Small Bathroom Challenge

15 years ago

I'm starting to think about redoing our main-level bathroom which serves my daughters' two bedrooms. The problem is that it is very small and there is no way to gain extra space. I'd like to know two things:

Is there any company that makes bathroom vanities that are only 18" or 19" deep (without having to go custom)?

Do any manufacturers make relatively narrow but 5' long bathtubs that are finished on one long and one short edge? The existing tub (from 1931) is like that, but I want to re-arrange which would mean I need to flip the end that's finished, so I can't reuse the existing tub (besides which it has been refinished once already and the finish is in terrible shape).

I'd like to use fixtures that look right for a 1930's house (white rather than pastel, though!). The existing tub has a clipped corner which is rather cool.

Thank you.

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Comments (4)

cat_mom
15 years ago
Sonia makes narrow vanities, but they are pricey. We had a local guy make us a pretty close replica (a little taller) out of walnut, and it was ~1/2 the cost.

We did end up ordering the Sonia sink top, because we needed a shallow sink in order to maximize our storage underneath (didn't want a vessel sink), and we just really liked it, too!
harriethomeowner
15 years ago
This company makes small vanities in various sizes and with a choice of finishes.

I don't have firsthand experience; I only saw one briefly at a showroom. Also, I don't know how much they cost. I'm still waiting for the bath place I talked with to give me an estimate.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bath furniture
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You are going to want more than 32" for the toilet. 36" is standard (and perhaps even code in some areas???? Not here in Maine but I heard people saying that on other forums...) We have 34" and it feels fine but I dont think I'd want to go much tighter. You could solve that simply by flipping the closet and shower. So, have your shower -rotated 90 degrees and witha glass end wall- at the end of the tub (which is a nice setup you can see in many bathrooms, the tub deck can actually protrude under the shower glass wall and be a ledge or seat in the shower). Then the passageway moves to the left, and you can steal a bit of space from the other closet for the toilet. Either that of have a shorter vanity. 48" isn't a size I'd fight for. It's too short for a double vanity, really (unless you're using one of the new two-faucet 'trough" styles) so why not go down to 42" and have a better toilet area? For resale, though, you should consider a double vanity. Some people I guess expert truly huge ones, like at least 5+' long. But you CAN get smaller ones, Ikea has some great ones for tight spaces. But if you're not selling anytime soon, do what YOU like!! (But I still think you'll want more toilet space...)
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We are just finishing a similarly sized bathroom, with what sounds like a similar layout. Ours is 7.5 feet x 7 feet, with the door on one short wall and the window on the opposite wall. The best decision we made, I think, was changing the inward swinging door to a pocket door. That door took up so much space in the small room and not having it is a huge improvement. Beyond that the layout is the same as what was there before: tub along one long wall, with a wall and base cabinet (with a small counter surface -- the old cabinet was very deep, floor to ceiling, no counter) taking up the remaining space on that wall. The toilet and sink are on the other long wall. We went with a console sink, with a long shelf running the entire length of that wall, from window to door, above the sink, to give space for setting stuff. We also put in a recessed medicine cabinet. We're hoping that will give enough storage (along with the cabinet). It should be finished -- or at least usable -- by the end of the week. It's looking good so far but the true test will come when we start using it again! Good luck with your reno.
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In the picture, black is the current layout. Green is the change if only shower was made bigger and one door would be eliminated. Red is a complet demo, removing the wall section between two toilets. All the water lines from upstairs are in the section of the wall that is between two toilets so removing this wall would require a major move of water lines to the side and there would have to be a section of wall kept behind new toilet and vanity. The door from master would have to be framed and move to the left as a pocket or barn door. The drowing is disproportionate. It is all very cramped in there Current shower is only 26"x26". But may be replacing vanity for a wall hung vanity in the larger bathroom would change the feel. It will all have to be torn down and replaced including removing subfloors as they are rotten. So either remodel will be a lot of work. What should we do?
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Dear Weedyacres: One bedroom is 13 x 25, the other is 12 x 18. The other bathroom which is not in the drawing serves two bedrooms and one of those bedrooms is really tiny. On the other side of it is the dining room, so no way to make that smaller. I guess the only possibility at this point would be to loose the tiniest bedroom and turn the current master bath into one with the spiral shower, but I don't like that idea at all because we mostly heat that part of the house with the fireplace and I wouldn't want to loose a bedroom in the main section. Plus I think that really might affect resale value. Probably best to leave as is. I am so thankful for everyone's input because I think it's helping me to see that the spiral shower is a no go. Actually, the house isn't the main feature for me. The main feature is the two acres and lots of woods and the sun room with wall to ceiling windows. And the room we will use for dancing which actually brings me to another problem. The house is on a slab and we want hardwood. Sounds like engineered is the only way to go. We keep this room about 50 degrees and we want something that won't hurt our feet like tile would do. Thanks again for your help. I really do appreciate it very much.
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fidoprincess
15 years ago
I was able to find a lot of vanities in 18/19" depth. The tricky part for me was my length at 43.5"-ugh. Believe it or not, I actually found some in my size by searching the internet by the sizes and bath vanity. How long is your vanity?

Here is an old thread about 18" deep vanities: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg0910324722074.html

Even Home Depot had 18" deep vanities but the trick is the length. If you are flexible there, you will have many choices. I thought mine was 19" but then realized the top hung over making it really 18" but found many new glass ones that would fit in the space and even some from costco that could fit the depth but not length. http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC:114:1240:4304&N=4000382&pos=0amp;ViewAll=44&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=4304&Ns=P_Price:1::P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&ec=BC-EC10618-Cat1240&topnav=
Some of these are really a bargain because they include the sink too. Also, there are many with curved fronts that are only 18 on each side but then the middle of the vanity bows out giving more room for a bigger sink and more storage underneath.

In the end, I saved my old cabinet and am having a painter redo it, changing the hardware and just had a new granite top installed Friday and I love it! My door opens right at the vanity so that made it even more difficult to determine exactly what would fit.

Be aware too of the kind of sink you want and make sure it will fit the vanity you buy. That is very narrow and the sink choices can be tough expecially if you want an undermount. A wall mount faucet will give you more counter space too. I ended up with a vessel sink and faucet because of the plumbing and also the cost of fabricating the granite. $20 per hole for the faucet and sink drain holes versus $250 for the sink opening.

I realized that my "old" cabinet matches all the kitchen cabinets and also the other 2 bathroom's cabinets so I am glad that I kept it in the end, just something to think about as well. Good luck and sorry I don't know about the bath tub but get a new one-1931? it's time!
reyesuela
15 years ago
I'm going to buy a narrow dresser and use that as a bath vanity for my narrow bathroom, but Home Depot has a number of Pegasus vanities for very little $ that are quite shallow--and some even come with drawers!

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100233761&N=10000003+90401+527338

Don't discount custom. Sometimes, it's better quality for less money than many overinflated brands.

For the tub, the best bet would be a drop-in design. That way, you wouldn't have to have a short wing-wall to cover a three-wall alcove style, and you wouldn't have to pay the kind of price that something as unusual as a two-wall alcove would demand. Don't forget your local cultured marble folks. Sometimes, they're surprisingly cheap, and I like cultured marble FAR better than an acrylic tub.

Try Schoolhouse Lighting for the light fixtures.

Small Bathroom Challenge

Comments (4)

cat_mom

harriethomeowner

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fidoprincess

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