Designing Your Owner’s Suite

The owner’s suite is growing. More homeowners are looking for more of a restful space than just sleeping quarters. Today’s home designs frequently incorporate an owner’s suite, as either a standard feature or an option. There are often more questions revolving around the owner’s suite in a single family new construction home, than just about any other room.  

But the owner’s suite isn’t just about a bigger room. When you’re designing this space you should consider how you plan to use the area. Do you want a private reading nook rather than a corner in the room? Would you prefer one closet or his and hers? What features do you want in the bathroom?

Consider that your owner’s suite has zones with unique functions and then identify your needs and wishes for each:

• Sleeping: Hard to get out of bed on the cold northwest Indiana morning? Where do you want your bed to be placed? Where are the windows? What is the view from your bed? If you’re including a media center, where is the best location to place it?
• Sitting: A sitting area is a space where you can sit and chat, read, or just enjoy a quiet moment of reflection. How much space and privacy will suit your tastes? Would built-ins be a desirable addition?
• Dressing: Do you want a dressing area, separate from your walk-in closet or bathroom?
• Storage: Closets are always a key feature in any bedroom, with walk-ins being the most desirable. Would you prefer shelves and drawers to standard racks? Should your closet have access to both the bedroom and bathroom? And do you want one or two closets?
• Bathing: Bathrooms have gone from purely functional to a spa-like experience. You have so many options here, including his and hers vanities, separate shower (for one or two), and soaking tub, as well as more sophisticated lighting and plumbing fixtures designed specifically for the bathroom. You can either allocate the space for the bathroom and determine what you can accommodate there, or decide what you want and then calculate how much space you need to subtract from the rest of the suite.

Treat yourself to the suite life in an Olthof home!