A Real Privy ? His and Her Master Baths

Master baths have been getting bigger, but a new trend may be separate baths for him and her.

Candy Kiesel, who operates O.A.K. Homebuilders Co. with her husband, Tony, said the trend is “bigger everything” when it comes to designing new bathrooms. Big walk-in showers, large tubs and fine fixtures, such as her favorite, Grohe faucets, are popular now, Kiesel said.

Most of the master bathrooms O.A.K. is building in its custom homes are the size of a small bedroom — 12×12 feet or 12×14 feet, said Tony Kiesel. He doesn’t calculate the bathroom’s construction as a separate expense but said the bathroom can be an expensive part of a custom home. Like any construction project, the size and details included determine the cost.

“As an example, you could spend anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000 on a shower unit,” he said.

Typical master bath suites also include a whirlpool tub, double-bowl vanity, separated toilet area and a makeup vanity area that leads off into a dressing area and walk-in closet, Kiesel said.

Something new Kiesel’s been asked to build in the last couple of years is separate bathrooms for him and her. They’ll typically have all of the elements of an upscale bathroom with a common linen closet or similar room between them, he said.

In one such project, Kiesel said he installed a large tub and vanity area in the woman’s bathroom, but in the man’s bath, the emphasis was on the shower and a tub wasn’t needed.

Becky Counts, showroom consultant for J & B Supply Co. of Springdale, said people are investing more in showers and bathtubs.

“Body showers are big right now,” Counts said, referring to showers with multiple heads at various angles and heights. “Some people call it a stand-up whirlpool.”

Large bathtubs remain a popular trend. Counts said a good-sized tub that can be shared is 72 x 42 inches with a center drain. More people are asking for not only whirlpool tubs but air tubs, she said, explaining that an air tub adds bubbles of air to the water while the whirlpool sends jets of water into the bath.

A large tub can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000.

“People are also going with the taller toilets now,” she said. “It’s better for the handicapped, elderly and just tall young people.”

A standard toilet is 14 inches tall. The new “comfort-height toilet” is 16.5 inches tall, Counts said.

When it comes to fixtures, the local favorite has always been the traditional style. But newcomers from other parts of the nation are requesting more of the sleek, simplistic, modern faucets and fixtures, she said.

In regard to vanities, Counts said vessel sinks mounted on top of a vanity or antique furniture piece is very popular. More decorative sinks and under-mount sinks that don’t have an edge atop the vanity are also big right now.

Tontitown Marble Manufacturing Inc. offers marble vanity tops with sink bowls all in one piece. Manager Gary Sabatini said the company, which was started in 1970, has benefited from some of the upscale home building of recent years.

The marble countertops the company makes range in price from $17 to $19 per SF. The custom sink bowl costs $54 to $70. Custom edging is additional. Sabatini said the marble comes in “about 100 different colors.”

Marble is also a popular material for showers in large master bath suites. Sabatini said such a shower can cost between $1,200 and $4,000, depending on the size.

“A lot of them have two shower heads, and so they make the showers bigger,” he said.