Let’s take a look at how the master bedroom has evolved over the years and why is it called a master bedroom.
Bedrooms in 1700’s
In the colonial era, the average American home contained only one multi-use room, where the family would cook, eat, socialize, and drink. Having luxuries, like the privacy of a master bedroom, would have been impossible. Working consumed most of the day, taking away the opportunity for leisure time. If a family was lucky enough to have a multi-room house, they rooms determined out of function. (The kids might sleep in one room, while the parents slept in the main room).

This large multi-purpose room is a wonderful example of a middle-class colonial home. // Image Source
The 1800’s
As wealth increased, rooms in houses began to serve specific designated functions. Suddenly there were parlors for company. A room just for eating. Servants’ quarters. A bedroom for the children. And (finally) parents had their own bedroom. Individual rooms meant wealth and status. As a result, most houses had many small rooms — no master bedrooms, yet.

This bedroom models an upper-middle class bedroom from the 1800’s in Lakeland, Florida. // Image Source
The 1900’s
By the turn of the century, most bedrooms were built on the second floor of the home, making them much more private. The 1926 Sears catalog marks the first recorded use of the phrase “master bedroom.” At $4,398 the Dutch colonial house was the most expensive in the catalog, featuring: a sunporch, built-in kitchen cupboards, and a “master’s” bedroom with a “private” bathroom.

The 1926 Sears catalog, featuring the Glen Falls home. // Image Source
The 2000’s
So what are the current master bedroom trends? Dual master bedrooms are slowly but surely becoming more popular in luxury homes, simply for the sake of practicality. If your partner snores loudly or kicks in their sleep, you’d still have a comfortable place to go and sleep for the rest of the night (sure beats the couch). And vice versa. Even if you aren’t married to someone who snores or kicks, two master bedrooms can allow a couple to comfortably grow old in a home or can be great for kids or guests. An extra first-floor master bedroom can allow a couple to stay in their home when climbing up the stairs becomes difficult. Plus, for now having two master bedrooms is great for guests. You can find some amazing dual master bedroom homes on TRELORA by simply searching the keyword “dual master.”

A dual-master home currently for sell on TRELORA. Located in Denver, CO, the home is listed for $1,185,000. // Image Source
Is the term going away?
While the phrase hasn’t gone away just yet, the term could easily change within the next ten years. Regardless of what it’s called, a large bedroom with a private bath is a staple of the American home.
Ready to start searching for a home with an amazing master bedroom?