“Any period of sobriety is generally followed by heady abandonment”, claims internationally renowned design thought-leader Michelle Ogundein regarding 2022 home trends. Entering the third year of the pandemic with greater optimism and adapting to alternative new work-life arrangements at home accounts for an increase in bold, playful, and luxurious master bathroom renovations.
Regardless of the exact trend or style, many current master bathrooms remodel ideas infuse spa-like features to enhance relaxation. From freestanding tubs to walk-in showers and outlets in vanity drawers, there are several decorative and practical enhancements to consider for your custom bathroom remodel. Need master bathroom inspiration? Here is our 2022 bathroom trend guide.
13 Master Bathroom Remodeling Ideas
Zenith Design + Build recommends turning your bathroom into a peaceful sanctuary with these functional, beautiful, and effective master bathroom ideas.
#1: Get a Freestanding Tub
Freestanding clawfoot tubs first emerged in the 19th century, when attitudes about bathing changed, and the elite could afford to wash privately. Post-WW2 and the American Dream transformed this luxury into a utilitarian necessity for middle-class suburbia.
It was only again in the 1980s that the freestanding bathtub and the master bedroom regained center stage as a place for sophisticated luxury at home. Master bath ideas such as a freestanding white tub set on pedestals or customized stands make eye-catching focal points for your bathroom layout. A freestanding tub can make the right balance between a rustic look and a modern vibe and looks great in all bathroom pictures.
#2: Install Fan Timer Switches
Fans remove steam while you shower — yet the majority of moisture remains present in the air after you've left the bathroom and flicked off the switch. Installing a fan time switch that works in increments based on how long you've been in the room is one of the smartest master bathroom ideas that prevents excessive moisture and mold.
If you take a long shower and there's more steam, the fan stays on for longer. Hi-tech fan timer switches come with delayed start functionality and won't switch on if someone just pops into the room or washes their hands, for example. Most mid-range timer switches are programmable at five, 10, 20, 30, and 60-minute increments. Any interior designer will tell you this is a must for your next master bathroom renovation.
#3: Shower Speakers
Modern master bathroom designs replace suction-cup waterproof shower speakers with sleek, in-ceiling installations. Despite their affordability, suction cup speakers have limited sound quality. Their batteries often need replacing, and they slide off wet shower walls. Speakers connected to voice assistants like Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant let homeowners control tracks hands-free, providing safety and convenience and a better listening experience in your master bathroom shower.
#4: Consider a Walk-in Shower or a Wet Room
Practical and attractive for spacious and compact bathrooms, unobtrusive walk-in showers are similar to regular ones but without a shower door. When considering small master bathroom ideas, a walk-in shower with access at one end saves space and can be conveniently built in a corner or alcove of the small space. With the advantage of space, bigger bathrooms accommodate centrally positioned showers, adding a luxurious, boutique-hotel feel, as well as extra storage.
A small bathroom with limited wall space and little natural lighting will do well with skylights and white walls, while any lack of storage is easily resolved with walk-in-shower stud walls. Positioned away from the showerhead and built on a slight gradient, these slick niches store shower gels, soap, shampoos, and conditioners. Some have waterproof downlights for atmospheric appeal in a contemporary bathroom.
#5: Tile the Focal Wall
Add a wow factor to your bathroom! Quick and inexpensive guest bathroom and master bathroom remodel ideas in Iowa include focal tile walls. Finishes and textures play a role in overall bathroom designs. Tiles can contrast with sleek finishes or enhance fixtures, whether it's your gold hardware, marble floors, or white countertops, making for beautiful interior design. Behind the bathroom vanity or in the shower are common places to situate accent walls with subway, fan-shaped, or hexagonal tiles. Even though tiles serve a utilitarian purpose, they can look good and bring aesthetic value and a modern vibe to your bathroom wall design.
#6: Expand Your Storage Space with Floating Shelves
Bathrooms are notorious for never having enough storage space because most cupboards beneath or above a single or double vanity don't hold much. Large bare walls with nothing on them are perfect for floating shelves, which offer display space for decor or extra space for storage.
Black, brass, and wood are popular materials, and for those with a cramped bathroom, étagères made to stand above toilets utilize unused space very efficiently. Floating shelves are customized to fit any size room, are perfect for minimalist design, look great over double sinks, and are less expensive than building cupboards.
#7: Add Outlets to Your Vanity Drawers
One thing to consider for your next bathroom renovation is vanity drawers. Vanity drawers with outlets eradicate the need for extension cables or installing additional wall plugs. Nowadays, various outlets are available for different levels of power and sockets to accommodate standard and USB plugs. For increased safety, higher-end models even have thermostatic safety shut-offs and mechanical arms to protect electrical wiring from catching in drawer sliders.
Docking drawer outlets eliminate clutter from countertops and surfaces, establishing a tidy, functional, and purpose-driven space in your master bathroom. Outlets in double vanity drawers offer homeowners compliant, in-drawer charging solutions specific to any drawer without constantly plugging and unplugging everyday counter-top items. Add drawer organizers for even less clutter and better organization.
#8: Keep Yourself Warm with Heated Floors
When remodeling your bathroom, it's worthwhile to consider many inspiring ideas, one of which is heated flooring. This is especially true if you're already lifting the floor, as you'll save on labor costs. Heated flooring provides comfort, reduces energy bills, and is more aesthetically pleasing than floor vents or registers. There are two types of floor heating; electric and water-based systems.
Both use radiant heat technology to gently warm bathrooms from the floor up and into people and objects, rather than central heating systems, which focus on heating just the air of a room, creating greater energy wastage. Heated floors afford greater design freedom because they don't have visible pipes and cumbersome radiators, giving you more opportunities to explore other master bathroom ideas.
#9: …and a Heated Towel Rack
Heated racks are one of the most underrated master bathroom design ideas, but offer extra comfort during winter, add storage space, and ensure towels are never wet. Keeping towels dry is useful in humid and cold weather, as it minimizes dampness and prevents mold from forming. Surprisingly, they are no more expensive than running a lightbulb and attach more value to homes. Modern touches like this can leave your accent towels in the primary suite looking better than ever.
#10: Get a Bidet
The earliest bidets were used in 17th-century France, and from then and for much of the 20th century, they were widely adopted in Europe, but not America. This was partly due to bathroom habits, but chiefly because American master bathroom layouts were not designed to house a toilet and bidet. However, just like floor heating, it's a worthwhile consideration if you are renovating.
Bidets reduce toilet paper use, and while research is limited, they are deemed safe and hygienic by healthcare professionals. Bidet attachments, handheld bidets, toilets with integrated bidets, and bidet seats are possible options, depending on your bathroom design. Toilets with built-in-bidets are a common luxury in hotels and contemporary master bathrooms.
Editor of Kitchen & Bathroom Design News, Janice Costa, says, “the toilet is the last bastion that has not been luxuriated.” While some designers predicted the rise of the bidet as a new high-end trend, none foresaw the pandemic's toilet paper shortage as a catalyst for increased bidet installation. Consider a bidet for your next renovation.
#11. Rethink Your Living Room Space
With a little vision and creativity, sometimes it’s possible to get your ideal master bathroom by reworking the living space surrounding it. Often we find a way to add a bathroom or enlarge it by moving a wall or simply rethinking the bathroom footprint and how you want the space to function.
For example, in one of our recent projects we took a large hallway closet and turned it into a ‘micro-master bathroom’ off the master bedroom. This choice improved the function of the home and will improve value. It’s almost like this new master bathroom was meant to be there all along!
#12. Use the Space More Efficiently
Replace the jacuzzi. Bathtubs are used less often than showers. Should you replace the seldom used jacuzzi with a new, sleek modern tile shower? Consider having a tub in the guest or children’s bathroom instead and have fun creating a new, walk-in shower that’s beautiful, comfortable, and modern. Alternatively, a free-standing tub is a popular option for master bath remodels, adding a level of elegance and sophistication. This will make a big difference in your design.
Practice using the space. During the planning phase, think through how to make the space more functional. For example, the location of shower controls. The most convenient spot may not be directly under the shower head, as traditionally seen. In a West Des Moines master bathroom remodel we placed them just inside the shower near the entrance, outside the spray zone in a more comfortable location.
#13. Consider More Space-Saving Solutions
Pocket doors. For small bathrooms, pocket doors can aid in helping the bathroom feel larger, by opening up the entrance and helping with traffic flow while still offering the privacy needed for bath or toilet rooms.
Tankless Toilet. We needed to maximize every inch of the new ‘micro-master bath’ we added to a master bedroom in our award-winning project from the 2019 Tour of Remodeled Homes. The tankless toilet by Kohler gave us an extra 10 inches of space. And it stirs up a conversation because of its unique design!
10 Master Bathroom Design Ideas
Modern master bathroom ideas combine the old with the new, bold colors with minimalism, and curves with straight lines, producing an eclectic style where homeowners can cherry-pick their favorite elements.
#1: Blended Schemes
2022 master bathroom design is bold and busy. Homeowners want spa-like sanctuaries with hints of biophilia, intricate murals, and vintage flair. Victorian roll-top baths blended with modern, sleek alcoves, bright tiles, and smart tech are all the rage. Bathrooms are less clinically confined to polished ceramics, although this enduring material remains a staple classic.
#2: Fluted Doors & Shower Screens
Fluting plays with light, creating pleasing patterns and textures. Glamorous, yet understated, it's been appearing in bathrooms through surfaces, furnishes, and fittings. Visual and tactile, the fluted design gives Art Deco-inspired elements a contemporary feel. Delicately ribbed doors and shower screens offer privacy and character to the master bathroom.
#3: Crittal-Style Shower Doors
Manufactured by British company Crittal Windows since the 1900s, these thin gridscape doors, screens, and enclosures offer bathrooms an industrial and upscale look. They're great for walk-in showers, allowing in light while demarcating space. Critical doors can work well in contemporary homes and period properties with modern interiors.
#4 Bold Basins and Consoles
Current master bathroom design ideas in Iowa include replacing classic white ceramic basins with ones featuring ripples, pastels, and gold rims. Basins made from glass, concrete, pressurized surfaces, and cast metal go hand in hand with curved lines and warm interiors. This harks back to being one with nature instead of reproducing minimal white austerity that has dominated contemporary homes in past years.
#5: Marble Highlights
Natural stone like marble has been the “it” material, but the ubiquitous floor-to-ceiling look is waning. Instead, using local stone elements to punctuate the design establishes a focal point with impact. Marble feature walls and vanities in unusual shades of pink, blue, and brown offset with wood and natural elements offer on-trend luxury, layering interesting patterns and textures for your master bathroom.
#6: Soft Textiles
Textiles aren't usually a focus in master bathrooms, but master bathroom decor ideas, including curtains, billowy fabric blinds, and curtain cupboards, are a big trend this year. Fresh cotton, Toile de Jouy, and gingham add softness and character. Soft, floaty, and sheer fabrics for windows offer texture without heavy drama unless your space lends itself to heavy curtains with palatial grandeur.
#7: Japandi
A mix of Japanese and Scandinavian styles, Japandi blends smooth, modern lines with functional elegance, this is one of the most popular master bathroom ideas. While minimalist, the use of neutral tones, textures, and natural materials is a visual manifestation of newfound comfort and hygge (the Danish and Norwegian sense of warm conviviality). Features include neutral palettes with accented black fixtures and brassware.
#8: Furniture
The continued shift towards spending more time at home, paired with taking care of mental health, has given rise to bathrooms with more furniture-like pieces. Master bathroom designs incorporating vanities crafted from vintage dresses, upholstered chairs, and tub side tables encourage homeowners to slow down and schedule a time to rest amidst demanding schedules.
#9: Arches
The Art Deco arch trend is in full swing and has had an impact on master bathroom ideas and designs. It introduces organic feelings to spaces, whether it's via a simple arched mirror, recessed arch alcove, or an arched shower glass partition. Curves connect to nature, which seldom has straight lines. Most living spaces are rectilinear, so inserting curves creates contrast, making bathrooms more interesting and dynamic.
# 10: Asymmetrical Sink Placement
Off-centered sinks expand counter space to display and shelf products. Homeowners familiar with single pedestal sinks love the additional space this design brings. Some style a tray or opt for decorative objectives like plants or stand-alone lamps. To further maximize counter space, install an undermount sink in your master bath.
Conclusion
2022 master bathroom ideas have something to suit everyone's style preferences. Whether you adopt a trend wholeheartedly or carefully select elements to update a classic look, it's entirely up to you. Here at Zenith Design + Build, we can support whatever vision you desire. As award-winning home remodelers, our custom designs marry function and aesthetics. We've successfully transformed many bathrooms in De Moines. Contact us to discuss your dream bathroom project.
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