Master Bathroom Design and Selections

5 years ago

We are renovating our master bathroom, bedroom and closet, and would love input on the design of the bathroom and our tile/floor selections. Here’s the layout of the space and pictures of what it looks like now:

Our basic plan is to replace the vanities but keep the existing mirrors, window and trim (repainted in a white that matches the new vanities), replace the jacuzzi tub with a smaller freestanding tub, expand the shower (~4x4 size is marked on the floor in tape), and replace the floors with hardwood throughout the three rooms.

The biggest question is what to do with the shower, which will be a steam shower (we understand the issues with steam showers and all the reasons why people don’t like them, but my husband really wants it and, based on previous experience with one, will use it often). My thought was to keep the shower a neo-angle shape but enlarge it to ~4x4 with half walls on each side of the door, similar to the first picture below (but fully enclosed with glass to the ceiling for the steam shower). Our contractor, however, is recommending that we consider a ~4x4 or slightly larger square shower instead, with the shower door located next to the wall with the shower head on it, similar to the second picture below. His thought is that it would maximize the shower size and allow better access to the shower controls (the wall with the shower head is the only internal wall). While I understand the access issue, my bigger concern is that the corner of the square shower will stick out into the room too far and interfere with the walkway to the vanity (and the vanity will feel boxed in). He thinks that won’t be an issue once we remove the huge tub and replace it with a smaller one. He’s probably right, but I just can’t visualize it and would appreciate any thoughts or experiences people can share. Regardless of design, we plan to use a wall mounted, fold down teak bench and a niche in one of the walls to maximize the shower space.

Regarding the tile/floor selections, here’s what we’ve chosen so far:

The 3x12 white tile is for the shower walls (and niche) and the mosaic tile is for the shower floor. We’ve been told the mosaic will work fine for the floor given its hex size (3”) and grout lines. I had been planning to do a standard white subway tile for the shower walls, but the tile designer recommended something larger with more interest, and I think I like it. Do you think these tiles will work well together? Or will the subway with more interest compete with the floor tile?

Finally, the engineered hardwood floor we selected has been discontinued so we need to find another option. Our contractor seems to prefer that we look for a solid hardwood but the flooring store recommends we stick with an engineered hardwood. We have solid hardwood throughout most of the house already (including the kitchen and one bathroom) but the master bathroom is over the garage and I think that’s why the flooring store thinks engineered hardwood is a better option. Any recommendations for a replacement would be much appreciated!

Thanks so much for any and all thoughts and ideas!

Sort by:Oldest