I have an antique make-up table in my bedroom. That is where I put on all my makeup. I never thought of putting on my make up in the bathroom because I also grew up in a one bath house and there was too much demand for anyone to do non-bath functions in there.

I have been in a number of 50s-70s houses that have built in make up areas outside the bathroom in the master suites. Sometimes it is an anteroom right outside the bath, and sometimes it is right in the bedroom.

Good point! I am calling makeup and hairstyling bathroom functions, but really, they're not. So, I need to rethink my definitions, and move the non-essential activities to another place. For example, there's no reason I can't get the kids to move their hair-grooming supplies out of the bathroom and into their rooms. Lotions and creams can move too, sunscreen, even the first aid kit can go over to the hallway linen closet.

I don't think I'm ready to go back to chamber pots and manual-empty wash basins, but I do feel like we're on to something here.

I lived abroad for a year as an exchange student, and the bedroom suite I was given contained a sink and dressing area. It was a lovely and very functional setup; and I've often wondered why it hasn't caught on more here in the U.S.

On a recent home tour, I saw a house with a similar setup, where the three children's bedrooms contained sinks and mirrors, and one shared full bath was accessed from the hallway. None of the other women touring the house appeared to have seen this type of setup before, and it was a subject of great discussion. Most of the comments were enthusiastically positive.

When I'm doing makeup and hair I need to use the sink multiple times during the process. I absolutely hate having a sink out in the bedroom, so that design would be an absolute no for me. Also, I like to confine hair work to the bathroom due to being able to confine sprays to that area. I don't want any spraying going on in the bedroom or closet (perfume is an exception).

That being said, I can see an advantage to bedroom sinks if you have a bunch of kids, as mentioned above it could help with main bathroom traffic jams. Of course the best solution for kids would be jack & jill bathrooms, with vanities/sinks at each end, toilet and shower in the center. But that wasn't the OP's question or point.

If you have a dressing area outside the bathroom, and don't mind not having a sink there, then why not put a vanity table there?

you could put the sink / counter area in the first part of the bathroom and then have another door from there to the area with the toilet and shower. I lived in a house like that in CA. I really liked it - it was the mstr bath there. but I think someone on here posted a bathroom split like that because they also had numerous kids to access it. If someone is taking a shower or using the pot, someone else can still use the sink to wash hands, brush teeth etc.

That does help alleviate some of the waiting time to get into the bathroom!

my sister recently told me that they now have 'disposable wash rags'. She is getting them for when she travels. But they'd probably work at a dressing table in the bedroom just fine. I think girls would like to have a small dressing table / mirror in their rooms. I always dreamed of that as a young girl! they can have their brush, barrettes, nail polish etc setting out on it.

My mom always kept her makeup stuff with mirror in the kitchen in a cabinet right next to the table. It wasn't for lack of bathrooms just the lighting was better she could sit at the table.

Our floor plan won't support Jack and Jill, but I love to see that in other houses.

We might add a sink in one daughter's bedroom, actually in a small sunroom off her bedroom, but it would be a tiny sink, like the toothbrush sink I saw over in the old house forum. I know it might have mixed reception from a resale standpoint, but the wall backs to the bathroom, so it could tie into the plumbing stack easily, and would not be prohibitive to do. She uses the sunroom for arts and crafts, so having a sink in there would be a bonus in many ways. Also I just would enjoy the Englishy feel of it.

The main bath is 8x8, and I plan when we remodel to split it into 5 x 8 and 30"x 8 rooms, one for bath and vanity, and one for toilet and vanity. Like desertsteph says, it would make it easier to support multiple users that way. But that remodel is a couple years away too. The current bath and location for future master bath are adjacent, so we figure, when we go into the walls for one, it would be a good time to reconfigure the plumbing for the other.

I like these anecdotes about people doing what is practical for them. In the 60's, a family raised 11 kids in this house, with two bathrooms. I remember reading a Celine Dion interview about all of her sisters getting ready in the bathroom simultaneously; there would be several in the shower all at once, plus a few hovering around the sink and mirror for good measure. It keeps things in perspective for me.

Forgive me if you've seen me link to this before, but to me, this shows how the English just take a sink in the bedroom for granted. I don't think an American wallpaper company would use a bedroom with a sink in it to showcase their product.

Here is a link that might be useful: English bedroom with sink

As a teen, I shared a bathroom with my brother and so I would put on makeup and style my hair in my bedroom. My dresser had a large mirror that was perfect for this. Our shared bathroom also had a pocket door separating the toilet/shower/tub area from the sink area. This allowed one person to shower or use the toilet without having to wait for someone brushing teeth or washing their face. Personally I love the idea of separating the toilet and shower/tub from the sink, but I do not like the idea of having a sink in my bedroom.

slateberry51, I tried your link, but only got an intro page without any picture such as the one you describe. I'd love to see it. Can you try the link again, or paste the pic into a post?

jjaazzyy's response reminded me of my favorite aunt who always put on her makeup at my grannie's kitchen table when she was visiting. It was fascinating to a young girl to watch her, since my mom never wears make-up. Thanks for the memory!

I think a sink in the bedroom sounds functional. I'd do it, if I had the practical need to.

At my little MoccasinLanding cottage, there was only one very small bathroom. In the hall, there happened to be two regular smallish closets and a linen closet.

The smaller closet which was outside the door to my bedroom, and adjacent to the bathroom, which already shared the plumbing wall with it, was where I chose to install a small RV sink in a small counter top and with a place to take my makeup and grooming supplies outside the bathroom.

I removed the closet door, and the extra molding. I installed a nice light fixture above the vanity mirror.
Then a surface mounted shallow cabinet which was 24 inches wide and 36 inches tall fit perfectly at the end of the old closet, and was out of the way. Under the counter top, I also installed shelves and put toilet paper and other supplies in baskets out of the way.

It worked like a champ.

Don't have one in my apartment now, but I've always liked having a corridor outside the main-bedroom bathroom with an extra sink in it, so it can be used if someone's in the bathroom. Alot of hotels I've stayed at have this arrangement, as do some homes I've been in. Sometimes it's a standard bathroom sink, but I would probably use a wet-bar sink, and put an undercounter fridge/ice machine in that space too. I like to have drinks (and sometimes food) nearby in the bedroom, don't want to go to the kitchen for it.

My house was built in 1983 - In the master bedroom was the vanity with double sinks. If you were facing the sinks - the right side had a door to the closet and the left had a door to the bath room (Tub and Toilet). Behind is the rest of the bedroom. I wake up early to go to work and my wife HATED this arrangement. I couldnt shave in the morning, etc. We just did a remodel to put the bathroom functions all togther in the bathroom.

Just my two cents.

DG

wowed, I agree with your response, and it's interesting to me. I would want at least sound, if not visual, separation, between a lavatory/dressing area and a bedroom. It's interesting to compare the bedroom/lavatory area/toilet and bath area layers to a palace set up: the anteroom, the throne room (no pun intended) and then private quarters. In the same way, access and function are layered. I think most users would agree this sort of layering is a good thing.

Contrast this to the evolution of design of the kitchen/dining/family room area of a house. For me, sound separation of activities (eg., tv watching vs. a conversation in a dining room, or relaxing in the family room without the din of dish stacking) or visual separation (chatting with guests in the dining room while not worrying about how the busy food prep area looks) or even olfactory separation (reading a book in the family room while onions are sliced and sauteed in the kitchen). The grand, open flowing floorplan for these areas is popular, but for me, I prefer a little segregation, especially as the number of users and potential simultaneous uses goes up. Seems to me, as the average household size has shrunk and more people are living in a house of only 2 or 3 people, sure, the open floor plan can work. But for now at least, I want a little bit of separation of activities, and I like my "antiquated" floor plan, with separate kitchen, dining room, family room (tv) and living room (piano). A tv and piano in the same room would be a nuisance for us.

So I guess on a more micro level, I'm looking to separate activities in the bathroom. But I agree, if in the process of pulling them apart and relocating them, I mix grooming and sleeping, well, yes, that would be a disastrous unintended consequence!

responding to another post, I don't know why that link didn't work, here is the direct url:
http://www.farrow-ball.com/Company/FBStyles.aspx?language=en-GB&style=5

When I was a teen with two sisters, we had vanity areas in our bedrooms for all the primping and painting.

It really cuts down on the traffic jam in the bathrooms when it is only being used for toilet/bath functions.

At college, each dorm room had a sink in it. The showers and johns were down the hall on each floor. That was a long time ago.

Slateberry, a sink for your daughter's sun porch would be very nice. Maybe a small enamel kitchen sink with an attached enamel drain...but what I was posting for, was to mention that a nice folding screen would be a great way to keep the sink area separate from other parts of the room. If she does art work, then a folding screen with display areas would be great use of the space. Or a good place to get some privacy for dressing when company is sharing the space. I think that is also a very English use of space.

We have the master bedroom that wowed describes. Stand in the master and you face an open are that has a sink/vanity. Stand at the sink and a door to the right closes off the tub/shower and toilet. A pocket door to the left is our closet. We're redoing our second bath and my fiance plans to use that as his when it's done. He gets up first and doesn't like shaving, teeth, etc right there in the room while I sleep. He doesn't want to disturb me. It doesn't bother me much, frankly, but I do agree that eventually we'd like to have it separated. I like being able to use the sink separate from the bath, though.

I have a small desk in the master bedroom where I do my hair and make up. I have a large tri-fold mirror cabinet over it where I keep hair supplies and it has multiple drawers where I keep make up and my blow dryer etc. I have a lighted magnifying mirror on the desk too.

I would not go back to standing in a bathroom to do hair and make up. No way. I've been sitting for hair and make up for twenty years. The house we rented before we bought this one had a built in vanity area with mirror in the hall outside the bathroom.

I usually have a small towel for wiping mouse or gell off my hands but using baby wipes would work better. Thanks for that idea.

I have a old pump hairspray bottle full of water if I need to spritz water on my hair for any reason. I don't need a sink.

I have seen a great set up at a friends new house, they converted an extra closet into vanity area with built in counter, wife's back is to the door when she is using it and then just shuts the door. Has electrical outlets/lights/large mirror and storage but no running water.