Layout 4

Hi, if you did a pony wall on the side next to the toilet you would take out some of the 42" width which I think will be ok. A Kohler cast iron sized shower pan is 36x48. The pan can give you a good idea that your space should be big enough to shower in. I have seen references that the smallest shower should be able to contain a 30" circle with in the showering area. I like the idea of a pony wall instead of a glass wall next to your toilet. I have no thoughts on the location of the shower head. The toilet should have 18" centerline to the wall. Here is a link that I found very helpful for my layout. Here is a link that might be useful: illustrated Rules of Good Bathroom Design

Well, I know how you feel there. But you will be tying up access to your closet if another person (not your partner) is using the john or taking a shower. If I read your room use correctly, you have half baths in attic and basement, but no other bathing facilities? Just in this area. IF you split this you could make a secondary toilet/vanity area which could also be entitled to use the shower. But you could still lock off their access to YOUR master bath and closet area. I think that MongoCT drew something like that. And technically, if there is no closet directly associated with the main bedroom, it technically cannot be called a bedroom. I understand what Terriks means about that. Even a small closet can keep it designated as a bedroom, but it would be hard to call it a "master suite." In my DH's house in Mass, I've been dealing with a similar problem, so I know how mind boggling it gets. On the main floor of the house, a cape, we have a full bath with a tub. It serves as a guest powder room. I am adding a master bath adjacent to it, but this bath only has room for a shower. So what I'm doing is making it possible for us to combine the two when we are at home with no guests. And when we have overnight guests upstairs, we can also lock the door from the living room which gives access via a tiny hall to this full bath. OR, conversely, I have a door further down the hall which is really the bedroom back door(another one exists)---it blocks off access to our bedroom from this direction, as well as to the 3/4 master bath. By making all the flooring the same in the full bath, the tiny hall, and the 3/4 master bath, it will I'm thinking look cohesive. I'll have to try to put this drawing up for you. It is much simpler than your plans, because our walkin closet access is separate from the bath areas. I'll have to go back and view your current setup for the plumbing etc, to see if your dream of a big bath can be achieved while keeping the walkin closet dedicated to your bedroom.

I would not enlarge the shower into the entire former toilet space as 5' square shower is already really large (maybe just another 6" or so if you must). What I would do is use the wall space where the toilet used to be to install a large, hard-wired, wall mounted, towel warmer. Most of your light switches should be on the wall just as you enter the bathroom. As for lighting, I'd have 3 small cans installed in the ceiling down the center of the room, a lighted vent fan above the shower, and vanity lights on the wall above the sinks. If you do enclose the toilet in it's own room, you'll need a lighted vent fan in that room. Electrical outlets on the wall (above the counter on each end of the vanity) and maybe one down by the baseboard on the outside wall enclosing the toilet. If you go with the towel warmer, you'll need a junction box run to that area as well.