The master closet has become a sweet addition to the bedroom suite.

"The master closet doesn't hide behind doors anymore," says Ginny Snook Scott, California Closets vice president, based in Richmond, California. "Also called the closet en suite, this space is evolving into another room that is connected to the master bedroom and bathroom."

Today's master closet isn't a subset of the bedroom; the closet en suite has become a large room unto itself. As a well-appointed pantry takes cooking tasks out of the kitchen, today's master closet has a wardrobe system that dresses up the space, so you don't have to get dressed in the bedroom.

"The master bedroom has become a space that is dedicated to sleep, with very little furniture, except for the bed and nightstands," Scott says. "Built-in dressers, hanging rods and other cabinetry are custom-made into the master closet, based on the homeowners' wardrobe and needs."

Personalize

Scott says that no two master closets are the same, because its contents are very personal. Many are treating the closet en suite like a personal boutique on display, evolving from a catchall space into which people hurriedly throw items and quickly close sliding doors.

"When designing your closet, go through your wardrobe and pick pieces, such as handbags, scarves, ties or shoes, that make a statement about your style," Scott says. "These items are showstoppers and can be a closet's centerpiece, from which other design elements flow."

Creating a Zen-like zone in the master closet means having a place for everything and keeping everything in its place. While this directly refers to garments and accessories, the master closet can also function as a multi-use room that helps organize your life, too.

-- Breakfast Bar

Skip breakfast in bed and make coffee in the master closet instead. More hectic households are building breakfast bars into their en suite designs. Stocked with conveniently located first-of-the-day packaged foods and a coffee station, this specialized area makes mornings easier for couples to grab a cup of joe and go.

-- Laundry

It's time to air that dirty laundry. An organized laundry space in the master closet can transform a menial chore into a more meaningful task. Dirty clothes become clean more quickly, because there's no need to carry laundry baskets to other parts of the home. After clothes are washed and dried, it's a snap to put them away again in their designated space.

-- Home Office

As more adults have "homework," setting up a desk in the master closet allows homeowners to both dress up and check up on work before starting the day.

-- Makeup Table

While the master bathroom is becoming more spa-like, the master closet is becoming the place for the makeup vanity. After the homeowner is perfectly coiffed, it's easy to accessorize with jewelry, clothing and accessories stored nearby.

-- Cocktail Closet

More homeowners are raising a glass to toasting personal wine refrigerators built into the master closet. Like a fine wine, spirits' storage in the master closet reflects personal taste.

-- Categorize

After larger, multi-use spaces are accommodated in the master closet, begin to categorize similar items by hanging or shelving them together. Marked drawers are also useful during this first step of organizing.

Most-used items should be placed at eye level, with lesser-used items -- such as luggage -- placed in a closet's upper shelf storage space. Start by categorizing items from the ground up and keeping items off the floor.

-- Containerize

After organizing similar items, the final step is to group smaller items together. Place like items in baskets or see-through containers with lids, then place these in the appropriate shelving unit, drawer or cubby space. Jewelry can be organized on velvet-lined trays in drawers, or tucked away in a safe.

Scott says while it's easiest to build a custom closet en suite with new construction, homeowners can also convert an extra bedroom into the closet of their dreams. With nearly 80 California Closet locations throughout the United States, Scott says homeowners can pay from $1,500 to $100,000 to revamp the repository.

"The higher-end closets have really glamorous lighting with shelving units, shoe racks and hanging rods that are well-lit," she says. As part of the bedroom suite, the closet design shouldn't be a yawner, either. "The cabinets, color palette and flooring should have a cohesive feel between the bedroom, bathroom and closet, reflecting the homeowner's taste."

But even the best organizational guru can't perform magic on a monumental mess without first clearing away the clutter. Some people have difficulty starting the process of clearing out, so they can never move into the organizational phase, Scott says.

"It's not our job to make people get rid of things," Scott says. "As people make room and proudly display items they love in their closet, it becomes easier to let unused things go."

Professional Put-together

Go to CaliforniaClosets.com, or call 1-888-336-9707 and request a free closet consultation.

The kitchen island has become a fixed point on the home's architectural map. Not only is the kitchen island a place for food preparation, it also serves as a focal point in the heart of the home.

The island's functional design has even migrated to outdoor kitchens and other parts of the home, such as the master closet, says Alana Busse, National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) Central Coast and Valleys Chapter president and a designer at Westside Remodeling Inc., based in Thousand Oaks, California.

"An island, as a home's design element, isn't tethered to a wall and is a free-standing workspace that has access from all sides," she says. "People are naturally attracted to an island because it has an open feel to it and is usually in the center of a room or space."

People just naturally hover and land around an island workspace, no matter where it's located, whether inside or outside the home. "One of the largest design requests we receive is to create a space for a kitchen island, " Busse says. "More homeowners are doing away with a formal dining room to create more space for the kitchen island."

Don't let your kitchen island become uninhabitable by neglecting to plan specific design elements. Busse says an island is usually a counter-height of 36 inches and is -- at a minimum -- 2 feet wide. "The length of an island can span up to 8 feet long, but must fit the space to allow for the traffic flow around it," she says. "An island can bridge the gap in a kitchen that opens up to a great room."

An island requires, minimally, a 3-foot clearance on all sides, with some local building codes requiring as much as 4 feet from the nearest wall. "People need to make sure there aren't conflicting doors between the island and appliances along the wall," Busse says. "It's important to know what you plan to use your island for and whether there will be a cooktop, sink or seating."

When it comes to seating around the island, allow at least 2 linear feet at the countertop for plenty of elbowroom. Electrical must be run to the island for ground fault circuit interrupter outlets, small appliances and cooktops. Plumbing is needed for a sink, disposal and/or dishwasher on a kitchen island dedicated to food preparation.

The kitchen island can be a feast for the eye by incorporating overall home design into this culinary hot spot. "An island can be made to look like a piece of furniture in a traditional home or very spare in a contemporary house," Busse says. "Make good use of the space underneath an island to stow cookware, glassware or other items used on or around the island."

Shed some light on any task performed on an island with either hanging pendants or a showstopping chandelier. If the cooking surface is on a kitchen island, the capture area of the exhaust fan should be larger to compensate for the fact that the fan will be drawing air from an open space. An island cooktop with a large hood vented to the ceiling can visually fight with hanging light fixtures, so an inconspicuous downdraft fan system might be the best solution.

The great outdoors is a whole new frontier for the kitchen island. Any appliances, countertops or cabinetry in an outdoor kitchen island must endure the elements. Be certain that any appliance installed outdoors has the UL (Underwriters Laboratory) seal approving it for outdoor use.

Busse says a dual-height island with a 42-inch-high raised counter, which can serve as a bar, and a lower 36-inch-high work counter, has fallen out of favor. "People want an island which has a large countertop that is one continuous piece of granite, concrete or quartz," she says. "While quartz may be a good option for an indoor countertop, check with the manufacturer to ensure the high-performance polymers, resins and pigments used to mimic natural stone are outdoor-rated."

The island can also be dressed up for use in a master closet. "People who have a master bedroom suite with a large bathroom and closets may have an island that serves as a way to organize jewelry or clothing options," Busse says. "A closet island is a great place to store small accessories and also doubles as a surface on which people can work."

As a design concept, the island isn't eroding: it's only becoming bigger and better, says Busse. "Today's entertaining at home is a more casual experience with family and friends," she says. "With an island, you can be part of the food preparation to catch dinner AND a show at home."

Island Ideas

-- National Kitchen and Bath Association, NKBA.org, click "Prosearch" to find a certified kitchen professional near you. 1-800-843-6522

-- WestsideRemodeling.com or call 805-499-4121.

Bathroom designs are putting the "ahhhhh" into a spa-like experience at home. Designers are coming clean about master bathroom trends in the National Kitchen & Bath Association's (NKBA) 2017 Survey, featuring data compiled from 562 respondents in the home industry.

"We are spending more time wanting to unwind and seek places of comfort in our homes," says Adam Gibson, an NKBA-certified Kitchen and Bath Designer for 22 years and owner of a design firm bearing his name near Indianapolis. "As a result, a home's master bath has become a place where people want to feel pampered."

Gibson says master bathrooms are occupying a larger percentage of a home's total square footage. Often master bathrooms have direct access to bedroom walk-in closets, while linen closets are being built directly into bathrooms for storage.

"Before people face the day, they want to be able to get ready and dressed in a beautiful space that is well-lit," he says. "While the master suite occupies more space, the overall design of a master bath is more sleek and minimalistic."

Counterpoint

"Light, bright and white," remains the monochromatic mantra for bathrooms. The first step to a super-clean master bath design is to make sure it remains squeaky clean. Marble countertops are a popular choice, but Gibson says engineered-stone or quartz surfaces are waterproof and stain-, heat- and scratch-resistant, and can be manufactured to mimic stone. Because a quartz countertop lacks surface holes, it does not require sealing, nor does it support the growth of bacteria.

Ceramic or porcelain tile is the flooring of choice for master baths because of its durability, water resistance and cleanability. If a homeowner wants to take the chill off the bathroom floor, an electric heated floor system under tile is a creature comfort into which more homeowners are investing, says Gibson.

"Heating mats are designed to operate like an electric blanket under the flooring and are constructed of coils of heat resistance wires, which are joined to a supporting material," he says. "Controlled by a thermostat, bathroom floors can achieve a comfortable temperature in less than an hour."

Mainstreaming

Installing water-saving features is hitting the mainstream in bathroom design.

Using a high-efficiency toilet and water-saving fixtures saves dollars and makes sense for conservation. The design of a high-efficiency 1.28 gallon-per-flush (or less) toilet forces water through the front of the bowl and can potentially save a family of five more than 20,000 gallons of water per year, when using a water conservation calculator.

Chrome is cool when it comes to fixtures in the bathroom, Gibson says. Fixtures not only include faucets, but also lighting. "Mirrors with integrated lights on either side are great," he says. "You want to avoid a single fixture on top of the mirror, which creates harsh shadows on the face."

The most illuminating tact, however, is to have a bathroom infused with as much natural light as possible -- either through windows or a skylight.

Sinking Feeling

Form follows function with today's bounty of stylish basin choices for the bathroom, but bigger appears to be better with the trend toward trough sinks.

"Vessel sinks that sit on top of the counter and pedestal sinks that integrate sink and stand into one piece are less popular," Gibson says.

While stand-alone sinks may be waning, stand-alone tubs are gaining steam. Half of NKBA members surveyed said they specified a freestanding tub in 2016, with up to 60 percent of designers expecting to specify one in the master bath in 2017.

Universal Design

Gibson says freestanding tubs are popular in bathrooms in which there is also a shower option, because a no-threshold shower works for people of all ages.

"More designers are thinking about 'universal design' as a concept so people can age in place," he says. "The key is to make master bathroom accommodations accessible without making it look too institutional."

Large, no-threshold showers are being designed to accommodate built-in shower seats with plenty of lighting. Shower doors are built wider and grab bars are cleverly disguised as towel bars, Gibson says.

Venting

After tending to the details in the bathroom, it should smell as good as it looks.

"Having a proper venting system is imperative to rid the bathroom of moisture and odors," Gibson says. "I suggest installing a 6-inch hard pipe vented directly outside, so the exhaust fan works efficiently."

But all of the planning around the venting system is secondary if it is never pressed into service. Gibson says many systems are often tied to a humidistat, which kicks on when the moisture in the air reaches a certain level. Candles placed in the master bathroom are common "scents," which also cast a relaxing, ambient light.

"More than ever, the master bath is an integral part of the homeowner's lifestyle," Gibson says. "This is a watershed movement in bath design."

Keeping It Clean

Visit the National Kitchen & Bath Association at NKBA.org. Click "Prosearch" to find a certified kitchen professional near you, or call 1-800-843-6522.