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miffy13_gw

Please review bathroom layouts

miffy13
12 years ago

Hi everyone,

We are building soon and I just saw that there is a separate bathroom forum so I thought I would get some expert opinions. The first picture is our master bathroom. It has gotten very large, IMO, because of some visual symmetry and lining up issues but, what do you think? I dont think I want my vanity to go all along the front wall as shown but what could I do with that space?

I know everyone will ask about the door placement so let me explain. My husband wakes up much earlier than me and I am a light sleeper. We wanted the door around the corner so we could soundproof the wall and there will be less sound escaping around to me from the door. He can get completely ready and leave without coming back in the bedroom. I know it is far in the middle of the night but....

This is my kids' bathroom. The architect put that weird bench area by the tub because he just wanted more space in that room for when I give the kids a bath. How much space is sufficient there? I would love the fit a linen area. I guess I could do a tower between the sinks but then I think I need a little more space.

Comments (18)

  • kirkhall
    12 years ago

    Kids bath:
    You have a 7' vanity. That is quite long. If you want a linen closet, I think I'd shorten your vanity to 5' and put in a linen closet. Either accessible from the hall, or from within the bathroom itself.

    It will be easier to bathe your children with the bench area of the tub. The toilet will be more out of your way (you won't be knocking your elbow into the toilet nor squeezing yourself between toilet and tub when you bathe your kids.)

    As for the master, I think this is a better rendition that what you had posted in the build forum.

  • miffy13
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks kirkhall, at least we are going in the right direction with the master.
    5 foot vanity would leave little counter space for my boys to fight over but if the space is needed in the tub area, maybe that is something to think about. My apprehension is that is a long term solution for a short term problem. In a few years they will be bathing themselves and might prefer the counter space.

  • mydreamhome
    12 years ago

    Hi Miffy13--I responded on your building thread too. Like, kirkhall, I like this master bath better.

    On the boys' bathroom, 5' gives PLENTY of counter space for boys. Girls typically need a little more. Most standard double bowl vanities are 5' long that you see in showrooms and box stores. If you are super worried about counter space, you could do an 18" wide linen tower (instead of 24" wide as kirkhall suggested) on one end of the vanity which would gain you 6 inches of counter space for a 5'6" vanity. I would recommend putting a linen tower on the end of the vanity closest to the toilet/tub room as that would make it much easier (and less messy) for them to grab a towel or toilet paper if they forgot to grab one on their way in. We have the 18" wide linen towers in our master bath and it's plenty of room--I can get a stack of large fluffy towels and a stack of washcloths side by side on 1 shelf. I think we have 3 shelves in the top portion and 3 in the bottom. Plenty of room for towels, toilet paper, soap, shampoo, toiletries--everything you would want/need in one.

    The bench on the back of the tub--usually that's a dead space behind a wall and not a bench. I didn't really understand it on the plans for our house either--seemed like a waste. But it actually has a function. Our kids' bath tubs are arranged like yours--with the entry end (the end opposite the faucet) on the toilet end of the wall. They are arranged this way because you don't want plumbing on an exterior wall. However, it creates a tub access issue when the toilet is right next to the tub--the tub entry end is blocked by the toilet. That leaves very little space for tub access when you take into account the protrusion of the tub spout. When you slide the tub down and put that dead wall there, access is simply much easier (no obstacles)for kids & adults as well as being useful for bathing the kids when they're younger.

    If you're still concerned about using that space for something, I don't remember who posted it, but someone on the bathroom forums posted pics of shelving they did with the dead space there. It wasn't wide enough for a linen closet, but it was wide enough to put some little accents in there--great place to put air freshener, an extra roll of paper and the like as well.

    Hope this helps!

  • miffy13
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I wonder if I could put rolling up doors in that tub space and make it a small linen if it is 12 inches wide. It would be really deep so part could be shelves in the tub area and then 12 by 12 or 18 could be closet from the side. Would that work?

  • debinnh
    12 years ago

    My issue with the kids bathroom is, having had two boys myself, putting the toilet with the shower really gives no privacy. Inevitably one will need to "go" while the other is in the shower. Also, my kids bathroom has a 54" single bowl vanity with lots of counter space and a set of drawers for each of them. They liked that because they could still primp side by side and rarely did they need the wash basin at the same time. Maybe you could turn the tub sideways under the window, shorten the vanity to 54 or 60" and then make a small WC room inbetween?

  • weedyacres
    12 years ago

    Your master bath layout is almost exactly the layout we had in our last house (our bedroom access door was where your closet door is) and it worked well and was very functional.

  • desertsteph
    12 years ago

    I'd put the toilet room on the end by the window. you could probably put a foot deep cabinet on the left wall.

    then the tub/shower and the vanity where it is - just not as long.

    while the kids are little I probably wouldn't put the door on til they are older - and then have it open outward.

  • mydreamhome
    12 years ago

    Miffy-I looked at a copy of your floorplan on another thread and this bathroom was set up different--any reason for the change? I thought the other version was set up better.

  • kirkhall
    12 years ago

    One last comment on the boys' bath.

    It is 6' wide. This is plenty wide to not require the bump/bench. I'd recommend you go measure someone's house with this toilet/tub layout and see how it feels (ie, find a house if not your own, with a toilet legally next to the tub--at least 15" from tub edge to toilet center.) What you will find is that that is cramped for bathing. However, if you move the toilet over a foot, it gives you more room for bathing the boys. A 6' wide bath will give you plenty of room, in my opinion, without making it extra long (with the bench) if you make sure to not have the toilet centered in the space, but have it closer (maybe 18" on center) from the opposite wall of the tub.

    Make sense? Find a house, measure where their toilet is in relation to the tub, and see how it feels.

  • miffy13
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    mydreamhome-I just switched the toilet and tub to get a window over toilet.
    kirkhall-I will have to do that. We had them make it 6 feet wide so there is some extra space in both vanity and tub area. That helps with width but not tub being offset so I am not standing in the toilet bathing kids, as the architect said. I willreally have to find someone with this layout and see.

  • miffy13
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    weedyacres-what did you have by the window? I am trying yo figure out what to use that space for.

    Is there a way to be emailed when people respond to my post?

  • pricklypearcactus
    12 years ago

    Overall I really like what you've done with the layouts. I do have a few thoughts/ideas.

    Overall I like your master bathroom layout. However, do you want the toilet at the far end of the bathroom with such a big space? It seems like it might be more convenient to swap the location of the shower and the toilet so that it's not such a long walk to the toilet. With the toilet tucked in the little room, it seems like it would be innocuous enough to have across from the door but a little more convenient than walking an extra 15' for a quick trip to the loo.

    I think your boys bathroom looks really nice. Growing up, we had a bathroom like this with the toilet and shower in one area and sink (just one for us) in the other. It was very functional. One thought is that the view from the hall doorway is straight to the toilet. I know that view bothers some people. You might consider putting the tub along the back wall and the toilet tucked in the corner where the shower head is now (tank against the right wall). I think 7' is more than adequate for a vanity. I have 5' and that works. I would agree with kirkhall that you could go with 5'6" vanity and an 18" linen cabinet and still have plenty of vanity space. Personally I would probably put a linen cabinet against a wall rather than in between to maximize counter space, but that's just me.

  • miffy13
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    pricklypearcactus-we thought about switching toilet and shower but we like the look of the tub lined up with closet door and the niche by the bedroom wall is more useful in the shower than toilet room. We. might regret it later but on paper it doesnt seem that bad to walk an extra few feet.
    I had the toilet and tub switched in kids bath before but wanted the window.

  • debinnh
    12 years ago

    Can't you have the tub below the window? With the toilet under the window, when they get bigger, they will be looking out the window while peeing. What is out that window? If it is neighbors, that might be awkward! LOL!

  • miffy13
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    debinnh-LOL that looks out to the backyard. I have heard lots of issues with putting a window in a shower. I dont really want to deal with that if possible.

  • weedyacres
    12 years ago

    weedyacres-what did you have by the window? I am trying yo figure out what to use that space for.

    I assume you mean the window at the bottom, by the 2nd sink? We didn't have a window there, but the vanity top went around the corner and had a sit-down part along that bottom wall.

  • miffy13
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    yes, that is what I meant. I guess my makeup area can go around and be that large if I cant think of a use for that space.

  • kirkhall
    12 years ago

    Actually, I took another gander at my BIL's hall bath tonight while visiting. Their toilet/tub room is also 6 feet wide. You will not be standing in the toilet bathing your kids with a standard width tub and a 6' wide room. It will be okay, without the offset. And, your boys won't need you to bathe them forever either.