Homebuilders Go PC, Phase Out ‘Master Bedroom’ As Sexist, Racist

This just in: The “master bedroom” will no longer be referred to as such. That racist, sexist word is being phased out post-haste.

According to a report in the Baltimore Business Journal, homebuilders are no longer using the term “master” on floor plans to describe the largest bedroom in a home or apartment. The new, approved nomenclature is “owner’s suite” or “owner’s bedroom.”

According to the report, the reason for the terminology shift is that the word “master” would denote that a man owns the room. Also, “master,” American slavery, you get the idea.

Anyway, Michael Neibauer, the reporter who wrote the story, quotes several homebuilder firm executives who are trying to actively phase out the “master bedroom” term.

“I imagine it’s not only a more accurate description but also a more politically correct term of art,” one home exec told Neibauer.

The change is “just working through the industry, and finally, bingo, we got it,” another said.

The report continues:

” ‘The terminology has more of an upscale tone to it, particularly in some of the really large homes that truly have a large bedroom, sitting area, enormous walk-in closets, and lavish bathrooms,’ [Brian Block, managing broker for McLean, Va.-based RE/Max Allegiance] wrote in an email. ‘Owner Suite conveys a sense of being distinguished, having ‘made it’ or ‘arrived’ rather than the everyday ‘Master Bedroom.’ ”

This was all based on Neibauer’s survey of 10 major Washington-area homebuilders, so who knows how widespread it is. But you can see some examples of the term being phased out on some of the homebuilder websites.

The Sorrento model from Ryan homes shows a floor plan with “owner’s bedroom,” and Hartland family homes list the room as the “owner’s suite.”