So many bedrooms in homes turn into a plain white box, especially the master bedroom because no one is going to see it. Building a custom home is no different, unless you seek out to make it a special place. We spend a lot of time during our design process to understand what our clients what from their home, and how they are going to live in it. Your master bedroom should be a sanctuary that you visit daily, and is just for you.

If you are designing your master retreat from the ground up, you have a lot of freedom to do whatever you want, from custom built ins, to beautiful fireplaces, and vaulted ceilings. Here are a few tips on how to design this space for your home, or change the existing space you’re living in while your home is being built!

First- light. Lighting is a huge part of what makes a room glow. If you have a fan with a light kit that doesn’t put off much light, this can make any space seem dark and dingy. Think about putting in can lighting with a fan, or a statement light fixture over the bed to add that extra element of light.

Second, think about seating. “As a parent, I find more and more as my kids get older that I love sitting in my bedroom chair to read. During the holiday months this serves me well when I have a full house of family. There should be elements of your room that make you feel the most at home. For me this is the quietest place in my home and a space that is just for me,” says Lauren Browne,

Space is another very important part of any bedroom. You want to make sure that whatever furniture you have, doesn’t overwhelm the room. We want to know in design which furniture is going to go into these rooms and not the other way around. If you’re planning on buying a king bed it is important to make the room bigger. Vaulting a ceiling in a bedroom makes it feel much bigger and brighter as well. With the addition of beams, this can transform a room into a showstopper.

Lastly, understand how you want to whole master suite to flow. Many production builders don’t put doors on their master bathrooms or walk in closets and make it one big space. Other builders like Larsen like to have doors throughout the space but often add frosted glass doors or pocket doors as an added element. We have one beautiful home that had his and hers bathrooms and closets inside the master suite and it was a wonderful layout!

Whatever you decide for your master suite, make it unique and function well for you!

• Written by Lauren Browne