What Exactly is an En Suite Bathroom?
If you’re in the market for a new place to live, you might come across some interesting terms in your housing search. When it comes to the bathroom, you might come across a description that advertises a home with an en-suite bathroom, but what does this mean? What exactly is an en-suite bathroom? In case this is a foreign term that you’re not familiar with, here is everything that you need to know about en suite designs along with the advantages and disadvantages associated with them.
En-suite bathroom defined
En-suite is a term with French origins. It means afterwards.This suggests that the bathroom is attached to another room. They’re found in houses and you’ll at some point run across this style advertised when you’re searching through real estate listings. In the English language, en-suite means that the bathroom is connected to the bedroom, or it may even be situated within the room. Most commonly, it means that there are two rooms in one.
Where are en-suite bathrooms placed?
En-suite bathrooms are most often found within the master bedroom, but this isn’t the only place that they can be found. Sometimes they’re attached to other bedrooms within larger houses for accommodating other family members, or in guest rooms. You’ll also see them in bed and breakfasts, apartments, or hotels as a space saving measure.
En-suite is a luxury feature
In the real estate market, an en-suite bathroom is usually considered to be a luxury feature. It an add up to 5% to the value of a home that is for sale. It’s a highly desirable focal point for realtors when it comes to advertising and selling properties. This is a design that some home-owners add to their homes for the convenience of a private bathroom area that others in the home don’t use. This type bathroom offers a great deal of privacy, if there is at least one other bathroom in the home for others to use.
Versatility in design
It doesn’t take a lot of space to create an en-suite bathroom. It’s a matter of having access to the necessary plumbing to deliver the water for the sink, toilet and tub or shower. There are hundreds of different layout ideas for an en-suite bathroom. They can either be built within most medium to large sized bedrooms, or connected by removing existing non-load bearing walls.
The sky is the limit if you’re considering building an en-suite bathroom in your home. If the existing floor plan will accommodate the weight, you can use available space to install the necessities in practically any layout you prefer. Some en-suite bathrooms are in the form of half-baths, and may contain only a few elements of a traditional bathroom. You can install and sink and toilet, and forego the shower, or you can create an entire attached bathroom complete with a tub and shower. Even if you don’t have a large master bathroom, it’s not that difficult to find a layout that will be both functional and attractive.
Saving Space with an en-suite bathroom
An en-suite bathroom can be planned to take up very little space. If you want to maximize the use of all available space, consider using wall-mounted features wherever you can. With the exception of a toilet, that really needs to sit on the floor, you might think about ways to convert existing corners or nooks and crannies to incorporate sinks and showers that hug the unused spaces in the bedroom. Keep the pipework concealed within the walls for aesthetics. Since en-suite bathrooms are usually smaller than the more public family bathrooms, find bathroom equipment and accessories that are scaled down. There are some great choices out there for tiny sinks, toilets, and mini showers or spa tubs. If your bedroom is larger, you may even consider installing an attractive garden tub with cabinets above the tub for storing linens and other bathroom items. The goal is to create a functional yet attractive private bathroom space by maximizing the use of every inch of space creatively. Built-in cabinets and shelves are elements that can help in keeping a smaller en-suite bathroom more fashionable.
Why are en-suite bathrooms so popular?
En-suite bathrooms gained popularity in the 1950s, and the notion of luxury and prestige has only increased over time. Real estate agents are fond of homes that offer this feature because it gives them one more amenity to point out to prospective buyers. There are certain advantages associated with an en-suite bath. They give the occupant of the bedroom close proximity to the bathroom. This comes in handy in the middle of the night, especially if the other bathrooms in the home are not nearby. It eliminates the need to travel down a dark hallway or turn on lights that might disturb the rest of others who are sleeping in the home.
En-suite bathrooms are popular with homeowners with families. It gives the adults a private area that is usually made off-limits to the kids. It’s easier to maintain an en-suite bath because there are usually only one or two people using the area, and others don’t have access to make a mess. Any large closet area can usually be converted into an en-suite bathroom, which makes it easy to add if your home doesn’t already have one built-in.
Conclusion
En-suite bathrooms are a convenient luxury feature that creates a private area that is cut off from the public. This type bathroom, in most cases, increases the overall value of a home. They’re not difficult to install and they can be configured in a variety of different layouts. There are more reasons to consider an en-suite feature in a home than there are reasons not to have one. This is why they are so well-liked by realtors when selling a home.
