Synopsis: An architect explains how to design a master bathroom that is well proportioned, has easy access to the adjoining bedroom and dressing area, and is comfortable and attractive without being unreasonably expensive.

We’ve all seen them. They appear in magazines at the checkout line and the convenience-store counter, just above the reach of small children. The pictorial spreads, full of glossy color photos, make you ache with desire. We see them at friends’ houses (at least the friends we know well enough to let us see them). Some of our friends even carry pictures of them in their wallets.

What are they? I’m talking about big, beautiful master baths with marble floors, marble counters, gold-plated sinks and faucets, showers that produce water from every direction and floors that are slightly warm to the touch. These baths have features that you never knew existed but now you cannot live without. They make you contemplate a home-equity loan and conferences with architects and builders.

Here’s a reality check: These showcases can become very big and very expensive.

Start by analyzing the space

The next time you are looking at a picture of the bathroom you’ve always wanted, try figuring out how big that bathroom is. A typical tub deck is at least 3-1 ⁄2 ft. wide and almost 7 ft. long. A two-sink counter is almost certainly 6 ft. long and 2 ft. deep. The shower is probably 4 ft. square, and the space in the middle, with the chair and the small dressing table, is around 5 ft. wide and 8 ft. long.

This room is 11 ft. by 17 ft. To get a sense of how big this space is, start measuring some other rooms in your house. This dream bathroom likely will be the biggest room in your house. It is probably bigger than most of your bedrooms, a bit narrower than your dining room and about the size of your eat-in kitchen.

Now do a quick check on the cost of fixtures and materials. Check the price of a cast-iron whirlpool tub (about $3,000) and the incredibly beautiful sink faucet you see in that magazine picture (it easily can cost $900). These costs are on top of the marble that ranges from $70 to $80 per sq. ft. or molded tiles that cost $25 per tile. A luxuriously appointed large master bathroom, built in an existing space, will end up costing $25,000 to $40,000, as well as taking up about one-third of your second floor. For this price tag, you could have several fairly nice vacations in hotels with bathrooms that sexy.

Of course, there’s the other extreme: the practical, minimally sized bathroom that has everything you need but nothing you want. This room might be the master bathroom you have now: one sink and a tub/shower combination with the toilet next to it.

It is only 8 ft. sq., has inexpensive but functional fixtures and 4×4 tile, and serves its purpose to the bare minimum. But in that room, you don’t want to lounge and enjoy getting ready in the morning. And you’re certainly not going to show it to your friends.

For more photos and details on creating the perfect master bath, click the View PDF button below.