Luxury Meets Functional Design

Secondary spaces like bathrooms and laundry rooms don’t always get as much design attention as public-facing rooms like kitchens and living areas. But with a little extra love, these well-appointed spaces can make how you live in your home far more enjoyable—and make a significant design impact, too.

This Arizona home is a great example of how careful attention to detail can elevate a hardworking room to one that feels like a relaxing, elegant oasis. Take the primary bathroom featured in Cambria Style magazine: The soaring space had its large size working for and against it, says designer Alisha Taylor of Alisha Taylor Interiors in Scottsdale, AZ.

On the one hand, it’s great to have plenty of space to add amenities like a makeup table and a freestanding tub; on the other, it took some design work to make it feel soothing, not overwhelming. Adding textured elements—an area rug, an upholstered ottoman, subtle cabinet detailing—helped soften the atmosphere. A deep apron on the Brittanicca quartz vanity top, that sculptural tub, and jewelry-like light fixtures brought on the luxury.

“These design strategies work beautifully in any size space,” says Taylor. “You don’t have to have tons of square footage or a custom home to get the same effect. You can play with scale, mixing large elements with more delicate details (like the chunky Cambria top against the reeded vanity surface) and layer on texture in any room.”

Taylor brought the same level of care to the home’s laundry room, which has a mix of painted taupe and rift-cut white oak cabinets, Ironsbridge quartz countertops, and a mix of gold and black metallic finishes. “We wanted a really soft touch in that space. Everything looks delicate, but it’s all extremely hardworking. The Cambria countertops are super durable, and the sink is deep and very functional.”

Again, while a laundry room the size of a spacious kitchen isn’t the norm for many, it’s possible to make your own space just as pretty and functional as this one. It’s all about balancing the essentials—durable materials, a little storage, a sink if you can fit one, good lighting—with a design that makes you feel happy to work there.