There’s something familiar about the luxurious bed and bathroom suites being built into many new homes, something that anyone who has done much traveling will recognize. Master suites are becoming more and more like four-star hotel rooms, with features found in destination spas.
“A lot of my clients say that when they go on vacation, they stay in these lovely hotel rooms—and they want the same amenities in their own homes,” says Pamela Enz, president of Arden Hills-based design firm Tangible Space, Inc. “People are traveling more, and they get used to those luxuries at these lovely hotels. So they want them in their homes.”
Mini-bars with coffee, juice, and wine are becoming common in master suites. So are large screen televisions that disappear into the foot of the bed, deep soaking tubs, and spacious showers with multiple nozzles.
“We’re designing it to be like a posh hotel room,” says Jeff Lindgren, a designer at Streeter & Associates, Inc., a Wayzata-based custom-home builder and renovation firm. “It’s not just a place to sleep anymore; it’s a space that’s designed just for you, a great place for you to get away from everything else that’s happening in the house.”
Homeowners also want a patio, deck, or three-season porch connected to the master suite. “They really like the fact that they can go out and have some private space,” says Mary Dworsky, owner of Mary Dworsky Interior Design in Minneapolis. “They can go out with a cup of coffee, look out at their yard and their property, and just relax.”
“Just being able to sit in your bed, look outside and enjoy the view is so important,” Lindgren says. “People just want to relax after a long, hard day.”
Indeed, the master suite can be a getaway—without the headaches of packing, getting stuck in traffic, getting to the airport two hours early, and waiting in line. That’s one of the reasons that homeowners are willing to invest so much in their master bathrooms. Lindgren reports that master baths are becoming one of the most expensive rooms in the home, per square foot. “People are looking to get something of a spa experience,” he explains, “minus the drive and the crowds.”
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