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Dual Master Bedrooms. The Hottest Trend In Luxury Homes

For years the idea of couples sleeping in separate bedrooms was considered a really bad sign. A pretty good signal the end was near for most relationships or at the very least a couple going through some pretty tough times. Most of the marriages I know of ending in divorce started with sleeping apart after years of constant fights and bickering. Today that’s old fashioned thinking. Dual master bedrooms has become a sought after feature in high end luxury new construction.

More and more couples, especially younger couples are asking for dual master suites. Not just a separate bedroom with a bath mind you. This is two complete master bedrooms. Both with full walk in closets, master baths with all the options like walk in showers and soaking tubs. And the rooms are large, true master suites. This is why you primarily find them in high end homes that have the raw square footage to accommodate two complete master bedrooms.

For some couples, especially younger couples where both people work full time stressful jobs, dual master bedrooms is an options worth considering. For our clients it’s all about practicality. Everyone’s work and sleep schedule is a little different so it can be tough having to adapt. Careers are important and with more and more couples having both people working it takes a lot out of you. You need your sleep.

What are Dual Master Bedrooms?

When you see dual master bedrooms listed on a set of plans or a real estate listing what it actually means is two complete master bedroom suites. It’s not just another bedroom with a bath. Any proper master suite has a bedroom that’s larger than the standard size, a large bathroom generally with double sink, soaking or spa tub with walk in glass shower and a large walk in closet. Now multiply that by two. With a dual master bedroom design you get two complete master bedroom suites.

This is why we mostly see the trend popping up in high end luxury new homes. It takes a lot of space to add one large master suite to a home let alone two. This is really the only drawback to the design. You need lots of square footage and square footage is expensive. The bigger the home the more it costs. There’s really no drawback other than that though. Even if you and your spouse sleep in the same room someone else can always use it. They make for great in-law suites, guest rooms, or places for older children who come back to live at home but want some privacy.

Dual Master Bedrooms : An Accelerating Trend

While still not a common setup having dual master bedrooms is becoming more and more popular. Accounting for only a small number of total sales, we’ve seen about a 50% increase in the homes built with a dual master suite over the past 5 years. And it’s a trend that seams to be accelerating as more and more large custom homes are being built in affluent NJ areas like Spring Lake, Seagirt or Rumson.

It’s also nice to have the flexibility if your caring for an elderly person, buying a home with a friend or have someone at home you’ll be caring for on a permanent basis. We recently worked with a couple designing a new custom home to be built in Spring Lake, NJ. They’ve slept in separate bedrooms for a while because she’s a morning person and he works nights. It was tough for a while. The bedrooms they slept in were a standard setup. She had the master and he slept in a small guest bedroom with a tiny closet and bath in the hall. They’re sleep situation wasn’t going to change any time soon so they wanted a permanent solution.

A dual master bedroom design was a good option for them. They plan on sleeping this way until their work situation eventually changes. Then move in their parents some day or one of the kids. 

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Two Master Bedrooms In One House

One of the greatest benefits of having two master bedrooms in the same house is the flexibility it gives you when decorating. You and your spouse, or whoever will be using the other bedroom, don’t necessarily have to agree on a style. Maybe you like a firm bead and they like a soft one. You like traditional furnishings and they lean more modern. They want a blue room with a green bed and you want a tan room with a gray bed.

With dual master bedrooms everyone can have what they want. No arguments. No reason to compromise. You can style the room whatever way is more comfortable for you.

Or do just the opposite, decorate both rooms together. Decide on each rooms style together. If you have a partner that likes decorating as much as I do then creating a master bedroom is an exciting, fun thing to do with your free time.

I love having two master bedrooms because it gives me somewhere comfortable to sleep when I want to sleep alone. I like sleeping alone when I feel sick or want to go to bed early or really late. Sometimes I just feel like crashing all by myself and don’t want to be bothered. It’s great having a beautiful room to do it in.

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Dual Master Bedroom Suites | A Place For Family & Friends

If your anything like me then family always comes first. When I was broke and lived in a simple house and my family stayed over, especially my parents or grandparents, I’d give em my own master bedroom and I gladly took the couch. Having two master bedrooms in the house is great when I get company because I want my guest to be completely comfortable and at home. With a second master bedroom suite they have a place all their own with plenty of pace to relax, they have a master bathroom all their own, and a closet big enough to fit whatever they need.

Dual master bedrooms are such a great amenity to have if you’ve got the space. They don’t actually cost that much more to build than a regular sized bedroom and bath. Sure the bedroom is a little larger, the bathroom has a tub and a shower and the closets have more space. But everything could be finished in less expensive ways. The bathroom doesn’t need marble, the bedroom doesn’t need it’s own fireplace and the closets don’t need built ins. It’s all about creating a private space for guests, like their own mini hotel room. You really don’t have to spend a fortune to do it.

Two Master Bedrooms | Use One As a Flex Room

There’s no rule that says you HAVE to use the room as a second master bedroom if you don’t want to. After all the second master suite is basically just a large room with a really nice bathroom and lots of storage. There are plenty of potential uses for a room like this.

When choosing how to use the additional master suite, you should consider a few options. Location in the house, craft or hobby rooms are great close to a kitchen or laundry area. Size, generally master bedrooms are so large you could do almost anything with them. Layout, are you working with a conventional square or rectangular space or do you have corners and a roof line to consider? As well as, of course, what you’d LIKE to use it for.

  • Playroom – your kids will love it, and you’ll love having a dedicated spot where kids can store all their toys.
  • Home Office – need a quiet place to get some work done? A home office would be the perfect spot.
  • Entertaining/Bar Room – love having guests and friends over? They’ll envy your perfectly appointed bar and entertainment space! The perfect option if the 2nd master suite is on the main floor.
  • Home Theater – pop some popcorn and cozy in for a warm evening at home!
  • Music Room – put your favorite pieces, bands, and instruments on display, and enjoy a refuge to listen to or play your favorite tunes.
  • Home Gym – you’ll love having a home gym large enough to fit all your exercise equipment, storage for gym clothes and a walk in shower to clean up after a hard workout. 

The options for how you use your flex room are as diverse as you can probably imagine. It doesn’t matter how you use your flex space so long as it flexes to fit your life.

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An Ever Evolving Home

Everything evolves. Technology, cars, entertainment, food, and people. What we’re seeing is dual master bedrooms being used as an evolution to modern day living. The old fashioned way of doing things doesn’t work for everyone so it’s nice to have a viable option. Best of all dual master bedrooms surprisingly won’t hurt you at resale. Some buyers may think it’s strange at first but it won’t stop them from buying the home. Some buyers may think it’s strange because it’s still a new trend but there’s really no down size to having dual master bedrooms. It’s just a larger bedroom with a bigger bath and closet when you think about it. If you have the square footage then why not have two.

At the top 10% of the nationwide real estate market, listings for dual master bedrooms are, on average, 9% more than those with just one. Nearly one third of potential buyers for homes over $2 million have expressed interest in dual master bedrooms.

” It was a little strange at first having my own master bedroom but now I love it,” says Joanne Morris, a homeowner in Deal, NJ who recently built a new 6500 sq. ft. custom home with a dual master suite. “It’s nice to have during the week because we work such different schedules, and when I need a break from his snoring,” she joked.

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Dual Master Bedrooms, Is It Really So Strange?

It may be a new trend in luxury new construction but is it really so strange to sleep in separate rooms? According to a 2015 survey by the National Sleep Foundation, nearly one in four couples sleep in separate bedrooms or beds. No matter the reason, if your going to sleep in your own room it may as well be a really nice one with all the amenities.

With two master suites comes two master bedrooms and two walk in closets. With all these additional options it’s easy to see why having two master bedrooms is a trend that’s not slowing down. According to the Wall Street Journal, “nearly one out of three people seeking homes that are $2 million or more have expressed interest in dual master bedrooms.”

Dual master bedrooms may be a trend in response to a broader demographic among home buyers. More homeowners are embracing multi-generational living. This creates a demand to create comfortable living spaces for elderly parents or kids wanting to live at home long term. Clients building homes in resort areas often request two master bedrooms to use as a VIP suite for guests. And then you have couples who want separate-but-equally luxurious bedroom suites for themselves.

So you see although it’s not the norm to have two master bedrooms it’s really not that strange at all when you think about it.

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Cons of Dual Master Bedrooms

They’re are really only two drawbacks to building a home with two master bedrooms.

The first is price. The bigger the home the more it costs and two master bedrooms takes up a lot of space. And one of the most expensive rooms in the home per square foot is the bathroom. So put those two things together and your really driving up the cost of your new home.

The second is space. Master bedrooms take up a lot of it. You’ll need a pretty big home to accommodate two master bedrooms. If your building an average size 2400 sq. ft. home it’ll be tough to squeeze two master suites in. You’ll have to cut from somewhere so what you’ll probably end up with is two guest size bedrooms each with a smaller closet and regular size bath. For two true master bedrooms you need a home at least 3500 sq. ft. and up. The average is over 5000.

For both of these reasons dual master bedrooms is a trend primarily found among affluent clients building new luxury custom homes. We’re not really seeing it in the average sized homes just yet.

Always Plan Ahead With Two Master Bedrooms

Although Jim and Brianne Maldonna have a traditional marriage and share a bedroom, they wanted two master bedrooms in the 6,000 square foot home they built last year in the Jersey Shore town of Spring Lake for $5.4 million.

The upstairs master bedroom overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, while the master bedroom downstairs opens onto the patio and pool. “We use the 2nd master bedroom as kind of a pool house and for guests. Also family stays over in the summer time quite a bit so it’s nice to have the extra space and a bit more privacy for them,” says Brianne.

“The master upstairs is the one we use because it has the better view and I prefer my bedroom to be on the 2nd floor.,” said Jim. “We’ll probably end up using the downstairs master as our permanent bedroom someday cus this house has a lot of steps,” joked Jim.

There is also 4 other bedrooms and 3 extra bathrooms in the house for their 2 children and guests if they need them.

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An In-Law Suite

For clients Ben and Jenny Jackson having two master bedrooms at their new home in Colts Neck, NJ, was a must when Jenny’s elderly mother, Janice, moved in with them 8 years ago. The 2nd master bedroom is so large it’s really an in-law suite allowing her to have her own private space whenever she wants. The main living areas like the kitchen, dining, and family room are all shared. A 2nd master bedroom give a lot more privacy than a smaller guest bedroom.

“She has her independence and her own private space,” says Jenny. “She could close the door and have her privacy whenever she wanted. That was important to us when building the home. The bedroom is so large she has a sitting area, sofa, furniture, really everything a living room would have.”

“One additional benefit is that she can spend more time with her three grandchildren now. We’re a close family so it’s a big plus that she’s always here for them. They love having grandma in the house to tuck them in at night,” Jenny says.

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Better Sleep Means Better Quality of Life

Getting an average of eight hours of sleep a night is associated with higher ratings for quality of life and lower ratings of depression, sleep study after study has shown.

Results show that people with a normal sleep duration of around eight hours per night had higher self reported scores for quality of life and lower scores for depression severity compared to short and long sleepers.Among people reporting perfect health there is a higher percentage of normal 8 hour a night sleepers. People with higher rates of depression report shorter or longer average amounts of sleep. This is all according to a study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. An important part of a good quality, healthy lifestyle is getting your sleep in.

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Dual Master Bedrooms Are Here To Stay

A home designed to have dual master bedrooms is a luxury trend that appears to be here to stay. Sleeping apart can have physical, mental, and even emotional benefits, leading to a better overall quality of life. This may not be a design feature that’s right for every home owner but dual master bedrooms is now a well established trend which increases in popularity year after year. Once this fairly new concept becomes a more mainstream trend it may very well be the next standard feature in high end luxury real estate.

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Are Two Master Bedrooms Right For You?

The general consensus is: It depends on the couple. Sleeping in the same bed may be important to some couples, but problematic for other depending on the circumstance.

It’s important to remember that we all have different needs and lifestyles. What’s right for one couple may not be right for the next. Sleeping in the same bed is still bar far the norm nut if you have issues with doing it for whatever reason this may be an option to think about when designing your next home.

Absence may make the heart grow fonder and the real estate prices go higher. In the end both are probably a good thing.

 

If you have any questions or comments e-mail us any time. We’d love to hear from you.

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