A consideration in smaller baths with an open shower design is shower overspray getting onto the tub. Or elsewhere. When done showering can you rinse it away with a handheld? Or will it self-scour? Overspray of just water isn't much of a problem, but if it's blobs of soap suds, body lather, hair product, etc, when the water dries those things can leave a scum residue. If everything is well-designed and properly pitched to drain, it's quite easy to give everything a quick rinse with a handheld and you're done. If not, then things can get dirty after just a few showers. A couple of comments...the bidet...if space it at a premium, consider a washlet. Often times Toto's washlets are discussed here, they have both "all-in-one" products as well as "add-on" washlets, where the washlet simply replaces the seat on your existing standard toilet. Excellent products, and I think better than a bidet, as once you sit down you're there until your done. No shifting from one fixture to another. Only one fixture to clean. The Toto Neorest is an all-in-one, but it's pretty expensive. The S300 if probably the most common add-on seat, it's more affordable. Back to the tub faucet being in the way...code requires the tub water to be able to be controlled from outside the tub. You can't be forced to step into the tub to turn the water on. It's a form of scald protection. That's why they have the faucet offset to the entry side and not located on the back wall. The design you show, the tub faucet location could be tweaked further to provide easier access to the tub. But that's the basic requirement for locating the tub's faucet and controls.

Min- Congrats on the lot...I think it's going to be a wonderful choice, for you and your family :) An informal entry is great, because it means it gets used...by everyone! I'm so glad you get to use your table. If that's the case, then I vote for making the 'dining room' the piano space, with bookcases and maybe a couple of comfy chairs in the corner, by the window. One thing about the entry...if you put the hooks by the door, everyone stops to take off their coat and you get a bottleneck at the doorway. Instead, I'd move the hooks down to the area between the den doors and the stairs. This way, everyone gets inside, before they stop to sit down or take off their coats. The bench idea is interesting...but I would put it opposite the hooks, towards the kitchen. Again, you don't want people stopping too soon and there would be more room to sit down and not block 'traffic'. Instead of having it open, I think I'd put a back to the bench and have the piano tucked behind it, against the wall to the kitchen. A piano should be against an inside wall, so that's where I would put it, instead of against the garage. Then, you could have chairs in the corner, by the window (against the garage and window walls) to sit down, read a book, listen to music, etc. It would also be a nice 'adult' space, when the kids get a little older :)

It's almost like Christmas morning!! I woke up to a many more gifts! Thank you. Karin, thank you for the insight. I absolutely love the idea of an armoire. It would be beautiful, but I do not think practical. I am in those files many, many times each day. The ones to the right of my desk are customer files, the rolling files on the floor hold a few more customer files plus other info I need access to. Patty and Mary, the bookcase idea sounds like a possible as well. Les, you have given me even something more to think about. Several others mentioned this as well -- purpose of this room. As I said, this is a center hall colonial. 20 years ago we added 5' to our family room and added a large sunroom on the back of that. Since that time (and even before that) the living room has just been for show, not function. Several years ago my sons suggested moving my office from the basement, where dry as it was, it was still a basement. I was so very reluctant, because after all I was going to disparage the living room. So I put the desk and files in and bought the screen. While a very large room, shoving everything down just made it worse, because now I had just moved the living room over to make room for the office. I recently got rid of the sofa and two tables. That was great. I had my family room furniture delivered and they would take away any used furniture for free and donate to a furniture bank. I had the sofa and a chair (37 years old). One of the men said he knew someone who could use it and asked if that was okay with me. It felt good because I knew it was going to be put to use. It was in perfect condition - I just didn't want it anymore. Anyway, this has all made me realize that this room is primarily an office and I should embrace that - I am going to start by moving things around. Thank you, Les. I do love the bookcase divider idea as well. I have been thinking of moving the desk anyway, as it is starting to "alligator" in the sun. My father brought this home from work many years ago and refinished it. I can still see his hands on it, so want to preserve it. Les, if you are still out there, --- you mentioned a loveseat to the left as you walk in the room. You cannot see well from the pictures, but there is a very large window there. I don't think I would want a large piece against the window. Thanks again to all who helped me. Now, I just need to break the news to my dear, dear husband that I have yet another "plan".

Yes and yes. Basically anything so my kids dont have to go outside and get eaten by bugs or laundry get rained. Just want access from the inside. I thought along those same lines. Opening up my room that joins the Laundry room. We called numerous contractors and all seem to come up with the same...55k not counting/considering the structure engineer, planner and every Tom Rick and harry that wants a chunk out of my money. I said forget it, considering that I bought my house for 110k and to knock down a wall or cement a wall to enclose it would be almost half of the cost of the house???!!!