I agree with rmiriam - go for the 2 baths and use high-end materials. Our first house only had 1 1/2 baths when we bought it, but I was so thankful the first time both of us got food poisoning, if you get my drift ;)

We eventually added a shower to that 1/2 bath. It was only a 36" right next to the toilet and we used a stationary piece of glass between the toilet and shower. The showerhead wall (opposite the glass) had a recessed edge which allowed us to hide a shower curtain which we never needed - probably because we raised the showerhead much higher than standard height to eliminate splashing. Not sure if that makes sense, but hope it helps!

2 baths, definitely!

Absolutely spend the extra for the 2 baths; you will never regret it. We've raised 3 girls....and have two living here now. We've had to share one bath while the other was being remodeled, and we are now one day away from have two full baths again!

Toddler girls don't take up much space; teenaged ones do. I also highly recommend giving the girls a vanity space in their rooms when they get older.

Mom of three girls here, definitely do the two baths. Not sure where you are in the country, be here in NJ, metro NY area, 3br 1.5 bath homes are quite expensive and anyway you can stay in that home longer, or make it stand above the competition (master bath) you will see an eventual profit from.

Sure, a spa bath would be nice, but you're not going to get that in a 9x6, so two baths would be better. Make 'em look nice and use the space well and no one will notice the size!

If you post your proposed floor plan, perhaps we can give you some feedback and more ideas.

Thanks for the advice....we're verry happy with the results.....the kid' bath first...the kid's bath--not much space, but it works fine for the kids, and we think it looks cool...kids wanted the ocean theme.....we can always paint the walls neutral later. I'm mixed on the blu, but wife and girls like it, which is what ends up mattering :

Pictures of the master bath to come....that is on the other side of the big blue/greem wall by the toilet.

And now the master bath pics...we splurged more here, and did cararra marble on floors, walls, and shower. Also did the Moen spa 3/4" shower set, w/ custom glass.....we like the kid's bath, but we love this one!....Note we're still not done w/ painting, etc.

slightly different angle...

We were worried that by turning 1 bath into 2 (had to take closet from adjacent room), that we would regret baths being too small, but in practice, both baths have enough room, and plenty of storage for the 4 of us. So, our discovery is you can make a very nice bath without making a giant one.

great job. I love the master's floors.

Ed....I love both baths. We also have two small ones (baths) with two tween girls. I can't ever imagine buying a house with one bath. (But go figure...I was one of six kids, and the eight of us shared two baths and lived to tell about it!). Anyways, can you give some specifics on your fixtures and who made the vanities? I am trying to find 36 inch vanities with lots of drawers like yours have. Thanks.

The fixtures are Moen Kingsley, chrome finish. (purchased by plumber ) The shower in master is one of their complete 3/4" spa sets, + we bought a separate Moen showerhead...the one that you can switch from rain back to normal....highly recommend this option.

Chrome is a rare phenomenon....my wife and I both love it, and it's the least expensive finish option!

The kid's vanity is 28", and ours is 42 or 44"...both ordered from Home Decorators, complete w/ granite tops/sinks. ...The vanities is where we saved a bit. We're very happy w/ both vanities. One caveat, the drawers are pretty much wood boxes that sit inside cubby holes..no slides/dovetails/etc....We don't expect them to last a lifetime, but again, I'm happy with what we got vs. what we paid, and the wood finish looks great on both. . ONe caution...plumber hated hooking up the waste to the 28"...that is a very narrow cabinet!

flying diver, thanks on the floor comment...it's carrara, so expensive per sqft, but not too much in our small bath! We both love the feel and look of it

Ooh, ooh, someone to ask about homedecorators vanities! What color are the sinks, really? Are they white or ivory? Do you think that if you disliked one you could swap it out for a different sink if you wanted to? Is the white one the Hampton Bay model?

Love both bathrooms, especially the blue one.

writersblock- the small white vanity is a Hampton Bay model, and I say the sink is white. The larger vanity in the master appears to be more ivory than white. It appears one could replace the sink, but I have very little knowledge on kitchen sink standard sizes, etc.

The hampton bay vanity took a while (on backorder), and the cabinet that goes over the toilet was just received today-more than 2 months after ordering!...so be cautious of timing if you order something that is on backorder.

Thanks, edmakeover. The website is a bit confusing because they seem to use white and ivory pretty interchangeably for a lot of things besides sink color.

I appreciate the heads-up on the delivery time.

I don't suppose edmakeover is still lurking around the bath forum? Tried to send an email but the form never showed up.

Just in case you happen to be around, can you tell me the dimensions of your master bath shower? I'm thinking of doing something similar in our teeniest master which is currently just a powder room and need to know if we might have enough space. By the way, I think the 2 baths turned out great!

Anyone else have a small shower in a really small bathroom who would care to share pics and dimensions?

thanks!

jesse21-lucky for you, i was just checking back in for a retaining wall question, the shower is a standard Jacuzzi brand neo angle 42" base. The doors are custom glass. I'm happy with the configuration of shelves...we're happy with this layout...we have a window to work with, so this works well...there's actually more space than neede

Just wondering, having used the shower for a while now do you feel you have enough space in the angle shower? Also what is the wall space footage where the toilet sits? I have a 7 x 7 half bath and want to add a shower. I'm going crazy trying to figure it out and your layout looks so similar to mine. I had thought of maybe the angle or quarter round one I've seen at HomeDepot/Lowes. Is the Jacuzzi shower base as sturdy as it looks? I love both your bathrooms, a wonder job! thanks, Mlou