Hi handyhoney! Like you, I'm a lurker and fairly new poster. I think both of your two options look fantastic, but in your shoes, I would go with option 2. I completely understand your not wanting the space cave-like, but I personally do not think that having the wall in question not be glass will make a huge difference. There is no window in the shower area and I'm guessing that the shower area will have its own light, which when you are not showering, will probably be off? In that case, the shower will oftentimes be dimly lit, and visually not add that much more space to the bathroom. I think if you have a reflective tile on that wall, such as polished marble, it will reflect light nicely into the bathroom, giving it a sense of more space as well as defining the tub space, which personally I would prefer over visually melding the shower and tub spaces via a glass wall. There's also the benefit of added privacy in the shower area by having that wall be solid. I stayed in a hotel not three days ago where the bathroom layout including entry was very similar to yours. The wall separating the shower and tub was solid and I liked the zen feeling of being enclosed in this gorgeous shower without having the rest of the bathroom (which was equally gorgeous) to look at. But that's just me :) Alternatively, and you may have already considered this, how about having the wall in question be solid halfway up and the top half glass? You would open up the space as you desire and not have to move the tub plumbing, but this still wouldn't address the shower plumbing. Additionally, the half glass/half solid wall would provide more privacy than an all glass wall and at least for me, be more aesthetically pleasing. That's my two cents, if that :)

Thanks everyone for your responses! techiestar: Great idea on the towel rack, and thanks so much for the photo! Much appreciated catherini: Yes, to tub or not to tub is quite a dilemma. I think I'm going to stick with the tub. Who knows? Maybe someday I'll need to soak with Epsom salts. coolbeans: I agree, I won't do #2. debbiejoy: Totally agree about having natural light in the bathroom. I'm going to switch option #3 around so that the bath is on the other wall. That way, I can have as big a window as I want. (Yes, we are putting a new window in, so we can have whatever size we like.) sandiandjerry: Yikes! I didn't notice that!!! The last thing I need is the bathroom door opening to reveal the (ta da!) toilet. mongoct: Bingo! That is precisely what I'm going to do. - - - - Again, thanks so much. Problem solved! Yaaaaaaaaay for this forum!!! (I don't know how I ever lived without it!)

I sometimes have to use a rollator walker so that I can sit when my knee collapses. Itis bulkier than the aluminum walking frame type walker, and I am a larger person. I can barely get past my walker to get back to the door to close it in my bathroom in the 36 x 60" space in front of my current vanity. Someone using a wheelchair who either cannot stand or needs assistance could never use a toilet room. Anyone needing assistance cannot use a toilet room unless the only assistance they need is someone directly in front of them, helping them to stand. So, it is good that you are not really attached to the toilet enclosure. Another thing to consider, that has been driving me personally crazy for the past 6 months, is how to have a sink that works well for standing and in a wheelchair. I may need one someday, I may never need one. But I am so stiff in the morning that I cannot bend enough to wash both hands at once standing at my current sink, I have to rinse them one at a time. I want a high faucet and a normal height sink. I also want it to be reachable in a wheelchair. So it needs to allow the knees to tuck under the vanity and sink a bit, and not be too high. A normal under mount with a 3 to 4" stone counter in front of it can be hard to reach. I ended up with a semi recessed sink that bellys out in front of the counter and a custom vanity that my contractor and I will design together. Here is the sink.The big front part is out over the edge, and with the single faucet hole just past the bowl, I am hoping it will be reachable. There are so many considerations when you design for disability. Knowing WHAT disability you may eventually need to prepare for is vitally helpful. My arthritic knees need hand rails on both sides of a high toilet, but a person who cannot stand and uses a wheelchair will need that 5 ft radius of empty space around a toilet that the ADA calls for. That "zone of no handholds" would be torture for me! Unfortunately, the ADA does not appear to have classifications for types of disability. I recently discovered that such a thing as Body Dryers exist. They blow warmer air and claim to dry you in less than 5 minutes. The one made for the US, the Tornado Body Dryer (originally made for and sold in Europe, but now with a US version) goes in a corner. They suggest that you put it in your shower to contain the swirling air so that it stays near you and then it also drys the shower.The Valiryo, made in Spain and not having a US version, can be shipped here and they claim you simply hook it up to a 220 circuit to have it working fine. It appears to blow more air and it claims to warm the air more. It also does not need a corner. Both can be installed right in the shower stall, as the working parts are high up, above the shower head. The part below the small upper "head" is all just air tube. Tornado suggests turning it on low as you shower so that it is all warmed up for when you finish. Some people also warm the shower stall with it before they shower. Using one of these adds some luxury to the shower experience, cuts down on the laundry since you are no longer washing towels, and might solve any concerns about a big shower feeling too cold if you use it while you shower. (Or, the blowing air in the shower could just make you feel colder even though it is warm air, simply because it is moving air!) The Tornado is sold to disabled people who cannot dry themselves safely. Valiryo also mentions elders in their sales pitch. They both run about $1500 and require a dedicated 220 volt line. Valiryo is sold in Europe and Asia, aiming for high end hotels, gyms, tanning salons. It drys spray tan quickly. They have huge ones for poolside use by multiple people, too.

I agree with Cpartist"s layout and like moving the closet over as suggested by D M so that bedroom 3 has easier access to the bathroom. Do you have room to have the toilet face the tub and add a linen cabinet next to the toilet? How wide is the tub toilet area?