I actually like your Plan 2. The only thing I would suggest is next to your tub a5 the end near your water closet, could you possibly add a wall unit that could be used to store towels, etc. It could be built like a bookcase - 12" deep so not to block your tub too much.

In regards to your sink counter, we currently have a two sink counter that is approximately six feet or six and a half. Would have to measure to be sure. But in either case we are comfortable using both sinks at the same time.

I like how your shower is configured. I believe you will like the large shower. I assume you will have the shower head on the wall that is next to the stairwell versus the outside wall. If so, you may want to consider having your door open to the outside and adding a bench seat - for shaving legs, etc. Another thing to think about is the controls for your shower. If they are on the inner wall, that would mean you have to go all the way into the shower to turn the water on and that could be a cruel blast of cold water:) Having the controls close to the door helps avoid the cold blast of water. Something to think about.

Just my suggestions! Joan

Hi Joan,

Appreciate your opinions and ideas! Im not sure how the wall unit would look if its on the left side of the tub? Wouldn't that block the walkway as you walk past the sink? I am definitely going to follow your advice on the shower door (hopefully the ones we get can open both ways?) and controls. Makes sense! Thanks!!

Hi again,

I like the bath shower concept in number two, but I'd put everything on the same side. The only problem is that darn window location.

BTW, you could have a walk in shower that requires no door.

Hi again houseful!! My architect also tried putting the sink under the window, but I don't understand how that would work since there has to be a mirror about the sink. Perhaps theres a way to put the toilet room bottom left corner (if it works with a 5x3 room, tub under the window, and shower horizontal against bottom right wall. That would mean that the 6 ft sink would slide into the top left nook. We could pull that top nook wall of toilet room down a bit so the sinks are not fully inset into tho that nook.

desertsteph, assuming I understand your suggestion.... I tried that before but I think it left slightly less than 2' walkway between the vanity and tub which is probably too narrow.

Everything is somewhat of a compromise with this bathroom.

The only real logical place for me to put the vanity is on the north wall opposite the large window, I think that's the same place that Steph recommended. I slid the vanity slightly to the left, eliminating a bit of the alcove wall that surrounds the tub, which allows a couple of extra inches of width in the shower on the far right.

I think the shower location on the east wall is a reasonable location, when you walk into the room it can be a focal point of sorts, and with the outward opening door there's no impingement with door swing.

The tub location is where you had it. It could be flipped or flopped with the shower, but it is what it is where it is. If the shower were placed where the tub is then the outward opening shower door would be an impingement of sorts, and when you walked into the bathroom there'd be a bit of a negative hallway effect with the shower wall to your left and the toilet wall to the right.

So I think having the openness of the tub alcove in that spot makes sense.

The toilet really can't go in an enclosed compartment. There's just not enough room for three large footprints (toilet compartment, shower, tub) in this space. I have a short wall to hide the toilet a bit, the wall prevents the toilet from being front and center visually when you walk into the room. Realize that with a toilet compartment, code requires the compartment door to open outwards.

The toilet wall can't extend too far out into the room or it'll create a choke point between the toilet wall and the sink vanity. Also, the toilet wall can be a pony wall. Not floor-to-ceiling, but maybe 4' to 5' tall. By having it not full-height it'll open up the room a bit visually while still affording a bit of privacy when on the toilet. Your choice.

Toilet compartments need to be a minimum of 30" wide and 60" long with an outward opening door. You might be able to put in a clipped corner enclosure like I have in the second drawing for the shower and use that in the first drawing for the toilet. You'd have to run that past your local officials.

You have room in front of the large window for a freestanding cabinet.

If you really wanted a toilet compartment and can't use a clipped corner as described above, if you placed it where the tub is the outward-swinging toilet door would swing out into the main traffic pattern of the room. Unless you used a pocket door. So for a toilet compartment, I'd say place it where the shower is on the east wall. The shower would have to go where the toilet is, as shown below. A shower needs a minimum of 30" of width, and that's still a snug shower, so I'm not sure that the space as shown has adequate width to accommodate a decent shower. The corner of the rectangular shower could be clipped with the shower door on a 45-degree angle, to create a large enough passage between the shower and the vanity.

I think your best bet to get everything you want would be the first drawing with a clipped corner toilet enclosure with an outward swinging door.

If you can't do that, then I'd opt for the first drawing as is.

mongoct, let me swing the first idea by with the architect. I'm starting to think that I may be better off getting rid of the tub and putting in a nicer shower.

If you ditch the built-in tub that frees up a couple of options.

I think the shower still works best on the east wall. It affords you the best way to get the width and depth that can make it spacious. Although there is the small window in the southeast corner of the shower, it can be accommodated. Plus with the shower door in that location the door swing really doesn't limit traffic or placement of the other fixtures.

If you ditch the tub, you could hide the toilet compartment in the old tub alcove. I'd recommend a pocket door, there are times when you'll keep the door open, times when you want it closed, and a pocket door tends to work well on a toilet compartment in that when the door is open for extended times, the swing is not a factor.

I did put a freestanding slipper-type tub in blue in the southwest corner of the room. It sort of fits.

One thing you can do...the toilet compartment needs to be at least 30" wide. I'm not sure how a scale drawing will turn out, in my drawing above I have the toilet compartment wall projecting about 6" more southward into the room than the wall behind the sink vanity.

If you can make the toilet compartment wall flush with the wall behind the double sink vanity, maybe by even pulling the vanity south 6" and using that 6" of back wall space for shallow storage, that would give you about 9 or 10' of continuous straight wall.

If you wanted, you could then extend the length of and/or slide the double vanity to the left and center it off the large window on the south wall. You could do that by leaving the shower as is and simply making the vanity counter longer, or you could do a combination, make the shower wider, say 4' wide, and extend and move the vanity to the left.

The more you bring the vanity to the left though, the more the vanity countertop will eventually impinge with the blue freestanding tub location. And with traffic entering the bathroom through the door. So if you ditch the tub altogether, it's something to consider.

I'd hesitate to put the vanity opposite the window. Having a window at your back when looking in a mirror causes too much glare and you cannot see yourself very well.

How about this? Most new homes today do not even have a door on the bathroom as long as there is a door to the water closet. If you beef up the wall along the master bedroom, you have a nice entry into the bathroom.

The furniture niche allows the room to basically stay the same size for furniture. Then there is room for a nice storage unit inside the bathroom. Also, you'll want to frame the wall behind the toilet in 2x6 for allow for the plumbing stack. Maybe that is already in the plans.

Because of the window issue, I put a seat for putting on makeup or doing hair using a stand mirror. The light from the window will be an added bonus for these tasks. The sink area is a bit shorter than preferred, but with the seat, it should work fine.

The shower door opens this way so you can grab towels. An oval drop in tub is a nice space saver, because the middle can still be wide. I don't know how tall you are, but a tub longer than 5.5' can sometimes cause the average person to slide down. This way, your feet reach the other end to help prop you up.

HTH!!

Its awesome having GWers with different experience and points of view help us think things through! We were thinking the same thing about the glare. We will place the sink and tub on south side due to the glare issue. Is 69" counter a bit tight? Thats what we are planning now but we're considering shrinking the window by 1 ft to get the counter to about 75". What do you think about putting the tub under the window with a shelf on the right side facing tub (for towels)? That allows us to put a 4.5x7 shower on the right end. I'll have to draw that up after work.

Silly crazyu thought... we should just put up a wall behind the window up to 1' on each end so outside looks normal to keep the planning folks happy and inside shows a smaller window so we can have a larger sink. hahah

Ok..thanks for all the ideas so far everyone. Here's a few other ideas we are bouncing around which took some aspects that we liked from above. What does everyone think? Yep, we are still pretty stumped.

or this one... we'd probably add a clawfoot or pedastal tub to bottom left corner. Also the shower will be flush with top wall and closer to sink vanity.

Here are a few inspiration photos for the first option

Just don't compromise on the shower size in order to get a large tub. Those of us here who did can tell you from experience that it is a mistake. Granted you don't want a huge whirlpool like all the 1990's homes built, but think about your morning rountine. Most couples use the shower everyday, but rarely the tub. Something to keep in mind!

We are getting ready to tear out our whirlpool and put in a large shower. We currently have the huge tub and a tiny neo-angle shower. Not sure what we were thinking, but that's the 1990's. Good luck!

Agree.. Right now, the 1st option a few replies up has a shower thats 3'8" x 3'10". The 2nd option without the tub gives us a 4x7 shower. Is 3'8"x3'10" a good size or is 4x7 really worth sacrificing a tub?

The 3'8" x 3'10" is larger than my 3x3 neo-angle which we hate. It works, of course, but when I'm in that tiny little thing and look out at the tub collecting dust I groan very loudly! HA!

I think you must decide if you will truly use the tub; if you're not tub people now more than likely once the novelty of the fancy tub wears off you probably won't use it much. My roommate in college took a bath everynight. If you are like her then you will want a tub because you will use it. It's all about how you live. We decided to pull out the whirlpool as we have another tub in the house. Oldest is starting college and youngest is starting high school. We will have the tub bathroom all to ourselves too all too soon.

I think the small size is large enough that you won't feel cramped at all. The large size would give you room for a bench and more bells and whistles.

Perhaps find one at a showroom, step in and try the size?

That photo is beautiful but partly cause they have so much ROOM. I agree with the others, don't skimp on your shower for the tub. When you walk into your space you want a WOW feeling and with having that shower fill the back wall space your going to get that, plus being able to see out when you walk in is an added bonus and feeling of space. I would like to see the toilet on the far west wall (in your tub alcove) so you don't have to stare at it when you walk in the room. So it's the flip of what everyone has above. I think having the sink counters across the bottom makes most sense even splitting them up around the window and then you have the space to put in storage. Things are easier to keep clean if you have a place to put stuff.

Thanks all. We decided to keep the toilet on the far end of the room in its own enclosed room. Sinks on the north wall and 6x4 shower in the tub alcove. Neither of us are huge tub soaking types. Thanks for bringing us back to whats best for us.