Thanks every for the ideas so far! David, a challenge indeed, but not sure I would call it beautiful. I don't think it would be easy to lower the floor into the joists, but what would be a scenario it would be "easy" ? I like the idea of using a linear drain. I guess I don't care if I end up with a curb or not, but would be nice if I didn't need one. Read somewhere I need a 2" drop from threshold to drain. So if I put the drain next to the 42" wall, 4 feet (no more than 1/2" per linear foot) should be about middle of my sink's current location. Chicagoan, thanks for the picture. I really wish my door was like that in the picture instead. Lascatx/AA, I agree 100%. I hate the fact that the toilet is facing the entry where there is no door, especially since my bed is directly on the other side of that. I currently keep a heavy curtain over this entry to prevent an eyesore. I'm going to look at the plumbing and seriously considering going with the floating toilet and swapping with the vanity. Any good recommendation on a brand here with a budget in mind? I've never even seen one in person.

Okay. I'll start right off with the part that you (and others) probably won't like to hear, to get it off my chest and out of the way. :-) When I see a home that has the exact same cabinetry and granite in the bathrooms as in the kitchen, I don't really get a "custom" vibe off it. To MY eye, it is a rather more builder-y look, like the leftovers from the kitchen counters were used up in the bathrooms (the "well, we paid for the whole d@mn slab, use it up!" philosophy) and the bathroom cabinets were lumped into the same order as the kitchen. If you are passionate enough about those cabinets that you want them in the bathrooms, by all means use them, but think about a different stain and a different top; conversely, if your heart is really set on the granite, put it on top of a slightly different cabinet. When I read your post and saw your pictures, though, what popped into my head were Jim Canton's custom "rustic" and "country" (which still has your beadboard door insert and I'm sure stained parts could be matched to the kitchen if you wanted to do that, but I like the mix of painted and stained parts) vanities. Yes, they're expensive - perhaps think of those as inspiration if your budget does not stretch that far. I admit to being a bit of a ho for the unfitted look but if you have the space a pine pie safe type cabinet would be great for storage, stained to match the trim. Since you adore copper as much as I do, copper sinks are almost a no-brainer, and ditto for lighting. Look at Arroyo Craftsman's offerings. I just LOVE their Simplicity series which is so very versatile. I have the "raw copper" SB-1 sconces and hate how they're patinating, so I would recommend the antique copper instead. Clawfoot Supply has some pretty and reasonably-priced copper towel bars etc. (the Aztec line), and this nameless one from A-Ball Plumbing is quite nifty as well. I like how they're all subtly different instead of being really matchy-matchy. For the floors, I think a slate-look porcelain mosaic would look excellent and be very durable/easy to take care of. I myself like a rather scaled-down tile size for a smaller room, and it does provide better traction and believe it or not it's not that busy if the grout is kept to the same color value as the tile. If the bathroom floor were going to actually touch the real slate flooring I would go in a different direction, but since they're separated by carpet and you can't stand on one and see the other, I think you're OK. Both Daltile and AO have very convincing slate-look "suites" in which there's a 12x12 tile and a mosaic; I think it would look great in the tub surround to use the larger tiles as a field with a listello of the mosaic tiles (three rows, say) at about shoulder height. American Olean's "Highland Ridge" has a fabulous mosaic of 1x3 tiles along with 12x12s. Yes, it would darken the tub alcove but that's easily enough rectified with a couple of recessed lights (about the only use I really like the things for! LOL). I think you're a very smart person for eliminating the whole subway-tile schtick, but if the dark tile is just too much for you, I'd think about a 8x8 or 12x12 white tile trimmed out with a slate-look mosaic, as a broad listello and perhaps vertically at the border of the tile. I think the embossed copper you're using for kitchen backsplash would be perfect on the ceilings. Rather than being "in your face" they would be something that you catch out of the corner of your eye, and perhaps don't even register consciously but just add to the whole sense of warmth and charm as well as reflecting light downwards. Think about using the plastic version though - they look very good and you won't have any problem at all with corrosion. Aluminum "tins" won't rust but are much more expensive. If you have leftovers that you want to use up and you're working with steel, make sure to backprime them with a rust inhibitor.

The "regular" bath layout that jensbride posted first is very similar to what our DD & DS shared for years and worked very well. The door, however, was a pocket style and placed directly across from the toilet. This allowed the vanity to be scooted around the corner to take up the whole wall. It leaves the toilet close to the tub, but with lots of elbow room. Our kids just learned to keep the door partially closed when the bath wasn't in use due to the "view".

The challenge is that once you get down to 12" deep (or even 15" deep) for a vanity, your sink options are extremely limited, so I don't know how much a custom cabinet would necessarily help on that front (apart from getting you something you like stylistically). Personally I'd rather have at least 18" deep to have a more functional sink and just live with the 30" clearance. For ours we stuck with a standard depth vanity because it's the only storage in the room apart from a medicine cabinet, and losing the 3" by dropping to an 18" vanity wasn't worth the extra clearance for me. if you post your layout you might get some other creative solutions, though.