Master Bath: Shower or Tub and Shower Dilemma

13 years ago

Finally considering remodeling the master bath. The current layout only has a small shower surround which, being tall, isn't usable for us. To remedy this, we are going to take room from the walk-in closet and either add a tub and shower or make a large shower. Though we'll still be in the house a number of years, it isn't a house we are going to stay in forever. I'm considering functionality as well as what would give the best resale value.

Ideally, for this bathroom, I would like to make a large, tiled shower with glass doors. Will give the illusion of a larger room, would be clean looking, easy access to the shower and something we would both enjoy. My DH thinks we should go with a tub and shower combo. I would love to have a tub, but the footprint doesn't allow for a separate tub and shower; even with taking the extra room from the closet. For us, the tub and shower would require a shower curtain. An object I loathe and think it will make the already small bath look even smaller. Clearly, my bias is showing. :)

As we'll be doing the work ourselves, we also need to consider cost, ease of installation and making sure we can install everything properly. This is part of DH's argument about going the way of the t/s combo. In terms of resale, I think a large shower would be more desirable and is a better use of space. A t/s combo does exist in the second bathroom; however, the tub size is suited for kids, but there is a tub in the house.

Trying to get opinons on what would be better: the large shower or the tub and shower combo (which you don't seem to see anymore)?

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Comments (7)

wi-sailorgirl
13 years ago
This is a pretty hotly contested issue on this site (and you'll find lots of old posts on it).

I think it's safe to say that it comes down to a resale issue.

1. Are you planning to sell your house in the next five years (I just picked that timeline out of the air)?
2. Is there a tub somewhere in the house? (Sounds like there is.)

If there is already a tub somewhere in the house, I would venture to say that a large tiled shower would be better in a master vs. a tub/shower combo. I think ideally people want to see a separate tub and shower in a master, but that's not always possible, as in your case. So since a luxurious soaking tub isn't an option, I'd skip it and go for a luxurious shower.
wi-sailorgirl
13 years ago
I forgot to address question #1. It's my opinion that if you're not going to be selling your house in the next five years (or maybe a little more) you should not consider resale at all when making your decisions. You should get what you want. Especially in things like kitchens and bathrooms ... no one knows what is going to be the "hot" thing in those areas 10 years from now, so don't try to be a design oracle, just do what YOU want.
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Well, phooey. I taped it out in the bathroom with blue tape last night and it looked like it would fit, but with too many nos, I'm back to the drawing board. Interesting thought, Vix. Right now we don't actually have a toilet room, so much as a separate toilet "area" (there's no door, and the closet takes up too much room to add a door), but it's on my agenda to create one. In our house, it's very necessary. I generally use that bathroom to try to FIND privacy, only to have 3 people (and sometimes the dog) follow me into the bathroom. I'm looking forward to having a door that locks and a fan so that I don't have two little people handing me the TP and asking whether I'm doing number 1 or 2 (oh, and the 1 year old likes to flush while I'm ON the pot; so I've got my own special cold water washlet), while DH decides that he absolutely has to shave and brush his teeth at that exact moment. Now if I take a hike to the guest bath on the other side of the house, all three just follow me AGAIN. Sometimes when I have insisted on locking the door in the guest bath (no way to do that with our LOUVERED -- why??? -- pocket door in the master), my one year old plopped down prostrate outside the door and cried until I open the door. For my W/C, I want to put in a LOUD fan; no whisper quiet for me. Maybe I'll even add a radio. :) The way I'm seeing it, I can either get rid of the long vanity altogether and live with a fairly small vanity, plus a tub and shower, I can skip the tub and live with the kids' bathroom on the third level as the only room with a tub, or we can bump out that weird corner jog, which would give us an additional 49'' X 27'' space -- enough to fit a 5X3 tub, 5X3 shower and keep the two vanities. But that sounds very expensive and will require carefully removing and replacing the siding to match the existing. DH's response to all this was "why do we need a tub?"
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azureashe
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks wi-sailorgirl! Good to know another shares my opinion. Five years would be the max we'd be staing in the house which is why I'm concerned with resale. Would love to have a large soaking tub, but it wouldn't work with the footprint. Since there is already a tub in the hallway bath - great for kids, but it's like sitting in a puddle for adults, I'm not that concerned about installing a tub.

I just need to convince DH that a t/s combo might not be the best way to go.
Stacey Collins
13 years ago
We went through this exact dilemma. Since there's a tub in the (only) other bathroom, we could have gone with just the large walk-in shower in the master bathroom. Personally, I think it's much more upscale, luxurious and spa-like than the tub/shower combo. However--- before you give up on having a tub, too, you might want to try looking more closely at your available space. We thought, "no way", -especially since I wanted two sinks- but we were actually able to do it, and it doesn't feel cramped. We made the vanity 5 feet long, we have a 3 x 4.75' shower, and a 60" x 32" soaking tub. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It did take a couple of rolls of tracing paper to find the right layout, but it works. It might be worth investigating a little more... post some plans here and folks might be able to help!

If I were to do it over, I'd use a pocket door, but wouldn't change much else. The 2 realtors and 1 house appraisor who have been here since we did it all said we'd made the exact right choice for resale...

This is the original plan, it changed a little bit:

An old freehand perspective sketch of the room:

And the real thing:
view2mtn
13 years ago
Go with the large shower only. There is nothing worse than risking your life on a daily basis climbing in and out of a tub to shower. We done the shower only in two different homes and the large shower actually made the room larger. I do love to soak in a tub, maybe once a week or once every two weeks but I shower at least once a day. I've never regretted the large shower. We just finished our master bath (it's an old house) and put in a large shower (3 x 4 steam shower) plus a tub (5 foot tub). They are fairly close together and much more elegant than the combo deal. I've included the link which has photos (it's a home restoration blog). Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Master bath reveal
desertsteph
13 years ago
"risking your life on a daily basis climbing in and out of a tub to shower"

i agree with this! since you already have a tub in the other bathroom, go with the big shower! make it nice for you!

a tub is good for someone w/kids and someone to soak and the other tub will serve for that.

one of the things I'm most looking forward to in my new place is a shower WITHOUT it being attached to a tub!
cpartist
13 years ago
As long as you have a tub in the house, a large shower in the master is fine for resale. Don't sweat it and I'm one who feels a tub in a house is necessary.

Master Bath: Shower or Tub and Shower Dilemma

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wi-sailorgirl

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Master Bath: Shower or Tub and Shower Dilemma

Comments (7)

wi-sailorgirl

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azureasheOriginal Author

Stacey Collins

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azureashe
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