Yes! We've never had more than one bathroom. This past holiday we had our youngest home from college, our eldest daughter and her fiancee, two young family friends and ourselves for five days without difficulty. You take turns. If someone hogs the shower-you knock. Really there was no problem getting everyone ready in the am for school and work. I've always been grateful there is just one bathroom to clean!

We have a small house with 1 bathroom. I wish we had the main bath and an ensuite bath. When we have company, especially at Christmas, I always wish I had 2 bathrooms. I would prefer to not to share with others. I miss having my own private bathroom.

We have had four one bath houses and five two bath houses. I think a person gets by with what they have. I prefer having two baths.

Grew up with 1 bathroom for 6 people, and I just don't know how we did it. Even now, it is just the 2 of us with 1 bathroom. Hopefully that will change in the future. It is nice to have a second bathroom.

Pekemom, I totally agree with you on having the second toilet. That is the critical issue. Especially as folks get older, it becomes a health concern. When it is just a matter of scheduling shower time, you can observe a schedule. In a pinch, you can wash your hands in the kitchen, or maybe under the outdoor spigot.

We now have a second bath in our small two-bedroom house. Our second bath was installed in two closets, and has a great 1.2 gallon flush one-piece American Standard Cadet 3 Water Sense toilet. We had room for a good shower, all tiled, and a rain head as well as a shower wand. The sink is a Porcher Elfe which is the tiniest sink you ever saw, but it was all we had room for. This bath would be called a 3/4 bath, because it has no tub, just a shower. We put in a pocket door, but if I had it to do over, I'd make that a surface-mount barn door and put in several long medicine cabs sunk into the wall for storage.

These days, you can specify a self cleaning bathtub. Our claw foot tub in the master bath.....which was created in the old bathroom by adding a 5.5 foot bumpout....is by Restoria, sold by Vintage Tub, and I've never had to clean a ring around the tub, even after my DH has been caked in dirt from working in the garden. I'm not sure what the finish is, but it was a joy to discover that my poor knees did not have to bend to clean that lovely tub.

At a minimum, if you have a laundry area and a utility sink there, you have the basic requirements for adding a john in the area. Most of the plumbing work is in place. Just the flange and wax ring the toilet sits on, and properly locating the toilet so the revent prevents the water being sucked out of the toilet when you use the washer or the sink, and VOILA, there you have your second half bath.

Of course, you have to give it some privacy, but how hard can that be to make a throne room? :)

Moccasinlanding, you understand what I mean. In our 60's we
have more bathroom issues than we had when we were younger,
and we seem to get sick off of one another so 2 toilets is necessary for us.
Taking turns is fine in most situations, but there are times of urgency, especially when ill.
Our last house had 3 bathrooms so I already feel that we have cut back.

We had no problem with the two of us in a small ranch home with one toilet, but when Dad moved in, we needed another.

Pekemom, you betcha, I know what you mean. And then Nancy confirms what we both say.

Folks can plan for "accessibility" issues for handicap and special needs, and to those needs should be added the very important one of having the john "accessible" on demand. Without inconveniencing every one in the household. When you are young and have no health issues, you don't always think about such things.

I've toured a really lovely home when we were looking to buy, and it had a common sink area, double sinks in fact.
Then it had a bath area for him, which was a toilet and shower. On the other side was a bathing area for her, which was a tub and a toilet. I thought it was a very civilized way of getting a lot out of one bath. I don't know what you'd call such a bath, but it was really nice, in a master suite too.

Yes, the main thing is the two toilets, for us anyway.
If it was called one bathroom that would be fine.
In this house I usually use the master bath and my husband
uses the guest bath since we are the only 2 here. In our
last house there was a bathroom in the finished basement
but we didn't use it often.

We've got a "compartment bath". At least that's what it's called on the ca. 1968 plans. The house is symmetrical, with the kitchen running across the center. On each side of the kitchen is a short hall to two bedrooms. Off of each hall, behind the kitchen, is a door onto a room with a vanity, a linen closet and a toilet. Each of those rooms opens onto a joint room that has the tub and the W/D. So you can walk from one short hall to then other, through the bathrooms. It's officially only 1.5 baths, but it works like two baths.

As two adults it works great for us. I think it would be OK with small kids, but with teens the single tub/shower would be a problem. One side is DH's and one side is mine. When we have guests stay, DH moves his stuff into my side near our BR and the guests on the other hall get the other side. And even though it is a but weird having the laundry in there, it's nice to be able to grab a toasty towel right out of the dryer!!

Of course in my dreams we do a nice addition to the side of the house to give us a nice en suite bath and big closet for the designated MBR, but I digress.

I think AGE of the residents is the operative issue here.

Growing up, there was only one bathroom. It was an old Victorian in SF. However, there were two separate rooms, each accessed from the long hallway. One room was just the toilet. The other had a tiny wall hung sink and clawfoot tub.

For several years, when my kids were small, there was only one bathroom... again, no problem.

Currently, we find two toilets an absolute necessity, even when healthy. In our late 60's, we find that 'he' takes far, far longer when using the room. I, on the other hand, find it necessary 'immediately' when the need arises.

Aging definitely requires accommodations!

Age and any other health issue. I also grew up with just one bathroom and except for pacing outside while my brother primped, I don't remember any problems.

However, I've got an ongoing health issue that would make it really difficult to get by with just one bathroom, and my mil regrets moving into a senior apartment with just one bathroom. My fil can stay in the bathroom for an hour, literally. Now he's in a nursing home so she's ok with one bathroom again. I know I can never go back to just one.

I only have 1 now - but it's only me. I'll have 2 shortly when I move and that'll be good too as the house is much bigger. I won't have to HURRY if I'm on the other side of it! There's 1 on either side. And I won't have to share my mstr bath with any guests. Not that I have any... lol! It could happen. My nephew stayed with me for a few days about 2 yrs ago. That was tricky.

I also often have short notice and if you're in my way you might get run down!

I grew up with 1 bath for 5 females. we did all survive... while raising 4 kids we had 2 baths but I do remember a time when at least most of us were sick (if not all of us) and I sent the oldest boy (about 14 then) up to the neighbors to use their bathroom. They were like family - there was a time I even let their dd borrow my car - and another time my cc!

We used to have only 1 bathroom, and it was really important to me to have another toilet when we moved. This place has 1.5 baths, and while I would have preferred 2 full baths, 1.5 is really plenty, since there are only two of us here.

We're planning a nice main bathroom, with a claw foot tub and separate shower. A separate powder room, closer to the back door is great for easy access from the garden and backyard...and if someone wants to enjoy a 'nice soak in the tub' others can still access the second toilet :)

I still remember February 2005.

*shudder*

Everyone in our house was sick--repeatedly. I had one child or the other out of school every week for the entire month. At one time we all had it, and we had only ONE working *unfinished* bathroom--OK, it was a just a toilet. In the basement. Oh, and the buckets. And me on the deck. Do you know how c-c-c-cold it gets in these parts in February? *shudder* It was after that horrific month, that DH worked double-time to finish the other bathrooms, which were in the process when we were hit with the nasties.

I am not just thankful to have another bathroom (or two), I am very, very grateful for indoor plumbing! *contented sigh*

Glad you added a bathroom or two, shelayne, what a relief
for those "urgent" times...and indoor plumbing? I don't think
I have been grateful enough for that, taking it too much for granted..

My husband and I (we have a baby too, but he's not potty trained) currently share 2 bathrooms - and I have to say that we both only use one of them (the same one lol). We have this thing where we get comfortable with a space, and then want to use that space every time. We do the same thing at church, we always want to sit in "our seats" because we're used to them lol. It's funny too because we always use the bathroom in our bedroom, even though the hall one is closer to where we are 90% of the time! It works out well though, because I really don't have to clean the hall bathroom too often, and it's always nice and fresh for guests :)

But that's just us, and I would imagine that we're not like too many people in that aspect lol.

donnamabob, I do that too. Partly I think if I use the hall bath, then I'll have to clean it more. lol

Hm, I hadn't considered what would happen if we were both sick, but for a very long time, we had just one bathroom here (while doing some remodeling). I grew up with 5 people and the dog sharing 1 tiny bath. While we wait for our master bath to be constructed we'll be down to 1 bath in our cottage once again...let's hope we don't get sick!

I raised two boys in this house--small ranch with one bathroom. Somehow it worked out. Now that we're nearing a more "mature age" the only time it's an issue is colonoscopy prep time every few years.

I can't stand cleaning one bathroom, don't want to think about two.

i really like jack and jill baths
for some reason i'd rather clean a toilet than a shower/tub

my first experience with these was in my college dorm where 4 girls shared a shower but there were 2 toilets and sink areas and we did just fine

Me too okokok. I think it's because cleaning the tub is so hard on my back. Don't have to stretch as hard or bend over as long with the toilet.