Remove tub shower doors and use shower curtain instead. That lone will make the space feel bigger. Easier to keep clean and more open for bathing kids. You can fill the holes where glass was installed. Maximize storage by adding shelves wherever you can, including over toilet. With such a small space, there's no other layout possibility that would be worth the cost.

I agree - I just had doors like that removed and am very pleased. this bath is not bad looking at all - get good looking shower curtain and towels, then spend remodel money on another project.

Thanks. It's really just the size. The sink / vanity is the smallest there is and right now behind the door is one of those hampers that are on the wall like in your grandmothers house. Would love to try to fine a way to get a few more inches somewhere esp of I am thinking about redoing it anyway. Even if there is such thing as a smaller tub / shower combo.

Have you looked at ikea's vanities?

I replaced the old pedestal sink that was there and my contractor was saying the largest one that would fit would be a 19'. So I bought a cheap one from Home Depot for the time being. Was hoping to gain some more room somehow since my wife and I both get ready for work in there in the am. And it's tough.

HI -- This bathroom is just a little smaller than mine . Yes taking out those doors will help. But what is around this bathroom ?? Is there a closet backing it so maybe some space can be used to expand the bathroom a little . It would be a little better to have the toilet beside the tub and the vanity where the toilet is now . Or maybe the bathroom could be relocated altogether . For extra storage you will have to go up and also over the toilet . Do you mean you have a laundry chute like Grandma's ?? Also if you keep the whole room a light /white neutral color that may help . Keep the fixtures the same color . Paint the vanity cabinet to match . And improve the lighting .

No closets on the second floor. On both sides are bedrooms. On each side of the wall (left and right)

If you can't get any more space from somewhere just brighten the room. light or white floor with light paint. light shower curtain with a pop of color to give the room some warmth and a natural light bulb instead of a light that gives off a yellow hue. That will make it seem bigger

HI -- Your bathroom reminds me of the ones in a small cape cod /war time bungalow . I guess your stuck with what you have for size .

if the master bedroom is behind the plumbing wall, a vanity and sink could be put in there to ease the morning crush - even a half bath if the bedroom can spare the space.

I had that bathroom AND first, get the biggest medicine closet and install. I got the triple where the outside mirrors open. Just takes some more trimming. We put pedestal sink in that sat on a box we built. Must have been cheaper being shorter. Then a 4" wide glass shelf went above the sink to set stuff on. Shelving above toilet to place towels and a corner shows caddy. Finished with peel and stick tile. Paint. Cheap. Cheap.

You loose a lot of floor space with a swinging door, and wonder if you have thought of a pocket door? Here is a sample layout of what could work with a pocket door. The sink and vanity could be moved to opposite wall. I would suggest one that isn't really deep. Look for a sink first, there are many sizes of sinks available now as they're made to fit in small powder rooms. A contractor should be able to adjust a cabinets depth to fit. Between toilet and tub you will have room for a storage cabinet.

Oops...Forgot the photos!

Remove the hamper. See what is behind that wall. I'm going to guess that there is a least 12" depth and possibly more if you work around some plumbing.

You have another 12" clearance inside the bathroom with the door fully open. You can use 8" of that space.

Build in a semi-recessed closet facing the doorway. At minimum that closet would be 15" deep. I would utilize all the space in that portion you possibly can height wise. Oh and if you mirror all or part of the front or inside of the cabinet door it will allow space for say one person to do make up and the other to shave.

I've been trying to think about a good use of the space at the foot of the bathtub and I would have about 12 inches in width to use, alon wth the approx 27 inch dept. This semi recessed closet could be great to the point where I wouldn't necessarily need storage under the sink and perhaps open that part up a bit with a pedestal sink. Adding the mirror would also be a great idea and even give a full length mirror that we don't have. Thanks!

Marlene, also a great idea with that sink. I have a similar although much smaller version in the 1/2 bath I have on the main floor. If be curious about the dimensions on your pic because as a master bath I feel like a larger sink is usually needed. What kind of sink is that and/or where would I be able to Find something like that? The extra storage there would also be a big plus. Thanks!

I also agree with not wasting too much dollars on a small bath. Think about grabbing space from another area if you want to spend. A barn type sliding door is more cost effective than a pocket if you have outside wall space, even the frosted glass one, lets in light too.

Hi---I recommend keeping it crisp, bright, and white. White subway tile-take it all the wayyyyy UP to the ceiling in shower---carrara marble accent/decorative pieces and countertop. Soft gray floor tiles, chrome finishes, shower curtain, and off-white walls (SW's Rhinestone and Crushed Ice). Hope this is helpful. Good Luck! [houzz=]

I second the idea of getting a big medicine cabinet with three doors. If there is a downstairs bathroom, keep a second set of kids' toothbrushes, combs, and so on there (add a medicine cabinet) to help with traffic jams. Adding sinks in each room is another good idea suggested above.

For towel storage outside the bathroom, consider using a closet shelf in each person's bedroom with their own towels. In dorm rooms, towel bars are often mounted on the back of doors.

If you are 100% committed to gutting and remodeling, then I suggest you call in an architect to look at where you might expand a foot or so into other rooms on either side. You can also raise/change the window in the shower area so that it doesn't get wet by the shower water.

Hi jc28878, here are a couple of sink options I found on Houzz. Both are under 18" in depth and 24-30" in width.

Sorry, I posted the wrong vanity set. I meant to post this one.

My ceilings are 8 feet. The width of the tub 52 inches (52 x 29) which leaves about 10 inches left to the wall. Top of sink counter to ceiling is 62 inches. From the door/wall when you walk in to the shower I have about 45 inches.

Marlene - If I think about changing the setup I wonder how much if a job it would be since I would need to move the plumbing. But not a bad possible option either along with trying to put a recessed closet piece next to the shower - if I could fit one in a 9-10 inch space

So here is my ingenious thought. Build a shelving unit on that wall 45" wide x 52" high by 8" deep. Affix a mirror to a portion of it using a slide track. When not in use you can keep the mirror centered over the less appealing things in the unit.

As far as the 9" to 10" area that may be the size of the opening but you could flesh it out more internally. If possible remove the hamper and have a look in the hole.

jc22878, as with all renovations, the scope of work you do depends on many things. Time, budget, added value etc. Extra storage is always appreciated, and making the small room work for your needs, which can reduce stress, lol. And it doesn't sound like you want to yo extravagant, just improve the functionality. Sometimes I find it helps me if I make a list of pros/cons, but I like to see things on paper.
I suggest getting some quotes for some of the changes that appeal to you the most. Moving water lines can get costly, I guess it depends on how accessible existing lines are to tie into. I would think moving a sink would be less costly than a toilet, but not certain.
As far as the 9-10" space, maybe you could borrow an idea from kitchen pull outs. You wouldn't have space for towels, but you could store a lot.

Actually Marlene, that would work a treat. If the towels were rolled they would fit fine. Just a slightly different internal skeleton where one side is closed. Good thinking!

Leave it as is, give a nice paint job, new tile, frameless door, upgrade the vanity and that will do the trick. If the budget allows I would swap the toilet location with the vanity which shouldn't be a big deal to do if your floor joist run perpendicular to the tub, that would give a better feel and appearance.
Other then that, there is not much you can do because you don't have any room and anything you add it will just make it feel more cramped up.

Good luck

@lucidos, rolling up towels, another great idea!

The tile looks a little out of date try a floor that looks like wood but is fit for a bathroom

Teak wood flooring would be unique and good for a bathroom.

https://www.google.com/search?q=teak+wood+floor&biw=1680&bih=934&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=lvM3VOTSLIbgsATeg4HIDw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#tbm=isch&q=teak+wood+bathroom+floor

You could add a mirrored medicine cabinet above the vanity if your light comes out far enough, also removing the tub doors as everyone here is suggesting.
You could put a hotel shelf in the tub area to give a towel bar and a place for extra towels.

Switch positions of toilet and vanity. Tankless elongated toilet. White vanity, neutral light colored tiles that are larger in size. Definitely lose glass doors. Hooks instead of towel bars.

Exchange the vanity for a wall hung vanity with storage. It makes for easier cleaning and is visually room expanding. Take out the glass shower doors and put in a shower curtain with the curved rod to give you more space in the shower. It is easier to push to one side to bathe kids. If you can afford a wall hung toilet do it. They do make them with a round bowl, so it wouldn't stick out too far into the room. and you wouldn't have to move it. Not having those items come down to the floor really feels spacious. It is easier to clean too. Sink the medicine cabinets into the wall cavities with flush mirrors for a more spacious look too. There is a lot of room in the wall spaces. It looks like you could make towel storage to the left of the tub. With a space that small you can go high end on the flooring for not much money. Maybe in-floor heating? I used marble in my small bathroom. I got leftover clearance at Menards for $50. Good luck!

I am following this thread with interest. I have the same configuration in the Cape Cod (1940) we bought around 18 months ago. I was stuck on one idea without regard to the rest, so I figure if I read and learn as much as I can it will look less 'home made' remoodeled and more proffessional, as we're skint. The house turned out to be a lemon. We've already had to replace (not fix) the roof, the wet plaster ceilings, and the basement had to be dug up twice for plumbing issues. Maybe I should make my own thread....

but the only thing that I could come up with in my head was getting rid of the old tub and replacing it with a free-standing one to make it more visually bigger. I am not so certain you should remove the tub glass - with two kids, I'd wait a little. Curtains are nice, but with children ( we have only 1) glass is easier to a)contain the water and b) it's glass; anything else will close it in more. Since my tub is also in the same spot and like yours, takes up the entire width of the back wall - you had already thought of the perfect option - a half bath/ shower combo. I will be checking into that myself more sincen I've been seeing some really creative and beautiful styles lately.

Thank you for starting this thread. You are far from alone.

Stacy

couldn't leave without an example.

This, of course, would be too dark for asmall room, but you get the idea.https://www.houzz.com/products/aqua-ultra-48x58-frameless-hinged-tub-door-chrome-prvw-vr~15470556

Is there a possibility of placing a sink and vanity on the lower level of the house for crazy rush morning getting ready? Or replacing a nightstand with a make up table and mirror with storage in the bedroom......again wife can use bath first for water use and then go to vanity/mirror/sink for make up and hair.....

The tiles and tub looks in good shape. If you want to change the color on those, maybe you should consider reglazing them to white. You can hire a pro or DIY

I think lucidos or MarleneM might have mentioned the semi-recessed space for closet space, but I've seen some really creative and crazy stuff on YouTube from the Aussie's with tiny bathrooms like ours. They've pretty much taken all three walls right to the studs for maybe 4 more inches of space - and they did it themselves, BUT, I would hazard a guess that if you bought an older Cape Cod, you did it for the same reasons we did. we love coved, wet plaster walls and ceilings, we love everything about this home except for the tiny W.C.
Wet plaster walls can be removed/skinied, but I wouldn't do it - not because the room is so ' tiny' it doesn't deserve any time or effort, but not because taking the walls down to the tacs isn't an option w/wet plaster. It would just would ruin the point of an old Cape Cod. I like everybody's ideas, especially lucidos and MarlenwM's, who seem not only to understand that, but have worked with it. My grandma's hamper is on the wall as your going down the stairs from the upstairs. You can't even see it because the former owners did put a lot of design time into the home, and must have just overlooked the bones. We're only too happy to fix them up. What hid the hamper was simply a focal point paint colour to distract it, and it actually worked. Seriously. There is nothing on that bit of wall but the hamper door chute, and its invisible.

If nobody uses the shower in this little bathroom, I would temporarily remove the shower doors and store them in the garage until you come up with a remodel plan for when the kids have grown up a bit. In a bathroom this size, removing the doors will make the room feel bigger and more open. If there is no space you can steal from an adjoining closet or room, you will be stuck with this layout even if you replace the tub with a walk-in shower.

we have a small bath that we share with our kids. the addition of a shallow vanity area in our bedroom has been crucial.

Susan, where did you find this?

Ikea. It's the hemnes shoe storage on bottom with hemnes double mirror vanity installed directly above. It holds a ton.

lucidos is that CAD or actual photos?

It is very neat. I agree with removing the glass door, but also opt for different brighter color vanity bottom, or an open bottom metal frame vanity.