Yes, I'd keep the vanity where it is now. Put the toilet next to the vanity and then put the tub or a shower across the back wall where the tub and toilet are now. Put in radiant floor heating and get rid of that old electric heating.

Our last house had a long, narrow bathroom. At first I thought the layout was a bit strange because I'd never lived with anything like it before, but I quite liked it, actually. A rough sketch is below.

It was really nice having the vanity next to the window for natural light at the mirror. The wall between the tub and the toilet provided a bit of screening from the door. I prefer to have clear floor space across the whole front of a tub so the faucet is easy to reach; it's safer than having a toilet partially in front of a tub.

The downside would be your vanity would be smaller. Maybe 42" or so?

cpartist, thanks for your thoughts. I like your idea but my only concern is the window. I want to keep it for natural light but I'm concerned about having a window inside of a shower because of both potential water damage and privacy. The base board heater does look silly, even though it is forced hot water, not electric.

Thanks, benjesbride. Interesting idea and sketch!

I like cpartist idea. This idea allows both a shower and tub with a sliding door to access the shower and tub area.

Another picture idea with a window

Consider Radiant towel warmers or wall mounted vertical panels to heat the room. Another option is an under cabinet blower (Slant Fin). Hydronic heat is always lovely in a bathroom.

Regarding the window, I would use a privacy film on the window that prevents people from looking in but still allows light to shine. Waterproofing the window should not be too difficult for a contractor. Also, your shower head and water splashing onto the window should be minimal. You have about 60" of shower space to work with.

Are you able to move the toilet?

Good luck!

My project hasn't started, but I'm planning something similar to what cpartist suggests. I was concerned about waterproofing and light too, so we're moving the window above the shower, like this.

Hill Street Hacienda · More Info

I was going to suggest what cpartist suggested..the thing that stopped me though and gave me doubts-the fact that the toilet will be the first thing to see when you open the door..even though I know there's nothing unusual about it..)) we'll have it for example in our next place kids/guests' bath..

I do like the tub under the window though..

caligirl5 and aprilneverends, thank you for your comments. I too, like the idea of the shower & tub with a window and would prefer that the toilet not be the first thing you see when you look through the doorway. We'll talk it over. Thanks for all your help!

Cpartist is right on. I never understand why people get weirded out about seeing a toilet and in my experience in the arrangement that cpartist suggests (I have two bathrooms like this and have been in countless others since it is such a standardized arrangement) I see the vanity before I see a toilet (it would certainly stick out much less than in the design you have currently). Caligirl5's picture demonstrates this as a good example of the arrangement. Your eye is drawn to the vanity. The toilet sits more in the background and is partially hidden by the vanity. Besides, with all the variation in design now available, you can get quite the attractive and stylish toilet that will actually be a positive feature of the overall design of the space. Yes, repositioning/modifying the window will be a requirement. If the job is done right, moisture/water will not be a problem. You may actually have enough space to hide the toilet on the other side of the existing partial wall that your bath is located at and then you won't see at all. Is the existing tub 60" or 66"?

Here's one of mine, which is 11.5x5. The vanity is 60", the toilet has 38" of floor space and the tub has 38" of floor space

SirJohn, our existing tub is about 60 inches. If we put a low-curb shower with glass panel and door against the far window wall and slide the toilet over to the left wall, we could get rid of the half-wall and just let the existing vanity hide most of the toilet, just like in your photo. My hope is we could just replace the existing window with a water-tight window in the same location, as the existing window is lined up with the door. Once we get rid of the half-wall, the natural light from the window should shine right through the glass shower and give the room a warmer larger feeling.

I'd say keep the vanity nearest the door. Why? Because it's the item that's used most often, so you want it to be most convenient.

Then the toilet next. That makes it convenient for you to wash your hands after using the facilities.

And that leaves the shower at the end, meaning it can stretch across the width of the room. I like the idea of a small window up above the shower head.

Other people shared some nice pictures on this thread.

Make the window smaller and higher and use an opaque or frosted glass on it although at that height it shouldn't be a problem.

BTW: I'm building a brand new house and my upstairs guest bath will be the same configuration except it will be a shower only, not a combo shower/tub. Plus it will only be 9.5' x 5.5'.

cpartist, thanks for posting the drawing! What size window are you going to use? And will it be centered in the wall, or will it line-up with the entry door?

mrspete, if we stretch the shower across the width of the room against the outside wall, it really wouldn't be possible to have a window over the shower head. Also, we are not comfortable having a shower head and controls on an outside wall.

crl_, thanks for posting your photo. You seem to have a window frame that matches the vanity. Is the window frame real wood, or vinyl? Just curious.

That is beautiful! Rethinking my plan now, what a great window!

Decided to post a couple of drawings that go with the original photo I posted at the top of this thread. The "Plan" drawing shows what our bath would look like if we tried to squeeze in a shower stall to the left of the current window. It could look kinda funny because the proposed glass on the right hand side of the proposed shower stall would come within a couple of inches of the window sill. Also, if we did this, we would have a cabinet, vanity, toilet, and
shower stall all on the left hand side of the bathroom, with only a long
blank wall on the right hand side!

The problem is you now would only have a 30" walkway between the shower and the wall. Ideally you want a minimum of 3' of space.

What size window are you going to use?

It will be 3' wide by about 15" long.

And will it be centered in the wall, or will it line-up with the entry door?

Centered.

The window itself is vinyl. The interior trim is engineered Quartz--the same material as the countertop--good eye! My GC suggested it. He felt it would be another small protection against leaks as there wouldn't be grout lines like there would be with the tile we used.

This layout with the glass shower wall made the whole bathroom look substanitally bigger. The other house in the neighborhood with the same floor plan went on the market and I saw it in an open house. They had renovated but not move fixtures. I didn't think it was nearly as nice. I was glad I had listened to the kind people here who suggested this layout.

My remodeled bathroom is nearly the same size: 5'10" x 10'6". When I remodeled, I changed the window above the vanity to a long and narrow window inside the shower. I moved the laundry closet upstairs. The window is vinyl and lined with the same stone (Mont Blanc quartzite) that I used on the countertop and shower curb. The tiles are Ann Sacks - wall and floor tiles are porcelain; mosaic tile is ceramic.

I've attached two "before" photos and two "after" photos.

cpartist, we would have a bit more than 30 inches. Wall to Wall is currently 66 inches. The proposed 34-inch wide glass shower stall is actually 30 inches of floor (the minimum in Massachusetts) plus a 4-inch wide curb, so the distance from the glass door to the right wall would be about 34. Also, we might be able to gain an inch or so when the walls are ripped back to the studs and re-done. If not, 30-34 would still allow the glass door to swing, even if it is not the ideal 36. Also, we could put a small storage cabinet in front of and below the window, adding a decorative touch to an otherwise odd little dead-end.

plan2remodel, wow! Huge change, looks great! I can't see the details of the window, but is there a sill, or is it flush with the wall? Also, does the window open? And does your shower have a bench against the right-hand wall?

Leslie,

Thanks. The window is recessed about 3 inches, so that it is flush with the outside wall. It is an awning window (basically, a sideways casement window with the hinges on the top), which I keep slightly open year-round (I'm in Southern California).

I have a bench against the right-hand wall. The bench is about 33" W x 17" D x 17.5" H. I used stone on the surface of the bench and porcelain tiles on the riser, but could have used stone all around. The stone is about 3/4" thick. I considered heating the bench, but GC objected. It is cold sitting on the stone bench.

Just wanted to post some photos I found online of windows that are located just outside of glass shower stalls.

I didn't look to see if it's been mentioned upthread, but it's my understanding that moving a waste line is quite expensive. Personally, I don't think I'd see a huge benefit to the cost of moving plumbing and I'd just make the tub alcove a shower and update all finishes.

The expense of moving plumbing depends somewhat on the construction of the house. If the bathroom is on a concrete slab, that's going to be more expensive than if it is over crawl space or unfinished basement. I don't know how much that specific item was in our renovation, but when we asked our GC to help us get the project (which included a kitchen remodel and some other things) into budget, he never even raised moving the bathroom fixtures as a big ticket item or place to save a lot of money.

As I mentioned above I saw a renovated bathroom with the same layout as mine where they converted the tub into a shower and left everything in place. The room looked ill-proportioned and awkward compared to ours where we moved everything around. Our shower also ended up being a much nicer size to actually use--big enough to not bump your elbows on the walls. From doing various remodels, I just think getting the layout optimized makes the biggest difference in any kitchen or bathroom.

Is this your master bath?

No, this is our common bath.

There is something very unappetizing about opening a bath (or keeping it open) and the first thing you see is the toilet, so whichever way you go, I would move the toilet if you can.

I have a window in the bath/shower area like crl's. The window itself was vinyl, and when we remodeled we replaced the wood sill and all the trim with completely waterproof products from this company: Onyx bathrooms

If you are going to the expense of moving your plumbing stack I believe you will get a lot more bang for you buck by having the shower turned along the narrow wall with a water proof window. As you are planning now you lose both shower space and vanity size and only gain not seeing the toilet from the door. I would rather have your existing plan with five ft of showering room and a very large vanity even if it meant looking at a toilet.

for the amount of moving a stack I would want to gain not lose functionality....

The proposed 34-inch wide glass shower stall is actually 30 inches of floor (the minimum in Massachusetts) plus a 4-inch wide curb, so the distance from the glass door to the right wall would be about 34. Also, we might be able to gain an inch or so when the walls are ripped back to the studs and re-done. If not, 30-34 would still allow the glass door to swing, even if it is not the ideal 36

36" is the MINIMUM. 42" is better. Otherwise it's too tight against a wall. If you're going through the expense of moving the stack, do it right and do as roarah suggests.

cpartist, So you don't think a curbed shower stall 60 x 42 against the exterior wall would be too much floor area? This is a common bath where the shower might get used a few times a week.

I have 36 by 60 tub /shower combo and do not feel it is to small in a hall bath so if you are worried about losing the floor space I think 36 is fine especially for a hall bathroom.

My husband is a big dude and is comfortable showering in a 36x36 stall with a curtain. When he messed up his back we put a shower stool in there and were grateful we installed the showerhead on a grab bar/slide bar. It worked well.

Its such a personal preference. I've only lived in modest homes and tend to pinch pennies, so in a secondary bath I probably wouldn't move the fixtures around.

Ok, let's say we went with a 60 x 38 inch low-curb frame-less glass shower stall with a window against the back exterior wall, similar to my drawing below. The plumbing would probably make most sense if the shower head was located on the left end.

Should we have 60 inches of a frameless glass door & panel? Or should we have about a 30-inch long knee wall to separate the toilet from the shower?

And how about a bench down the right end of the shower? Would it look funny to walk in the bathroom from the hallway, look straight at the exterior wall, and see a shower bench through the glass? Knee walls on both ends of the shower probably wouldn't give us enough room for a shower door.

Any insights or perspective is appreciated!

You'll want a partial wall between toilet and shower for the valves. You want to be able to easily reach in and turn on the water without having to step into the shower or get wet.

I would do sliding glass doors. Sliding glass doors are not like your mothers sliding glass shower doors. LOL. Put the controls to turn the shower on on the right hand side wall.

Here's just one idea for a sliding glass door

Shower Doors, Semi-Frameless, 8mm Clear Tempered Glass, ULTRA-B Collection, Chrome, 56-60"x76 · More Info

I personally wouldn't put in a shower bench. We have one in our shower in NY and I hate it. Sitting on it is like sitting on the toilet seat in the middle of winter when you've been without heat for a week. Plus it's hard too. There are some really nice teak benches that can stay in a shower, and if you need a bench for sitting, that is what I'd do.

One other thought. If you were willing to go with a narrower shower keeping it on the side, why do you need to go wider with it being across the back? My last shower was 3' wide x 6', which included the curb and it was plenty large

benjesbride, one reason for rotating the shower and running it the width of the exterior wall would be to get rid of the existing half wall, which now creates a large dark area by the vanity. If I rotate the shower, I was thinking about putting both the shower head and the controls on the left hand wall. Stepping into the shower to turn on the water is not a big issue and I don't like the idea of having the shower head and the controls on separate walls.

cpartist, thanks for the tip on the sliding glass doors. They certainly have changed over the last 25 years! I understand your point about a shower bench. Maybe a footrest or a couple of curved corner shelves would add a little bit of decor to that end of the shower, even though I doubt the spray from the shower head would reach that far. One question: How wide was the curb on your 3' x 6' shower?

I believe the curb was 5" and the door was fit into the center of the curb? Here's a picture of my shower. I can't give you exact measurements because we sold the condo this past May. Of course in this picture, with the wide angle lens, it's a bit distorted. From the wall near the door to the end of the shower is actually only 3'. From the wall on the left to the end is 6'. In this picture it looks square.

There's a shower at the gym that requires you to stand in the shower to reach the valves and turn the water on. Oh, I hate it. The first water out is so cold. I suppose you could step in, point the shower head at the back wall and turn the water on (at the gym the shower head doesnt move that way) but what a pain to move the shower head at each use. Anyway. I encourage you to rethink that process or maybe even mock it up to make sure you like it.

I will add a spice on the bench -- design element -- comment .....

There are ways to heat the bench and the back wall if someone desires to have the benefits of a warm floor/bench/back wall . It is not only a warm zone for a personal comfort , but a reliable source of drying the shower after its use . I could also mention that tiled or stone benches have also a stable -- solid -- feel to it . But I am biased in tiling the benches :)

Eurocerob, how difficult would it be to add a bench after the fact? In other words, if I wanted to add a bench a year or two after doing the shower, would that be difficult or present any special construction or tiling problems?

Tiling work -- heated bench or waterproofing it should be done before tiles are installed -- . If you try to add a tiled bench to an already tiled shower , not knowing how the interaction in the already tile assembly -- construction layout -- and new bench will evolve , is something I wouldn't recommend .

A stone bench -- stand alone and unattached -- could work . Or a wood bench ...... After tiles are laid , regardless of the timeframe -- a year or more after doing the shower -- .

If a bench is to be attached to the wall , please add -- plan ahead -- the necessary bracing -- reinforcement -- before the walls are closed . It will definitely give you the proper attachment and stability , without headaches .

If you add a heated bench, it should go on the side adjacent to the toilet, with the shower head and valves on the opposite side, regardless of whether you have a sliding door or swing shower door, so that you have easy access to the controls from outside the shower. Another option is a corner "footrest" - such as offered by BetterBench.

In my master bathroom, I have the shower head and controls on opposite walls - I know that you said that you don't like this arrangement. The main advantages are that my arm stays dry when I turn on the shower and it keeps the shower spray inside the shower when the door is open. A side effect is that my pretty shower faucets stay cleaner - keeps the mineral deposits from the spray off my shower faucets. OTOH, I think that the water loses some heat when it travels from the thermostat to the shower head.