Ensuite Renovations
The complete guide to building a primary ensuite — the spa features, the double vanity, freestanding tubs, walk-in showers, heated floors, design choices, and cost. Everything you need to know before you start.
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What Is an Ensuite?
An ensuite is a private bathroom connected directly to a bedroom — almost always the primary (master) bedroom. The word simply means "in suite": the bathroom is part of the bedroom suite, for the use of the people who sleep there rather than the whole household. It's the most personal bathroom in the home, which is why it's where homeowners invest in a true retreat.
Because it's private and not the family bathroom, an ensuite is designed around relaxation and comfort rather than pure practicality. This is where you'll see the spa features — a freestanding soaking tub, a large walk-in shower, a double vanity, heated floors — and the higher-end finishes that make getting ready in the morning and unwinding at night feel like a hotel.
An ensuite is typically the largest and most involved bathroom project in a home. More space, more fixtures, and more custom work mean it sits at the top of the bathroom investment range — and delivers the biggest transformation in how a primary suite feels and how a home shows.
What Sets an Ensuite Apart
The Spa Features
These are the signature features that turn a bathroom into a primary retreat. You don't need all of them — the right mix depends on your space and how you want the room to feel.
Freestanding Soaking Tub
A sculptural tub that stands on its own as the centrepiece of the room. It's the defining feature of a spa ensuite — a place to soak and unwind, and a striking visual anchor. Often paired with a floor-mounted tub filler.
Large Walk-In Shower
A generous walk-in shower with frameless glass, often with a rainfall showerhead and a separate handheld, plus a bench and built-in niches. The everyday luxury most ensuite owners use the most.
Double Vanity
Two sinks and plenty of counter and storage so two people can get ready at once without crowding. A double vanity is one of the most requested ensuite features — and a strong resale draw.
Heated Floors
Electric in-floor heating under the tile means warm floors on a cold morning. It's a quiet luxury that ensuite owners say they'd never go without once they've had it.
Water Closet
A separate enclosed compartment for the toilet, giving privacy in a shared ensuite. A popular layout choice when there's room for it.
Layered Lighting
Dimmable lighting in zones — bright at the vanity, soft and warm by the tub — so the room shifts from a functional morning space to a calm evening one at the turn of a dial.
The Foundation of a Lasting Ensuite
Built to Protect Your Investment
The bigger the bathroom and the more you invest, the more it matters that the work behind the tile is done right. A spa ensuite is only as good as its waterproofing.
Waterproof Wet Zones
The large shower and tub area is built with a continuous waterproof board system behind the tile — not ordinary drywall — so water can never reach the framing of an expensive room.
Flood-Tested Showers
Every shower is flood-tested before tiling — sealed, filled, and held to confirm it's watertight. On a high-end ensuite, this is non-negotiable.
Floors That Stay Perfect
Large tile floors and heated-floor systems are set over an uncoupling membrane so the floor moves with the house without cracking the tile or the heating mat below.
Premium Grout
A polymer-modified grout that resists staining and cracking keeps a large tiled ensuite looking pristine for years, not months.
This engineering is identical on every Cornerstone bathroom, from a small powder room to a large custom ensuite. You can read the full material specifications on our main bathroom page.
The Higher-End Choices
Design & Finishes
An ensuite is where it makes sense to invest in finishes you'll touch and see every day. These are the choices that define a premium primary bath.
Statement Tile
Large-format porcelain, natural stone looks, or a full feature wall behind the tub. In an ensuite, tile is a design statement as much as a surface — floor-to-ceiling in the shower for a true spa feel.
Custom Vanity & Stone
A custom or semi-custom double vanity topped with quartz or natural stone, with quality drawers and soft-close hardware. The piece that anchors the room and does the daily work.
Designer Fixtures
A coordinated suite of premium fixtures — rainfall shower system, tub filler, faucets and hardware in a finish like matte black, brushed gold, or brushed nickel — pulls the whole room together.
Frameless Glass
A frameless glass shower enclosure keeps sightlines open and makes a large ensuite feel even bigger and more architectural than a framed or curtained shower.
What to Expect
Cost & Timeline
What It Costs
An ensuite sits at the top of the bathroom investment range — it's the largest, most fixture-heavy, most custom bathroom in the house. What drives the number: the size of the space, a freestanding tub plus a separate large shower, double vanity, heated floors, and the level of tile and fixtures you choose.
How Long It Takes
A full custom ensuite is the longest bathroom build because of the extra fixtures, custom tile, and waterproofing involved. You get a written schedule with a committed end date before work starts, backed by our $300/day on-time guarantee.
Every Cornerstone bathroom comes with a detailed proposal and a fixed price in writing before any work begins. No ballpark numbers, no surprise invoices.
Common Questions
Ensuite FAQ
What's the difference between an ensuite and a regular bathroom?
Do I need both a tub and a shower in an ensuite?
Are heated floors worth it in an ensuite?
Can you add an ensuite to a bedroom that doesn't have one?
What does an ensuite renovation cost?
Do you pull permits?
Planning an Ensuite Renovation?
Start with a free bathroom diagnostic. We'll walk your space, talk through the spa features that fit your primary suite, and deliver a detailed proposal with a fixed price before any work begins.
