endless.
The long list of tasks related to the bathroom can be compounded by the fact that each person using the bathroom has personal preferences in relation to each of these tasks. Additionally, the natural differences between the sexes and how we approach each of these tasks can make the design decisions that go into a bathroom seem daunting.
The final piece of the puzzle to consider is the age and mobility capabilities of the occupants of a space, not to mention how these capabilities will change in the future.
A perfect example of this daunting calculation is a master bathroom I designed for a client where there were very specific goals. The existing space was large, even by master bathroom standards. However, there was a large, outdated platform tub (yes, circa 1980s) placed under a large picture window that took up most of one wall, and almost a third of the room!
This awkward platform tub and large picture window necessitated a pre-fab shower that was much too small for this large space. Since this client loves to take baths she requested a new freestanding bathtub. And my client also requested that the new layout include a curb-less (roll-in) shower with a large bench so that they could accommodate the needs of her aging father-in-law, who had come live with them.
I love the challenges and benefits of creating spaces where a client is willing to embrace Universal Design elements like a curbless shower, with a linear drain – and I will always try to incorporate them when the size and budget allows.
Universal Design is nothing new and is often called Accessible Design. But the basic premise is the same; to create interiors that offer simple and equitable usage for all ages and abilities. For me, this all comes down to making a space as functional as possible for its occupants.
For clients who are open to addressing some of these elements, like wider doorways, room to maneuver, intuitive and well-placed controls of lighting and plumbing, etc. A simple example for this is a large curbless shower with a 32” doorway which includes a bench seat where the controls for a handheld shower are within easy reach.
As this beautiful bathroom demonstrates, these thoughtful elements make a space more functional AND equitable for all!
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