Hi everyone and thanks for your input. Green, you are quite right that I need to move my energies onto another aspect of my build. Perfectionism has sure gotten in the way of completing my design decisions. It won't cost 3000 around here for a small new exterior window and frosted bath door, but you are correct that there are many other parts of our build that could use the money instead. Thanks for your advice and perspective. jmc01, thanks ever so much for getting back to me about the distance of the hotel exterior window and interior window -- your news was rather encouraging that an interior window might be worth it. bronwynsmom, nice to get your input again. Thanks for your vote about the interior window -- this would sure be a cheaper option than a new exterior window. Very interesting tidbits on the research about light you shared. Maybe that is why I am obsessing with getting some natural light everywhere I can. chijim, thanks for your thoughts. Yes, I definitely agree that moving the small bath entrance down closer to the laundry room doors would be an improvement. Given the rooms are mainly down to studs it would not be much extra cost. I will think about a swing out door as well. sochi, thanks for your newest ideas and answers to my questions. I will get a quote for the new window and see if we can swing it. We can't rationalize moving the bathroom entirely to the laundry closet, although that would be an awesome location. Currently the small bath is an existing bath, so we are not starting with new plumbing here. lyban, maybe all I need is the right lighting. Natural light is hard to replicate, but I will try the daylight bulbs suggested by Green. To all, at this point I have decided to move the door of the small bath out into hall to increase the bath size/decrease hall size. I will also be punching a hole in the top of the small bath wall to see what kind of light it brings in before getting the trim carpenter to build an interior window (no big deal given all the holes in the bath wall at this point of demo anyway). If I still don't feel the natural light is sufficient, I will go the route of a new exterior window and frosted bath door. Oh yeah, I am going to buy a daylight light bulb as suggested by GreenDesigns to see if that is just as good as real light!! Remaining question: Would it be worth it to do a second interior window between laundry and the larger bath to share the light from the sun tunnel in this bath with the laundy room? Thank you all for helping me reflect on this issue and for giving me your advice. I am so glad I have this forum to toss around ideas and weigh pros and cons!! Carol

I would plan for the lighting to be complementary, not for the recessed lighting to be all coverage: Plan for the recessed lighting to provide good general lighting for the bathroom as a whole, but don't expect it to be in the correct position to light the vanity and the mirror in the way it should be lit. In other words light the bath from the ceiling like you would light a kitchen from the ceiling, enough to illuminate the whole room as general lighting, but don't expect it to be the task lighting as well. Plan the vanity lighting for optimal vanity lighting. This is essentially the task lighting. It should be switched separately. Light the shower separately. Sometimes I like to take a shower in the relative dark, compared to the rest of the bathroom. Sometimes I like the shower light to serve as a night light or for guests to at least navigate in the bathroom. Overlight it all slightly and put it all on dimmers. I recommended switching the fans separately and no lights on the fan. The light they provide is generally pure glare. I am doing a bathroom that is the size of some showers (28 square feet total) and it is still going to have 3-4 lighting circuits and a separate fan circuit.

Here's a good link to some aging in place building considerations: https://www.nahb.org/en/learn/designations/certified-aging-in-place-specialist/related-resources/aging-in-place-remodeling-checklist.aspx Non-slip options for flooring/tile, high rise toilet, grab bars for toilet area and in shower (don't forget one for when exiting-a shower door handle is not weight bearing), lever style handles and a hand-held shower sprayer come to mind as basic and essential from my work as a nurse in a senior living community. A 40 inch pathway seems tight to maneuver a rollator or wheelchair in a turn to access the toilet or the shower, but if either your designer or contractor has universal design experience, then perhaps they can make some suggestions about facilitating safe and easy movement in the space.

Here is what you need to think about. Whatever you spend on your renovations expect to get 1/2 of the money back when you sell your home. I am guessing this is a small starter home. Keep a close eye on the other homes in your neighborhood. Go see every open house, look at it as though you were going to buy it. Keep an eye on the list price, length of time it sits on the market and the sale price. You will notice that homes in a neighborhood sell at close to the same price per square foot as long as they are not in dire disrepair. Since you only plan on being here 3-5 years think about the return on investment and the joy it will bring to you over that time span. If you spend $30,000.00 on your kitchen you will get a little better ROI - about 60% on kitchens so that means you will sell your house for $18,000 more than if you did nothing. The other 12k you have gifted to the next owner. $12 k over 4 years is $3k per year or $250.00 per month. Will the improvement bring you $250.00 worth of joy each month? Could that same money provide you with a bit more of a down payment on the next home or pay off your car and save you interest and make it easier to get a loan for the next house. Could you spend the money on nice furniture or art that you can take with you to your next home or give you the opportunity to travel somewhere together and enjoy some grand experience? Home ownership costs. You have to make sure your home is well maintained and that things that need replaced get replaced, but don't overspend on a temporary dwelling.