How We Designed Our Ensuite: The Decisions You Never See
- Aug 7
- 4 min read
Most people experience a bathroom in seconds. You notice the tile, the vanity, maybe the faucet or the lighting. If it's beautiful, you might think, I love this space.
What you don't see are the dozens of decisions quietly working in the background.
Should the mirror open this way or that way? How close should it be to your face? Where do the everyday products go? What's the easiest path from the shower to the towel? How can natural light reach the room without compromising the layout?
These aren't the glamorous parts of a renovation, but they're often the decisions that determine whether a bathroom simply looks beautiful or genuinely improves your daily routine.
When we design bathrooms for our clients, we spend just as much time thinking about these invisible details as we do selecting tile and plumbing fixtures. I thought I'd share the thinking behind some of the decisions we made in our own ensuite and why they matter so much.
Q: What was your biggest priority?
Eye-level storage. If there's one thing I knew I wanted, it was plenty of storage where I use it most. I'm a huge believer in medicine cabinets: they're one of the most practical features you can include in a bathroom. The products I reach for every morning and every night should be at eye level, not cluttering the countertop or hidden away in a drawer.
From the beginning, I wanted as much storage as possible without sacrificing the clean look of the vanity.
Q: Why isn't your medicine cabinet recessed?
This surprises a lot of people. Most medicine cabinets are recessed into the wall, but I intentionally mounted ours on the surface. The reason is simple: I like the mirror as close to my face as possible. By bringing the mirror forward, it reduces the distance from the edge of the countertop to your reflection, making everyday routines like washing your face, applying makeup, or doing your skincare much more comfortable.
It's one of those details you don't necessarily notice, but you feel it every single day.
Q: The mirror looks seamless. How did you design it while still prioritizing storage?
This might be my favourite detail in the room. I wanted a lot of storage, but I didn't want a cabinet seam running directly through the middle of my reflection.
Instead, we offset the seam and created a smaller operable door on one side. That's where I keep the products I reach for every day, so I can quickly grab what I need without opening the larger cabinet. When I need access to everything else, the main door opens fully.
It's a small design decision, but one that makes the cabinet feel much more intuitive to use.
Q: What's the small cabinet beside the vanity?
Laundry. The base cabinet is deeper than it appears and houses two removable hampers—one for light clothing and one for dark.
It's one of those features that's easy to overlook, but it keeps the bathroom feeling tidy and makes doing laundry just a little bit easier because everything is already sorted.
Q: Did you plan for kids when designing the bathroom?
Absolutely. We knew this would be the bathroom we'd use with our children, so we designed it with that in mind from the beginning.
Storage needed to be generous, products needed to be easy to reach, and everything had to function just as well for a family as it does for the two of us.
Designing for the way you'll actually live is always more important than designing for a photograph.
Q: Why is the shower niche so long?
I don't find small shower niches particularly practical, especially for families. We wanted enough room for everyone's products instead of trying to squeeze everything into a tiny opening.
We also positioned it lower on the wall so it's easy for both adults and kids to reach while staying largely out of sight. It's functional without becoming the focal point of the bathroom.
Q: Was the layout always like this?
Not even close. The original ensuite was small, cramped, and didn't function particularly well. Before choosing a single finish, we completely reorganized the floor plan to improve circulation, increase storage, and make the room feel much calmer.
It's a good reminder that successful bathroom design almost always begins with the layout—not the tile.
Q: Were there any budget trade-offs?
Interestingly, most of these decisions weren't about increasing the budget. Offsetting a cabinet door, extending a shower niche, or planning hidden laundry storage costs very little when it's considered early in the design process.
The value comes from thoughtful planning, not necessarily spending more money.
Q: Is there anything you would do differently?
Only one thing. I would tile every wall.
Leaving some walls as drywall saved money upfront, but after living in the space, I don't think the savings justified the compromise. Full-height tile is easier to clean, better protects the walls from moisture, and makes the room feel more complete.
It's one investment I'd happily make again.
The Best Bathroom Design Is Often Invisible
When people see our ensuite, they usually notice the finishes first.
What they don't notice are the dozens of small decisions quietly working behind the scenes—where everyday products are stored, how close the mirror sits to the countertop, how laundry is organized, or how the room flows from one space to the next. Those details rarely become the standout feature in a photograph, but they're the reason the bathroom works so well every single day.
That's what we love most about design. Looking beyond what's beautiful to create spaces that genuinely support the way people live.
If you're planning a renovation, addition, or custom home, we'd love to help. Book a complimentary discovery call to learn more about our process.
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