Five Things Every Custom Bathroom Needs

A great bathroom is not about the tile. It is about the sequence of movements you make from the moment you wake up to the moment you walk out the door. We design bathrooms around rituals, not pretty pictures.

Here are five elements every custom bathroom should include.

1. 1Heated flooring. Not a luxury — a necessity in a Canadian climate. We recommend electric radiant heat mats beneath the tile, controlled by a programmable thermostat. Your morning feet will thank you.

1. 2A well-placed towel warmer. The psychology of stepping out of a hot shower into a cold towel is surprisingly damaging to the spa experience. A hydronic or electric towel warmer within arm's reach of the shower transforms the moment.

1. 3Task lighting at the mirror, not overhead. Overhead lighting casts shadows on the face. We specify sconces mounted at eye level (66 to 72 inches from the floor) on either side of the mirror, or a single fixture centred above with a frosted diffuser.

1. 4Storage tailored to your morning. Shallow drawers for cosmetics, deep drawers for towels, a dedicated spot for a hair dryer that is not a tangle of cords. We design storage after we understand your routine.

1. 5A shower that fits you. A 36-inch square shower stall meets code but feels cramped. We specify a minimum of 42 by 60 inches for a walk-in. Add a built-in bench, a hand shower, and a niche at the right height — not one size fits all.

Bathrooms should feel like a private spa, not a utilitarian washroom. Every detail matters.