The Ultimate Design Guide to Ensuite Bathrooms
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If you’ve been scouring real estate websites or social media to look for interior design inspiration for your bathroom aesthetic, you’ve likely stumbled upon what are called ensuite bathrooms. You may not notice any major differences from a regular bathroom at first glance, but once you’ve done a bit more research, you may find yourself completely enamored with this understated luxury.
Your bathroom is arguably one of the best rooms to decorate because it’s a small space that’s detached from the rest of the house, giving you more creative freedom to play around with. Arguably, your primary bathroom should be one of the rooms you’re most comfortable in, so you don’t want to miss out on a fun design opportunity simply because it’s not as communal as a living room or kitchen. However, ensuite bathrooms can get slightly more complicated due to their location.
We reached out to designers to clarify the differences between a regular bathroom and an ensuite bathroom once and for all and to get advice on creating a luxurious space. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about these little retreats, as well as get some beautiful visual inspiration from design geniuses.
What Is an Ensuite Bathroom?
An ensuite bathroom is a bathroom that’s directly attached to a bedroom, generally the primary bedroom in the house. The word ensuite comes from the French term en suite, which translates to “in sequence” or “following.” There are no other doors to this space, so the only way to access an ensuite bathroom is through the bedroom.
“To me, a true ensuite bathroom is a full bath—meaning sink, toilet, bathtub, and shower (or a bath/shower combo),” Laura Jenkins, founder of her eponymous design firm, tells House Beautiful. “A bathroom where you have everything you need and you don’t have to leave your ‘suite’ to do anything else.”
Ensuite bathroom designed by Banner Day Interiors.
Primary bedroom designed by Banner Day Interiors.
Pros and Cons of Ensuite Bathrooms
There are arguably more advantages to having an ensuite bathroom than not having one. Miriam Silver Verga, principal designer at Mimi & Hill Design Studio, explains that the privacy and convenience an ensuite provides is generally a huge benefit, and she echoes Jenkins’s statement about not having to leave your room in order to get to the bathroom. As long as there’s another bathroom in your home, which tends to be the case when you have an ensuite, you don’t have to worry about sharing your bathroom with anyone (other than the person who may share the bedroom with you). You’re able to shut yourself away behind two closed doors rather than one when you really want to be alone, giving the space a luxe, hotel-like vibe.
Making it feel even more so like an upscale hotel, “an ensuite is often paired with access to a large closet, which creates a complete dressing area separate from the bedroom,” Lindsey Black, founder of her eponymous design firm, adds. “This helps keep clutter from the bedroom and more easily enables the bedroom to be a retreat.” Though an ensuite bathroom doesn’t require an attached walk-in closet or dressing room, that definitely adds a layer of luxury.
Designed by Lindsey Black.
Designed by Lindsey Black.
“It creates a more luxurious feel to know the bathroom is intended just for the use of the people in the bedroom it is attached to,” interior designer Momoko Wong adds. "Our bathing, cleansing, morning, and night preparation rituals are private, and an ensuite ensures these tasks can be performed without intrusion.”
When you have an ensuite bathroom, you don’t have to stress about cleaning off your bathroom countertop to make room for overnight guests and their skincare products and toiletries. They have their own space, and you have yours. Plus, if there are kids in your household, you don’t have to deal with their toys, products, and, let’s be honest, general mess.
The disadvantages are few and far between, but some do exist. However, they really boil down to one main issue: “An ensuite truly only works if you have multiple bathrooms and don’t need to share,” as Jenkins puts it. If the ensuite is, for some reason, the only bathroom in the home (been there, done that, not fun), then you and every other occupant and guest has to walk through someone’s bedroom every time they require it. Not only is this inconvenient and slightly intrusive, but the people who don’t sleep in the adjoining bedroom are likely to feel unwelcome in the space, Wong explains.
Jenkins does make an argument for one type of shared ensuite bathroom: the jack-and-jill bathroom, which is typically accessible from two bedrooms but not any public spaces. “I do think there is a lack of appreciation for a shared bathroom,” she says. “When you have less space, creating a full bath that two bedrooms can share is a very underappreciated option these days!”
Designed by Momoko Wong.
Designed by Momoko Wong.
Distinctive Features of Ensuite Bathrooms
It’s easy to say from an untrained perspective that the only real distinctive feature of an ensuite bathroom is the fact that it’s attached to a bedroom, but a lot more goes into the design than you might think.
Larger Size
While the size of each bathroom in a home can vary, the ensuite bathroom off the primary bedroom is generally the largest. This room is meant to feel like a bonus, not a standard feature, so it only makes sense that the size and other aspects of the design are more luxurious than in a regular bathroom.
Double Sinks
All four designers agree that an ensuite typically has two sinks to account for the likelihood of two people sharing the space, even though that could cut into valuable counter space, especially in smaller homes.
Luxury Bath Fixtures
A separate walk-in shower and standalone bathtub are also pretty common to see in ensuites. Wong likes to lean even further into the spa-like feel of the room and create a wet room, “a large shower with tub inside the space,” as she puts it.
Water Closet
Adding a water closet, or a room specifically for the toilet, is a typical feature of an ensuite bathroom as well. That way, both occupants can use the space at the same time and have plenty of privacy.
Cohesive Design
When it comes to the decor in an ensuite bathroom, Verga says, “It is always ideal to have a connection between the bedroom and the bathroom but not necessarily matching.” Black agrees. Since the bedroom and the bathroom are separate rooms, they should generally have separate but similar personalities, so to speak. It’s like what makeup artists say about eyebrows: They’re sisters, not twins.
Ensuite bathroom designed by Creative Tonic.
Bedroom designed by Creative Tonic.
Ensuite Bathrooms vs. Non-Ensuite Bathrooms
Ensuite Bathrooms
Attached to a bedroom (typically the primary bedroom)
Accessible only from the attached bedroom
Adds a touch of luxury to your home
Convenient
Provides privacy
Tends to be larger than a non-ensuite bathroom
Typically has two sinks
May have a separate tub and shower or be configured as a wet room
Often has a separate water closet
Often has an adjoining walk-in closet or dressing room
Similar in style to the attached bedroom
Non-Ensuite Bathrooms
Not attached to a bedroom
Accessible from a hallway or another communal part of the house
More casual fixtures
A standard feature in any home
Not a private space; available for anyone to use
Typically has one sink
Doesn’t tend to have a separate water closet
Is independent in design style from the surrounding spaces
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