help with bathroom/bedroom/closet layout

10 years ago

Okay, if I'm asking for help, I'm covering all my bases, and just laying it out there from the get-go! No pun intended. hehe.

We've been in the house for four year. It's a four bedroom ranch on six acres with a partial basement. The house was built in the 70's and we are the fourth couple to own it. No one with children has ever lived here, whcih is probably due to the school system.

The photo of my drawing is of the two bedrooms on the north west corner of the house. I've wanted to take the wall down to create a bigger bedroom since we moved in. The bigger issue is the bathroom off the master bedroom. The previous owners installed a 48" vanity, which is way too big, and a small shower enclosurer, which is way too small. I think we lost about 3" of shower stall to make the enclosure fit. The sliding shower door is 2', and my husband is a big boy. He has taken to using the guest bathroom and I use the master. We love having separate bathrooms, but it is inconvenient when we have company.
If we can make it work, we are ready to remove the wall with the soft Xs in the middle. Without that wall, the room would be 25 x 16 to the south and 13 to the north. My thought is that anything within the dark lines is fair game. I do not want to relocate the windows, and would only relocate the entry doors if it is the perfect layout. That is because we just installed hardwood floors and oak trim in the hall. The HVAC is under the windows on the west wall.

I'd love to see the toilet in a closet, a double sink and a walkin shower. I'm not opposed to a tub, but we are not tub people, and I don't want to waste the space. The 4x6 walkin closet would make a great shower, but where would the closet go? And that is as far as I can get. My mind stops when I start adding walls and the layout no longer flows.

Can someone help me with this layout please?

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Comments (16)

Debbie Laird
Original Author
10 years ago
PS - My husband is on board for this project, if the estimate is within HIS budget, and the carpenter is coming on Monday. His only wish for this remodel is a bigger bathroom. I plan to keep it traditional. I'm not looking for an extravagant bathroom, just practicals. This may be TMI.
Before:
palimpsest
10 years ago
In general, I would consider moving it to back up against the guest bath and getting rid of the narrow master bath all together. Otherwise it will be very easy to end up with an irregularly shaped bedroom.
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Debbie Laird
Original Author
10 years ago
Wow, interesting, I hadn't thought about that. Does it make any difference that the water supply and heater are at the other end of the house, some 60' away? I've been concerned about doing the remodel and the bedroom not being any bigger, on top of irregular. That is defiantly something to think about. If we eliminated the narrow, we could do the walk-in and bathroom at that end. Thanks Palimpsest!
lotteryticket
10 years ago
With respect to the water heater...distance will effect the time it takes for hot water to get to whichever faucet you turn on. It's also inefficient as you use more hot water. The water sits in the pipes after you turn the faucet off and starts to cool down. So the heater has to warm up even more water for the next time you need it.

We had the same situation and just relocated the water heater to be directly under the bathroom. We now have hot water in about 3 seconds. I hope to see a smaller electricity bill as a result.
Debbie Laird
Original Author
10 years ago
Our main water heater is part of our GEO thermal heating system. Could we install second water heater closer to the baths?
kirkhall
10 years ago
Yes. You could.

I like pal's idea.

Is there another bedroom that would "use" that guest bath that is currently there, or was that bathroom to serve the bedroom you are proposing to get rid of?
Debbie Laird
Original Author
10 years ago
There are two more bedrooms that will utilize the guest bathroom.
I'm working on moving the master bath and closet to the north end. I need to have some sort of plan in place by Monday
williamsem
10 years ago
Ok, here are some thoughts. I'm not an expert at this stuff, but more ideas is always better!

Sorry there's not much explaining, but I have to work in the am and didnt want to delay posting. Once my brain takes off on a puzzle, I have to go along.
Debbie Laird
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you Williamsen. This helps active a my brain again, LOL.
palimpsest
10 years ago
I would keep the toilet and other plumbing as close to the other plumbing as possible. I don't know what your plumbing codes are like locally but we operate under the Philadelphia Single Stack System, and it makes sense to cluster all plumbing together. If you have to vent everything separately anyway, you may have more flexibility, but it is still probably less expensive to keep it close to each other.
Debbie Laird
Original Author
10 years ago
That should have said activate my brain. Duh!

Anyway, I am so appreciative of the input. I like the idea of a 16x16 bedroom and the closet and bathroom on the north end. I am not sure about codes, or sizes but if you have an opinion of this layout, or any suggestions please post them.

Is there a site that contains sizes or recommendations for a functioning bathroom?
palimpsest
10 years ago
That's the general idea, but you will not be able to have an separate toilet compartment in such a shallow space, It would have to be without a door. The entry door would have to be in the "linens/towels" area. A separate water closet with a door needs to be 66" with an Outswinging door and about 90" with an inswinging door.
kirkhall
10 years ago
You can get away with a 60" toilet room (WC), but yes, the door must swing out.
williamsem
10 years ago
Hopefully whoever is drawing your plans can help with the code stuff. There are some here that are good with that stuff. I'm not one of them, but I have picked up some stuff reading here.

I think if you prefer the style where the closet is accessed through the bath, then I would definitely try for a door to the toilet. I would keep it in the footprint of the old hallway as you drew, but nudge the bottom wall down even with the bedroom wall to get 60 inches. Leave the shower as is. Consider having the door open into the bedroom so it doesn't interfere with the WC door, or consider a pocket door. You could also use lateral hinges, and that opens the option of designing the door to blend with the wall for a hidden room look.

I think you should reconfigure the closet a bit too. Only 12 inches between hanging rows will almost certainly not be enough to allow access to the back half of the rows. I'd guess you might get away with it for shallow rows, but I think 48 inch rows will need more space. Since narrow doorways are 24 inches, I'd guess that would be a decent minimum, but 30-36 would probably be more comfortable.

I really haven't read much about closets though. Hopefully someone with some insight will be able to comment.

Those windows make things interesting! I sense you are having the same issues I did trying to design around them, though I think it can be done.
palimpsest
10 years ago
You could do paired doors on the toilet compartment,
Olychick
10 years ago
I think any door(s) on the toilet area as you have it will interfere with the door to the bath. Someone coming into the bathroom at the same time someone is exiting the toilet...