ELRE
Luxury bathroom, spa and wellness in the villa
The master bathroom as a private spa, the wellness area as a place of recovery. How we design a luxury bathroom that is used every day and ages well.
Luxury bathroom: the most intimate room in the house
The luxury bathroom is the room where every day begins and ends. In a contemporary villa the master bathroom is often as large as a bedroom, opens onto greenery and holds a bathtub, a generous shower and sometimes a sauna. Next to it the wellness area becomes a small private spa. Designing a luxury bathroom means bringing together materials, water, light, air and silence.
In this guide we explain how we design the luxury bathroom and the wellness area: layout, materials, taps, shower, bathtub, sauna, steam room, cold water and gym.
The layout of the master bathroom
The master bathroom works when it is organised in zones: basins, shower, bathtub, separate WC. The WC sits in a small closed room; the basins are double, with plenty of counter space; shower and bathtub are in the brightest area, often near glazing screened from view. The walk-in closet links bathroom and bedroom.
In the villas we design the luxury bathroom often looks onto a patio or a private garden. Natural light changes everything: it makes even the simplest gesture pleasant and dries the rooms. Where privacy requires it we use frosted glass at the bottom, screened gardens or skylights.
Materials and surfaces
The luxury bathroom lives on a few materials, repeated consistently: a natural stone for basins and main walls, large porcelain slabs where continuity is needed, treated woods for cabinets and shelves. Shower floor and walls can be in the same material, with a flush tray that disappears.
Beneath the finishes lies the most important part: the waterproofing. Continuous membranes, connections to the drains, correct falls towards the channels. A luxury bathroom with a leak is a costly problem to solve: this is why the waterproofing is tested before the stone is laid.
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The method and the 12 systems
Structure and passive house
Building system and Passivhaus
Windows and glazing
Windows, sliding doors, doors
Energy, air and water
Heat pump, ventilation, solar
Natural stone
Marble, travertine, wood
Porcelain tiles
Large slabs inside and out
Lighting
Designing the light
Luxury kitchens
Kitchen, appliances, compost
Bathroom, spa and wellness
Master bathroom, sauna, recovery
Furniture
Living, bedrooms, walk-in closets
Pools and gardens
Outdoor, landscape, robots
Home automation and security
One system for the whole house
Art and objects
Collections and signature pieces
Private service
Private consultation
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Contact usShower, bathtub, taps
The shower
The shower of a luxury bathroom is flush with the floor, without steps, with a linear channel. A ceiling-recessed rain head, a hand shower, a shelf cut into the wall and a seat where possible. The richest showers add side jets and steam functions, which must be coordinated with the ventilation.
The bathtub
The freestanding bathtub is the hallmark of the luxury bathroom: a sculptural object in stone, mineral composite or metal, placed in front of a window. The weight when full must be checked on the floor slab, and floor- or wall-mounted taps must be planned.
Taps
Wall-mounted concealed taps free up the counters and make the bathroom cleaner. Thermostatic mixers keep the temperature constant; brushed and dark finishes hide limescale marks better. The concealed body is chosen before the walls are closed: changing it later means demolition.
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Explore our projects
Edra sofas, Varenna kitchen, Noorth and Agape bathrooms: a project by the studio.
The wellness area: the private spa
Next to the luxury bathroom the wellness area hosts a sauna, steam room, cold shower or cold plunge, and a relaxation area. The sequence matters: changing room, shower, heat, cold, rest. The spaces must be short to cross and screened from view, with a relaxation area that has natural light and possibly a view.
Sauna and steam room
The Finnish sauna works with very hot, dry air, the infrared sauna with radiant panels and lower air temperatures, the steam room with steam at moderate temperatures and very high humidity. Each requires different services: dedicated electrical lines, steam generators, ventilation, drains. We cover them in detail in our wellness and biohacking guide.
Cold water and recovery
A powerful cold shower or a plunge pool with a chiller completes the heat circuit. The plunge pool needs water, a drain, power and a suitable floor. Anyone with cardiovascular problems should talk to their doctor before using intense heat and cold: the design provides the spaces, it does not promise benefits.
The private gym
Many villas include a gym near the wellness area: technical flooring, good ventilation, natural light, mirrors, space for equipment and stretching. It is part of a house designed for wellbeing, as we describe in the Longevity section.
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Air, humidity and silence
A luxury bathroom without good air extraction deteriorates: condensation, mould, odours. Mechanical ventilation continuously extracts humid air; steam rooms and saunas need dedicated extraction. Acoustics matter too: silent drains, insulated pipes, walls that do not carry noise to the bedrooms.
A bathroom for every age
A well-designed luxury bathroom is also an accessible bathroom: a flush shower, room to move, grab bars integrated into the design, seats, low-intensity night lighting. These are choices that make the bathroom more comfortable today and tomorrow let you live in the house for a long time, without renovations.
The studio's standard
Certified waterproofing tested before the finishes; flush showers with correct falls; thermostatic concealed taps with accessible bodies; continuous air extraction; task lighting at the mirror and night light; materials chosen for real-world maintenance; a wellness area with dedicated services designed by the supplier.
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Three levels: Essential, Signature, Icon
Essential: a master bathroom with flush shower, double basin and thermostatic taps. Signature: a stone luxury bathroom with freestanding bathtub, infrared sauna or steam room, relaxation area. Icon: a complete private spa with Finnish sauna, steam room, cold water, indoor pool and gym.
The luxury bathroom brands we consider
Agape, Antonio Lupi, Boffi
Agape, from Mantua, Antonio Lupi, from Tuscany, and Boffi are among the Italian references for the luxury bathroom: sculptural basins, bathtubs, furniture and systems with an essential language.
In SD Home, the studio’s villa in Soave, the bathrooms combine furniture by Noorth, the bathroom furniture brand from Castelfranco Veneto presented at the Salone del Bagno in 2016, with pieces by Agape. In MD Home, in Verona, the bathrooms are by Modulnova, with floating vanities lit from below.
Taps: Gessi, Fantini, Dornbracht
Gessi and Fantini are two great Italian names in designer taps. Dornbracht, from Germany, is known for top-of-the-range taps and shower systems.
In the guest bathroom of MD Home, architect Federico Cappellina chose Gessi taps with ceiling-mounted spouts, above a white pedestal basin against dark walls.
Wellness: Starpool, Klafs, Effe, Technogym
For saunas, steam rooms and spas we consider Starpool, from Trentino, Klafs, from Germany, and Effe. For the private gym, Technogym, a company from Cesena founded in 1983.
Independent selection: the brands mentioned are chosen for quality, performance and service. No brand pays to appear on this page and the links lead to the official websites. Prices, availability and terms should be checked with the manufacturer or with the studio during the design phase.
Guest and children's bathrooms
Alongside the master bathroom a villa has bathrooms for guests, for the children and a small cloakroom near the living room. Each bathroom has a different role. The guest cloakroom is a small but scenographic room: an important stone, a sculptural basin, studied light. The children’s bathrooms must be robust, easy to clean and grow with them.
Guest bedrooms deserve bathrooms of the same quality as the master bathroom, on a smaller scale: flush shower, thermostatic taps, light at the mirror, space for belongings. These are the details that make a guest feel welcomed in a home, not in a hotel.
The luxury bathroom and light
The light of a luxury bathroom works on three layers: task light at the mirror, frontal and even; atmospheric light, indirect and dimmable, for the bathtub and the evening; night light, low and automatic, so you can get up without fully waking. All fittings must have the protection suited to wet zones. We cover this on the page about designer lighting.
Heating and comfort
In a luxury bathroom a warm floor is a daily pleasure. With underfloor heating, electric or hydronic towel warmers controlled by a timer can be added. In a highly insulated house the bathroom stays warm even in winter and the mechanical ventilation removes the moisture after the shower, avoiding condensation on the mirrors.
Water: quality and consumption
Water quality changes the bathroom experience: a treatment system at the house inlet reduces limescale on taps, glass and stone and protects the installations. Quality shower heads and taps offer pleasant flows with moderate consumption; hot water recirculation avoids wasting water while waiting. We cover this on the page about energy, air and water.
Explore our projects
Schüco glazing, Minimal Cucine and Modulnova kitchen, Poliform and Baxter furniture, Occhio lighting, MAFI wood.
Furniture and storage
The luxury bathroom must stay uncluttered. Floating cabinets under the basins, tall units concealed in the walls, mirror cabinets, niches in the shower: every object has its place. Wood, treated to resist humidity, warms the atmosphere; stone and metal give solidity. Bespoke furniture makes it possible to use every centimetre.
How much does a luxury bathroom cost
The cost of a luxury bathroom depends mainly on three items: the stone and its working, the taps and shower systems, and hidden works such as waterproofing, drains and services. The wellness area adds saunas, steam rooms and dedicated installations. This is why we define the budget in the design, item by item, and compare it with suppliers’ offers before ordering.
A good luxury bathroom is not the one with the most accessories, but the one in which every choice has a reason: materials that age well, accessible services, spaces proportioned to the life of the people who use it.
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The luxury bathroom in the studio's projects
In the studio’s projects the master bathroom is designed together with the bedroom and the walk-in closet, as a single suite. In the AV Home villa, for example, the bathroom uses light stone, indirect light in the ceilings and a flush bathtub; elsewhere we have used lava stone and copper basins for a darker, more textured atmosphere. The images on this page come from the studio’s projects.
The luxury bathroom and everyday wellbeing
A luxury bathroom is not made for special occasions, but for every day. The morning shower, the warm evening bath, the weekend sauna: these are rituals that give rhythm to life in the house. This is why we design the bathroom around real gestures, the morning light and the evening light, the temperature of the floor, the silence.
The wellness area completes the luxury bathroom with the heat and cold circuit and a space for rest. It is the bridge to the Longevity section of Elite Luxury Real Estate, where we explain how the house can support sleep, recovery and movement, without medical promises.
The luxury bathroom as a suite
In larger villas the luxury bathroom is part of a suite: bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom and sometimes a small sitting room or a private study. The routes are short and private, the materials continuous, the lighting coordinated. It is the most elegant way to organise the sleeping area, with the privacy of an apartment within the house.
Guest bedrooms can also have their own small suite with a luxury bathroom on a smaller scale. Guests feel welcomed and the family keeps its privacy.
A successful luxury bathroom can be recognised by small signs: no step in the shower, the right light at the mirror, a warm floor in the morning, silent drains, materials that still look new after years. These are the details we design in every villa.
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Explore our projects
Metra glazing, Viabizzuno and OTY lighting, infinity pool: designed and supervised by the studio.
The most common mistakes
Choosing the taps after the walls have been closed. Forgetting the waterproofing under the stone. Putting the sauna in a room without ventilation. Installing a heavy bathtub without checking the floor slab. Using glossy finishes that show every drop of limescale. Designing a wellness area without natural light, which ends up never being used.
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Maintenance
The luxury bathroom requires cleaning with neutral products on the stone, periodic descaling of shower heads and aerators, and checking of the channels. Sauna, steam room and cold plunge have specific maintenance indicated by the manufacturer. Everything goes into the villa’s file with dates and contacts.
How it fits with the rest of the house
The luxury bathroom uses hot water from the heat pump, works with light and materials, is controlled by the home automation and continues into the garden with the pool. It is also the natural bridge to the Longevity section.
Frequently asked questions about the luxury bathroom
How much space does a master bathroom need?
It depends on the programme: with shower, bathtub, double basin and separate WC you need a generous area, to be studied together with the bedroom and the walk-in closet.
Sauna in the bathroom or in a dedicated room?
A compact infrared sauna can fit in the master bathroom; a Finnish sauna and a steam room work better in a dedicated wellness area.
Natural stone in the shower?
Yes, with slip-resistant finishes, waterproofing beneath it and regular limescale cleaning with neutral products.
Flush shower: does the slab need to be lowered?
Often yes, or the thickness of the screed is used: it must be decided in the design, before the structure.
How do you avoid limescale on bathroom surfaces?
With a water treatment system at the house inlet, matt finishes, regular cleaning with neutral products and ventilation that dries the rooms after use.
Designing the bathroom with the studio
The studio of Federico Cappellina designs luxury bathrooms and wellness areas together with the architecture and the services, from the choice of stone to the position of the concealed bodies.
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Planning a villa?
The studio coordinates architecture, materials, building services and furniture in a single project.
Discover the whole UHNW lifestyle
Bathroom, spa and wellness are the eighth of the twelve systems of The Villa Edit, linked to the Longevity section.