I have to say one of my pet peeves with some of the new construction I’ve seen in the past few years has do with bathrooms and specifically the ensuites bathroom in the master bedroom.

No, I’m not thinking of the bad feng shui of bed placement in relation to the orientation of the bathroom door, sadly my issue is just about the bathroom doors themselves or, my personal gripe, the lack of a bathroom door.

It’s a simple concept that has been around for a long time. A door to separate the outside world from the goings on behind the door. Simple yet useful. Outhouses have doors with the little crescent moons in them. Public washrooms have doors on the stalls (well except that public washroom in the Caribbean, but that’s a different story). Main bathrooms have doors.  Doors are important.

A door gives privacy. A sense of sanctuary if you will. A barrier between you and the rest of the world, or the rest of the world and you.

Just this weekend I was touring new homes with a client and we saw a beautiful new construction home with almost everything you could ever want. This place was loaded. Granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, main floor laundry with the latest smart washer and steam dryer and a large oversized garage with custom cabinetry built in. Gorgeous.

Then the buyers get to the master bedroom. Large walk in closet. Beautiful view of the manmade lake outside. Built in home entertainment wiring for the included wall mount flatscreen.

All of the boxes are getting checked.

But then it happens. I’m coming down the hallway to the master bedroom when I hear a loud, almost theatrical, snicker from one of the buyers followed by “that’s not gonna happen”.

I enter and there, 6 feet from the foot of where the master bed would go is the opening to the loo. And the opening is door free. Oh sure, the opening is offset to the side and you couldn’t actually see someone sitting there doing their business, but we have more senses than just sight.

Like hearing.

And smell.

As soon as these particular buyers saw that, the rain shower and double sinks suddenly didn’t cut it. This house just went from the lead to several places back in the standings for the lack of a door.

Builders, for your own sake, please stop building beautiful homes with a toilet open to the master bedroom. Thanks.

Tracey