How to Create a Bathroom Sanctuary
Your bathrooms work hard every day. They might seem like a small, insignificant room, but you spend more time in there than you'd think, whether it's your master ensuite, the main bathroom your kids use, or the powder room your guests see.
Each one has a different job to do.
Master Ensuite: Your Daily Reset
Your master bathroom should be a sanctuary: a place to close the door and shut out the kids, your partner, work, and everything else on your plate. Even five minutes to yourself counts: soaking in the tub, relaxing under a hot shower (or a steam shower, if you're feeling fancy), or just taking your time to moisturize and put on makeup.
A true sanctuary is more than pretty tile and a big tub. It's the flow, the lighting, and the storage working together.
Remember those corner jetted tubs from the late '90s and early 2000s? They were the height of luxury back then, but they've fallen out of favour, and for good reason. They take forever to fill, eat up valuable floor space, and are notoriously hard to keep clean. These days, most homeowners are swapping them out for a beautiful soaker or drop-in tub, or an oversized shower with a bench. Both feel far more luxurious in everyday life.
A built-in vanity with a seat is another small upgrade that makes a big difference: somewhere to do your hair and makeup without everything balanced precariously on the edge of the sink. Add extra storage for backstock like toiletries and linens, and your counters stay clear while everything you need still has a home.
Main Bathroom: Function With a Bit of Fun
The main bathroom means something different in every home. In some, it's strictly the kids' bathroom. In others, it's the one everyone uses: you, your kids, and your guests.
Either way, it needs to work hard. Replacing an old, yellowed acrylic shower surround with a beautiful tub and tile that runs all the way to the ceiling instantly makes the space feel more like a retreat. A larger vanity with extra drawers and shelves keeps everyday items off the counter, and fun hooks on the wall make it much easier for kids to hang up a towel than fighting with a towel bar (where it usually ends up in a damp pile on the floor anyway).
If your space allows, a laundry hamper with a lid is a small addition that cuts down on visual clutter and keeps things feeling that much cleaner.
Powder Room: Go Bold, Have Fun
This is the one room in your house where you can go completely rogue.
Usually, only your guests see it, and it's a much smaller space than the rest of your home. That combination makes it the perfect spot to take a risk: the bold wallpaper you love but couldn't commit to anywhere else, or a colour you've been dying to experiment with.
Have fun with it, just make sure it still works. You don't typically need much storage in a powder room, so an open-shelf vanity is a great option. Use baskets or bins to hold extra toilet paper in a way that still looks intentional and is easy for guests to find.
Every bathroom in your home has a different job, and the best ones are designed around that, not around a one-size-fits-all idea of "spa-like."
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