Bathrooms are often among the smallest rooms in a house, but they are also technically complex, expensive spaces to design or renovate. Plumbing, waterproofing, cabinetry, stone, tile, lighting, ventilation, and fixtures are all compressed into a relatively small footprint.
A powder room is a perfect place for surprise. Nobody spends that long there, so a small space can support a bold idea that might overwhelm a larger room: dramatic stone, richly textured wall covering, or saturated color. I like to think of it as a jewel box within the house.
A primary bathroom is deeply personal. You may easily spend over 30 minutes there between your morning and evening routines. The architecture should respond to how you live every day: where daylight enters, what you see from the vanity or shower, how you move through the room, where everything is stored, and how materials feel underfoot and to the touch.
Avoid designing from a checklist of luxury-bath clichés. A freestanding tub that no one uses does not make a bathroom spectacular. Neither does an all-white “spa” palette or a jumble of competing statement tiles. Joyful spaces come from a clear idea, good proportions, beautiful materials, and balance.
—Pamela Sandler, owner and principal of Pamela Sandler Architect
sandleraia.com
Originally published in The B, Fall 2026, “Rooms With a View”
