Bathroom Remodeling on Palm Beach Island
Designing the Primary Bath as a Suite, Not a Room
A primary bathroom renovation on Palm Beach Island is rarely a one-room project. It is the renovation of a connected suite: the bath, the dual vanities, the dressing area, and the walk-in closet, all designed as a single space the homeowner moves through every morning. Estate-tier primary baths are also where we increasingly build in aging-in-place features, planned so the room reads as a spa suite, not as adapted housing.
Palmhouse Design & Build has been doing this work for 20+ years. We are based at 801 Maplewood Dr, Suite 25, Jupiter, FL 33458, a short drive from the island. Our Florida General Contractor license is CGC1537109. Consultations are by appointment. Call 561-831-4170 to schedule.
The Spa Program: What Goes In an Estate-Tier Primary Bath
Five elements show up in most spa-scale primary baths on the island.
Steam showers. Sealed glass enclosure, dedicated steam generator, integrated bench, controls accessible from inside and outside the shower. Moisture-resistant lighting and ventilation specifications matter as much as the visible finishes. Done right, the steam shower is a dedicated room within the room.
Wet rooms. Open shower-and-tub area within a sealed waterproof zone. Curbless entry, integrated drainage, large-format tile to minimize grout lines. The most common spa-tier program element we see requested. The waterproofing assembly underneath the visible surface is where the room either succeeds or fails over a decade.
Soaking tubs. Freestanding, floor-mounted, often positioned at a window. Deck-mounted faucets. Sound-dampening floor underlayment beneath. Structural-load review is required for cast-iron and stone tubs. The structural review happens during design, not after the tub arrives on the truck.
Dual vanities and dual water closets. Separate vanity zones for two people, sometimes with separate water closets behind doors. Standard program in estate-tier work. Adding a second water closet brings plumbing-stack and venting requirements that get coordinated with the existing risers during design.
Walk-in closet integration. Bath, dressing area, closet flow into each other as a single architectural sequence. HVAC zoning for closet humidity control matters here. Conditioned closets keep clothing and leather in usable condition; an unconditioned closet adjacent to a wet room is a mold complaint waiting to happen.
Bath, Closet, and Dressing as One Connected Suite
Estate-tier primary baths get designed alongside the closet and dressing area for practical reasons. Shared lighting plan. Shared HVAC zoning. Shared finish palette so the suite reads as one room rather than three separate rooms with different design intent. Structural and plumbing coordination done once instead of three times. The homeowner’s morning routine moves through the suite in a sequence: from bedroom, into the dressing area, through the bath, into and out of the closet. Designing as one suite means each step of that sequence supports the next.
Discreet Aging-in-Place Adaptations
This is the section that distinguishes our work. Aging-in-place features built into a spa suite so they read as luxury, not as medical equipment.
- Curbless showers with no threshold and level drainage
- Grab-bar blocking in walls (wood blocking pre-installed behind tile so bars can be added later without re-cutting finished surfaces)
- Reinforced bench seating in steam and walk-in showers
- ADA-comfortable door clearances and wheelchair turning space
- Hands-free fixtures and lever (not knob) handles
- Lighting designed for low-light navigation without separate “night lights”
The grab-bar blocking is the one that matters most. Blocking installed during construction costs almost nothing and is invisible after tile goes up. Adding it later means tearing out finished tile to get to the studs. We build it into every primary bath we touch, whether the homeowner asks or not, because the cost difference is negligible and the future flexibility is significant. Read our full aging-in-place renovation work for the broader context.
Materials and Salt-Air Durability
Salt air shapes specification for primary baths the same way it shapes kitchens. Hardware that pits at the five-year mark is wrong. We specify salt-air-tolerant hardware finishes from the start. Stone and tile selected for high-humidity performance, not for the catalog photo. Ventilation built into the cabinetry envelope and the room exhaust, not just to code minimum. Plumbing fixtures specified with replacement-cartridge availability in mind so a leak in year eight is a service call, not a re-renovation.
Mold-resistant substrates behind tile assemblies matter more than the visible tile selection. The waterproofing membrane assembly under a wet-room floor matters more than the grout color. Sealed transitions between flooring and millwork matter more than the millwork itself. We specify the assembly first, then the finishes that go on top of it. The choices the homeowner sees are the choices that show. The choices the homeowner does not see are the choices that determine whether the room still performs in year ten or needs major work at year seven.
Our Team and Process
Palmhouse Design & Build holds Florida General Contractor license CGC1537109. 20+ years of South Florida construction experience. Jonathan Barrig and Gabriel Barrig hold Certified General Contractor credentials. Jason Vassalotti, our OSHA-certified project manager, brings 20+ years of construction experience.
A primary bath renovation often fits inside a larger whole-home scope. We coordinate this work alongside our luxury home remodeling on Palm Beach Island when the scope warrants it. Browse our bathroom design portfolio, read our full design and build process, and meet the Palmhouse team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you design spa-scale primary baths with steam showers and wet rooms?
Yes. Most of our island primary bathroom renovations include some combination of steam shower, wet room, soaking tub, and dual vanity program. We design the bath, closet, and dressing area as a single connected suite.
Do you build aging-in-place features into luxury bathrooms?
Yes. We build in curbless showers, grab-bar wall blocking, reinforced bench seating, and lever-handle fixtures. These adaptations are designed to read as luxury features, not as medical equipment.
Do you renovate the closet and dressing area as part of a primary bath project?
Yes. Estate-tier primary bath work usually includes the connected walk-in closet and dressing area. We design and build all three spaces together as one suite.
Do you handle bathroom renovations across the island, including oceanfront and Intracoastal homes?
Yes. We renovate bathrooms in single-family homes across the entire island, including oceanfront and Intracoastal-facing properties. Consultations are by appointment. Call 561-831-4170.
Do you work with snowbird homeowners who are out of state during construction?
Yes. Many of our island clients live north during the warm months. We schedule bathroom renovations around their absence, coordinate selections by video, and provide a single point of contact throughout.
Start a Conversation
Spa-scale bathroom remodeling on Palm Beach Island, by appointment. Florida General Contractor license CGC1537109. Call 561-831-4170 to schedule a consultation.