skip to main content

Remodeling Design Dilemma

Remodel Master Bath or Add New Main Floor Master

6 years ago

We recently moved into a 9k foot 1990s fixer upper. There are two unused rooms (living room And extra powder room) on the main floor next to a beautiful but dated office. I had the idea to convert those three rooms into a main floor master which I was quoted roughly about 100k.

Or we could update the upstairs master bath for roughly 45k.

Im torn with the decision. One one hand a main floor master would use rooms that wont be used as is, and help w resale down the road. On the other hand, it’s double the price.

We live Minneapolis where most of the larger, newer houses have main floor masters. If we didnt convert the space to a main floor master, we would use the front living room as a music room for our baby grand. Any advice would be appreciated.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

roarah
6 years ago
If my budget allowed and I planned to stay longer than five years I would do a main floor master.
mo_ni31 thanked roarah
User
6 years ago
Do you have another “away” space on the ground floor where adults can escape all of the noise of open living? If not, then you need to factor in the costs of creating one along with your master. You may not think a living room is “useful”. Until you can’t escale for a bit and find a quiet place to be.
mo_ni31 thanked User
Related Discussions
Need layout help with Master Bath/Main Bath redo
Q
Comments (7)
Hi Cat-Mom, Yup, we're also renoing Living Room and Master Bedroom at the same time- you? :>) I just faux-painted our entry stair railing to make do until we add on to our front entry. So many balls in the air, hard to juggle it all at one time. kgwlisa, That's what I had thought of so far, basement ceiling has been ripped down, so all the plumbing is fully exposed, and present shower and bath have leaking problems, so things pretty well have to be redone anyways. I was even contemplating 'borrowing' more out of the common wall when we build it, by building in storage behind mirror and perhaps a deeper vanity. I'm assuming this is a fairly basic/common plan, and hopefully others have paved the path... Rae
...See More
Where can we add a linen closet with this master bath plan?
Q
Comments (9)
I purchased a vanity to use in our bathroom while we were building. Love love having it in the room. We do not have a linen closet in our bathroom either. An armoire could have gone where the vanity is located. We store the extra towels in the (deep) bottom drawer of our double vanity (it's very long, so center section comes out a bit and is 36") , and bed linens are stored in an armoire in the MBR. I would square up the toilet room and have the door open out, or not have a door at all. Someone on GW several years ago posted about her DH passing out inside a toilet room and they could not get the door open - his body was blocking the door. He lived, but... Towel warmer could go on the outside wall there. Or one wall as you're coming in doorway. Guess you could see from MBR then, but it would at least be close to the shower. Here is a link that might be useful: my vanity - last picture
...See More
need out of box thinking for master bath on main floor
Q
Comments (11)
Thanks for all the input- the bedroom isn’t drawn to scale and the proposed closets were just the persons random idea- we cannot open the wall between the bedroom and the side room bc it is a load baring wall- at some point down the line maybe we can sort that out but for now it remains as is. There is only 4’5” between the wall and the queen bed so taking any more of the bedroom would be impossible. The plan is to eat into the 2 closets from the bedroom and the closet in the bath - the hall closet wouldn’t afford us may offer some room but not much that would make enough of a difference. Our upstairs bathroom has shower no tub- this is an old small cape with 2 baths one with the tub and one with the shower. We haven’t found any issue with guests through the years having two accessible toilets- my issue has always been having my shower and my shower stuff exposed to everyone that comes into my bathroom and to be able to have people visiting and be able to shower without using the toilet area.
...See More
Can new windows in a remodeled master bath be different from the rest
Q
Comments (1)
As long as they are the same on the exterior, the interior of a closed door room can have any color painted windows that works.
...See More
mo_ni31
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks for the feedback! We currently have a main floor master just outside our living room and don’t mind the noise because it’s rarely used. This new house has another living room just outside the space that we would be converting over which would also be rarely used.

Additionally we have a tv family room adjacent to the kitchen that the kids will be watching tv on while on this floor.

(This new house has 3 living rooms on the main floor which is why I️ didn’t mind sacrificing one of them.)

Ultimately, we have decided to save the extra demo costs and update the upstairs master at this time because this house is too big to retire in and its a best fit for a family versus a retired couple who would need a main floor master.

We may convert the front living room into a Her office if we can find another space for the baby grand.

Related Stories

INSIDE HOUZZ Top Colors and Materials for Master Bath Remodels in 2020

By Erin Carlyle

White remains the top color, and ceramic and porcelain are trending, the 2020 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study shows

INSIDE HOUZZ Top Styles, Colors and Upgrades for Master Bath Remodels in 2019

By Erin Carlyle

Transitional becomes the No. 1 style as farmhouse loses steam, according to the U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: A Midcentury Remodel and New Master Bath in Dallas

By Sarah Greenman

A family of 4 enlist a professional designer to help them tackle multiple long-term projects

BATHROOM MAKEOVERS Family Tackles a Modern Farmhouse-Style Master Bath Remodel

Construction company owners design their dream bath with lots of storage. A barn door with a full mirror hides a closet

INSIDE HOUZZ Top Styles, Colors and Finishes for Master Bath Remodels in 2018

By Erin Carlyle

Contemporary is again the No. 1 style, but farmhouse is gaining steam, according to the U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study

INSIDE HOUZZ Why Homeowners Are Remodeling Their Master Bathrooms in 2018

By Erin Carlyle

Priorities are style, lighting, resale value and ease of cleaning, according to the U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study

BATHROOM MAKEOVERS A Master Bath With a Checkered Past Is Now Bathed in Elegance

By Karen Egly-Thompson

The overhaul of a Chicago-area bathroom ditches the room’s 1980s look to reclaim its Victorian roots

INSIDE HOUZZ Why Homeowners Are Remodeling Their Master Bathrooms in 2019

By Erin Carlyle

Find out what inspires action and which types of pros are hired, according to the 2019 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study

BATHROOM DESIGN Room of the Day: Master Bath With an Educated Palette

By Bryan Anthony

A black and white color scheme and university-inspired decor earn high marks

REMODELING GUIDES 10 Things to Consider When Creating an Open Floor Plan

By Natalie Myers

A pro offers advice for designing a space that will be comfortable and functional

Sponsored

Davidson Builders

1 Review

Franklin County's Full-Scale General Contractor

More Discussions

"Timeless" bathroom for Spanish Mediterranean style home

41

New Home Design Help

6

Design/Build - how to separate the costs

9

Mixing Shaker cabinet widths?

6

Seeking comments on our kitchen reno layout

2