The Simple Life

It’s no secret that kitchen and bath designers need to create “the good life” for their clients. But as the world grows more complex, they are now being asked to incorporate “the simple life” as well.

These are the thoughts of leading design experts interviewed by KBDN who report that master bath projects are increasingly featuring cleaner lines, user-friendly products and technology for one objective: convenience.

Sally Ann Sullivan, CKD, of Showcase Kitchens and Baths, Inc. in Tulsa, OK, offers: “I think consumers are opting for convenience over style. They are making a statement that they want their bath spaces to be clean and uncluttered, and personalized with colors and shapes. You can really express what the client wants in a master bath because it is a personal space and retreat.”

Carlene Anderson, CKD, and owner of Carlene Anderson Kitchen Design, Inc. in Oakland, CA, offers: “What’s important to people is how convenient and ergonomic things are in their house.”

Specifically, she sees a growth in temperature pre-sets, “so every time you turn the water on in the shower, it is set at the same temperature. There is a predictability there [that clients want].”

Michael McCloskey, president of McCloskey Design Group in Marblehead, MA, agrees: “People want things they understand, they don’t want to fuss around with light switches [that have] little beaming lights and be left wondering [what each light means].”

It is also critical that the master bath retain spa-like qualities, creating a personalized retreat that helps the homeowner to disconnect from the outside world and truly relax and let his or her hair down.

“Often, people come in asking for a spa-like bath, and that is usually coming off an experience at a resort or hotel,” Sullivan describes.

She continues: “I am seeing a real shift from the Old World to the New World, and it is a much cleaner, richer look. It is a contemporary look, but also more transitional.”

James R. Dase, CMKBD, senior designer of Schaumburg, IL-based Abruzzo Kitchens, offers: “The retreat they want should be simple. They have so much going on in their lives that they want to feel like they are in one of these resorts or spas.”

McCloskey agrees: “If it is a bathtub, it might be enclosed in a wood surface or finish or wenge wood [as opposed to] antiseptic tile where everything is hard.”

With this in mind, many designers are seeing a variety of personalized items incorporated into the master suite, such as unique lighting applications, showerhead choices and furniture-style vanities that are less about the ‘wow’ factor than about resonating with the client on a personal level.

“There are many people who want us to build a small, personal home that fits them, their life and their culture,” says McCloskey.

Indeed, adds Dase, this is causing a marked difference in the size and treatment of master baths.

“The master baths are growing, but they are becoming more compartmentalized, with [the soaking tub and water closet] in separate areas. They don’t look like one big room,” he says.

He adds: “The main thing is that we, as designers, determine the client’s real use of the space. I see a lot of spaces designed for photography that look great, but as you look more closely, you wonder how comfortable they are for the client.”

Head of the Class

One of the more prominent product trends in the master bathroom today is the popularity of shower systems, says Anderson.
“Including the introduction of body sprays, our clients are very interested in what those showerheads are going to be like. In fact, we have a showroom here where you can turn on several showerheads and see how they rain on you,” she says.