I like the idea of a bigger family bath. To me, the master bath should be strictly a 'working' bath, having just what you need, and nothing more. Maybe it's because I'm a guy, but I pay no attention to what our bathroom looks like. The public, or family bath is going to be seen by a lot more people, and I like the idea of a pretty bathroom for the guests. When we build our new place, both bathrooms will be the minimum size. I'm working mightily to keep the size of our new house as small as possible. I would be fine with only one bathroom in the house, but my wife is adamant about having a separate, private master bath, and I find I agree with her reasoning.

I think you can pull it off in an older home. The homes are quirky and people understand that things aren't always on the floor or in the location they might expect them to be. And if there is no opton for a power room for guests, then the big family bath works (although I see you still have a separate master bath). But it becomes more difficult in newer construction if resale is an issue. Newer construction is typically two-story with the kids BR upstairs, so their bath(s) need(s) to be upstairs. Then there will be a powder room downstairs.

I'm with flgargoyle -- I don't understand the huge master bath thing. But then I don't take baths, so the big tub is wasted on me and DH. Our current home is a 1960s MCM plan with a "compartment" bath, sort of like a jack-and-jill. There are two BR on either side of the house, with short halls leading to them. Off of each short hall, toward the center of the house, is a 1/2 bath with linen closet. Those half baths in turn open into a single room that contains the tub/shower and the laundry. It's incredibly functional, works perfectly for DH and me (we each have "our" bathrooms), and is absolutely appalling to anyone who sees the place and expects a master bath and a normal bath layout.

Jakabedy- Your bathroom layout sounds ideal for your situation. Very practical :)

Resale is not a concern, so we're just doing what works with the original design and also getting a clawfoot tub. We had one years ago (in a rental) and I just love them...but not with a shower curtain. The shower area always seems the most private to me, so I like having a separate room for that function.

And I agree with Jay's wife, two toilets are a must! After having to deal with repairs and replacements, only one toilet would have been a disaster. It's great to have two bathrooms.

Our upstairs area will remain unfinished for now, but I want to plumb it in for a bath, which we can add later, as needed. We're doing the remodel in stages, at least, that's the plan for now. We'll know more when we finalize our budget.

Having a single bath for the house is pretty normal in older homes where we live, though I've never heard the term "family bath" before! Many houses here have had half baths added to get the second toilet, which I would love if we had any space for it---but otherwise, most of the 2BR and many of the 3BR homes built in the 1910s and 1920s still have only one full bathroom. It's usually in a hallway with the bedrooms off of the hall, so you don't have to walk through any common space to get to the bathroom from the bedrooms, and in most layouts the hallway isn't visible from any outside windows---that would really bother me, so I think it's important to design in privacy for people running to the bathroom in a towel. But otherwise, it works fine, at least for small families. (Probably more annoying with teenagers!)

If you have more than three bedrooms, though, I would think you'd want at least two full baths since larger families might live in your home someday even if yours isn't big, and then it might be logical for one to be a master bath. I'd want the bathroom on the same floor as the bedrooms it's intended to serve, too.

Oh, never mind, I misread your original post---you meant the family bath in addition to the master bath, not instead of it! I'm actually not sure I'd do that, at least as you have it drawn, if the other bedrooms are all upstairs. We have friends with a full bath downstairs, with all the bedrooms upstairs. The tub almost never gets used, but it's too costly to remove it and reconfigure the space. So it just sits there. I'd either put the tub in the master bath, or scrap the master bath all together and have the hall bath be the downstairs bathroom (maybe even with two doors into it, one from the hall and one from the bedroom---though I generally don't love bathrooms with multiple doors...) You could have a little half bath off of the master, if you wanted separate spaces. Alternatively, could you shuffle the upstairs so that you could fit the tub up there instead? (How often do you think you'd use it---enough that it would be a pain to walk upstairs for a bath?) That seems more likely to be used by your guests. You have a lot of space to work with (our "family bath" is the size of your master bath, and has room for a clawfoot tub!) so you could definitely get creative.

Oh man, Lavender, I wish I were one of your nieces! I'd come visit every weekend. Your whole farmhouse exudes charm.

ML- LOL! Thanks, but you don't have to be a niece, to visit :)

We do love our larger bath even though we do not have a large tub in it. Course our master bath space has multi function. It really works as a mud room. And dog house when needed. I love it for dressing area. Some day should the next owner choose to add the large tub there is room for it.

LL I really think you will enjoy your larger bath as I can see multi function in it for you too.