Ok, your bathroom sounds HUGE to me! Mine is 59 inches by 8.5 feet (really, they couldn't have made it 5 x 8.5?) Anyway, my remodeling goal is to make it feel like a relaxing, inviting, larger space that is also very easy to clean. So far, I've decided to remove the nasty fiberglass tub/shower glass door combo with a low edge tub-sized shower, possibly with those overpriced frameless glass doors (still thinking they aren't worth the $$$). I am going to install a large window both for the daylight and also because it gives the illusion of moving the wall further out (because your view isn't stopped 8" from the sink).

The style will be Zen minimalist and although I will use a vanity with some storage, it will be on fairly long legs because visible open space below gives the illusion of more space. Although I don't keep lots of junk in the bathroom, I will probably build a recessed cabinet between the studs on the only available wall, perhaps as large as 5' tall. This will provide lots of storage if needed.

It is very difficult to find ideas for small bathrooms, so I spend a lot of time on this forum. I have also seen quite a few pictures on the This Old House site where there is a section where homeowners show some of their remodeling projects.

Please post any good sites or ideas that you come up with - many of us have small bathrooms!

Good luck!

eggplantlady, please repost your follow-up in a new thread. Hijacking someone else's thread is not good message board etiquette.

abwhitney, you have quite the laundry list there! I cannot speak to every item, but from my personal experience I can tell you that Panasonic fans are considered the best fans out there. We just installed one that has what yours has plus heat and we are pleased but it has been only a couple months. Avoid Nutone. If you really want quiet and great exhaust, you could get an inline fan like FanTech.

Regarding showerheads, I am a big fan of handhelds on bars for infinite height adjustments. We did that in both our bathrooms because we could slide the handheld to a higher position than a normal showerhead is mounted and then adjust it downward for different height people.

Lastly, regarding shower spaces, we have a one piece acrylic unit and it certainly never gets moldy, has no seams and is a breeze to clean. However, the trade-off is that it is butt-ugly and I cannot wait to get rid of it. You could get a shower pan that would get rid of the grout on the floor where most mold grows in a shower (and in crevices). There are also wall panels that come in bigger sheets (Corian, Quartz, etc) that would get rid of the wall grout. The look of tile is hard to beat but I'm with you on not wanting the maintenance of cleaning it.

How about some large format rectangular porcelain or ceramic tiles for the floor and walls? The larger size minimizes grout lines and definitely has a modern feel. Porcelain or ceramic are low maintenance (compared to natural stone).

Alternative you could go for slab walls (either granite or solid surface) in your shower. Those would have even more minimal grout/caulk lines for cleaning.

You could do a sleek, modern, elevated vanity with either a solid surface or solid stone countertop. That would give a modern look and be easy to clean.

I like www.houzz.com for inspiration because I can drill into the room (bathroom) and style (modern) and then see tons of photos for inspiration. I also will often use Google image to find pictures of components I like ("large format rectangular bathroom tile" or "modern wall mounted double sink vanity").

If the fans are burning out, it's probably the way they are vented, or a partly clogged vent tube. You want a straight as possible, full-size outlet pipe.

Also, fan/light combos usually don't run long enough. You shower and leave - turning off the fan/light at the peak of the humidity. Look for one with a delay on the fan, so it runs for 15-30 minutes after the light is turned off.

easy to clean = a floor drain.

If you have access underneath, it's easy to install. Consult a plumber.
To clean the bathroom, I use a watering can (to water plants) and I put water into the corners of the floor.
The slope (you build the floor with a slope to the drain) makes the water go from the corners to the drain.
The drain could be a stainless steel channel along one wall.
It's surprising how much dust water picks up
The dust is usually invisible.
When you water down the floor, you see it.
Afterwards the floor is cleaner than any swiffering could have made it.

Those pictures are gorgeous! Gave me some ideas!

Lazy is right about fans running after a shower. I installed a timed switch for the fan (I wanted my fan and light switched separately). It runs now at least 30 min after a shower. With a timer switch you can buy any fan you like (Panasonic I read are best so we bought that to replace a Nutone).

Also, our fan exhaust vents were attached to soffit vents. We are having them routed correctly next week as diagrammed in the Panasonic literature. The best venting is out the roof.

Hi abwhitney:

In lieu of an expensive frameless shower door, many people on this forum have opted for a shower curtain instead. You can get a curved shower curtain rod or a straight one and then a liner and the actual shower curtain. There are a lot of nice shower curtains with large grommets that will give a modern look and are machine washable. I saw a nice, clean white shower curtain with the big grommets at Lowes this weekend.

In terms of a bathtub, I think Kohler has quite a few to choose from. If you have the room, I suggest you look at the Kohler expanse tub. It's acrylic and easy to clean.

I agree with pricklypearcactus in that large ceramic 10 x 13 or porcelain tiles will be easier to clean and much more low maintenance than marble or natural stone. Many tile manufacturers make ceramic and porcelain tile that mimic the natural stones quite nicely.

For ventilation purposes, many on this forum recommend the Panasonic Whisper vent fan.

I'm not where the intersection of modern versus contemporary lies for you, but Duravit and IKEA make wonderful vanities for space constrained areas. Take a look at the IKEA Godmorgan vanity and medicine cabinet.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Kohler Expanse Tub

I second the Panasonic fan. I just installed one of their "Green" series in every bathroom-it goes on w/ a motion detector and then goes off automatically after a preset time. Mold can't grow without moisture so installing a good fans and letting it run long enough after a shower to remove all the moisture in the room is a good start.

I also got a glass shower door that has a 10-year coating on it that reduces soap scum.

I had all my grout sealed-that also decreases grunge and simplifies cleaning.

Don't think that dark colors hide dirt in a bathroom-water spots, toilet paper fibers and lint are all light-colored.

Definitely get a handheld showerhead. It makes rinsing yourself and the tub or shower and walls extremely easy.

I have the Kohler Expanse tub and so far I've used it twice! Bathroom was just finished three days ago. It's all one piece with no nooks or crannies and the bottom is non-slip but not that awful textured stuff that inevitably gets grimy.

If you have a large tub, or a large shower (ours is a 38" neo-angle), I can attest that a handheld showerhead, whether on a bar or not, is absolutely the easiest way to clean. There's no corner you can't reach with it to rinse clean.

I know what you mean about tile, my DH loathes tile having grown up with moldy grout! We wanted Swanstone but went with cultured granite to get a rock-solid showerpan (Swanstone didn't have a neo-angle over 36"). So we have slab walls for both the shower surround in the master bath, as well as the bathtub surround in the first floor bathroom.

Whether you use solid surface, glass, granite slab, quartz - there is NOTHING easier to keep clean than slab walls. They are wonderful - we will never, ever have anything else!

We've had our Panasonic vent fans (both bathrooms since 2003. Unlike the Broan/Nutone crap they replaced, Panasonics start out quiet and STAY quiet. The Broan got so noisy after 10 years, you could hear it on another floor, two rooms away.

I researched like mad a few years ago and went with the Broan humidity sensing vent fan. Our project got put on hold so I can't vouch for real world experience, but I did hear one once and it was not loud.
My husband takes long hot showers and baths (I know, but he won't listen....) and humidity has been a problem in our current bathroom. The work will be started here soon, so I am a few months from having a concrete answer as to how good the fan we went with is once it is actually used here.

I do know that I checked reviews and really spent some time on the decision (prob too much, lol). It also was not cheap, but it seems to do exactly what is needed and came highly recommended, so we bit the bullet.

HTH

Hi everyone. I'm sorry for not replying sooner. I have to go to bed now, but I will respond to everyone. Life hit me today and has some curves it's sending me tomorrow so I may not have time tomorrow either. Thank you all for your patience.

ABW

Prickly I love those pictures you sent over, thanks!