What are the exact measurements of the interior of your bathroom/closet and toilet area all together? Is it 15'3" x 13'3"? What is the smallest size of the tub and shower you are willing to go? Is a shower bench a must?

I don't like your layout at all. If nothing else, your toilet is next to your bedroom, meaning anytime someone uses the toilet in the middle of the night you'll hear it. Then to make matters worse, you have to walk into the bathroom to wash your hands. It doesn't make logical sense.

And I disagree you can have it all.

I made the shower about 2" shorter in length, the toilet closet 5' long instead of 6' in length and the vanity wider. Your closet is exactly the same size. So is your tub.

I did take out the two rows of hanging clothes as it's not possible as you have it as you have it drawn. Your interior closet is 6' wide. You need 3' of walking space and 2' of hanging space for clothes. What you can put on the opposite wall is 1' of shelving. I added a pocket door for the closet. With a good closet system, you can have plenty of hanging and shelving space.

I made the closet opposite into hanging too but it could just as easily become a dresser for storing folded clothing if you don't want a dresser in the bedroom.

So now you walk past your closets into the bathroom.

You do need to move your hallway door into your bedroom down so it doesn't hit your bed. That is just poor as it is now.

Now you walk into the bathroom, past the vanities and to the toilet. I put in a pocket door but you could put in a swinging saloon door too. Either would work. Then once you get out of the toilet, you walk to the vanities and then out the door.

I didn't play with your windows. I figured you can arrange them however you'd like.

If I subtract 4 1/2" inches for each wall, I think I have 15' vertical and 12' 10" horizontal. That would be inside wall to inside wall.

I really do appreciate that feedback on the vanity. And I like the water closet relocation. Those address 2 concerns that I had. One of the reasons we flipped the closet to the right side, is to avoid having to "turn a corner" in the bathroom.

One other idea I had was to flip the vanity and the tub, and invert the shower position so to suzanne's point the plumbing is at least on an interior wall for the shower. Also, the vanity would grow from 6' to 7', which for a double vanity would be nice.

Do you think this is a bit better?

Trying to move the water closet away a bit...

I drew your 2nd previous layout based on the 15'0" x 12'10" measurements. The tub is too short. If your want 2 rows of hanging space, I would not go less than a 6'6" deep closet.

Also, I believe most houses allow for plumbing on the outside walls but I know some don't. I don't know about your house. If you are not sure, I would check with your architect.

What is the smallest size of the tub and shower you are willing to go? Is a shower bench a must?

I moved your bedroom door a bit towards the south wall but I think you should move it all the way down.

Thank you both, I really appreciate the thought and having the measurements, really helps to visualize where to give. I was thinking of 60" for the tub. I could make it a freestanding if need be. Thinking back to cpartist's comment, I think I need to give up the short wall as hanging, and convert that to dresser or shelving only.

Any extra space I might gain by doing that, I could use to widen the shower. Then when I flip vertical, voila! The water closet is further away.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the thought and time today.

I put windows in front of the shower but you obviously need privacy. There are ways to keep the space private while keeping some natural light. The shower is long enough, it does not need a door.

Standard closets are 24" deep. These accept any clothing from winter jackets to sleeveless summer blouse. If you intend to put only indoor clothing in your closet, you should be ok with 1'9" even though that more is better.

In a space as small as yours having the closet inside the bathroom is not good IMO. How will you keep the clothes from getting moist?

And you seem to miss the point that you cannot have a closet 6' wide and have hanging on both sides. That only gives you 2' to walk in between the clothes. And yes you can get away with 19" like suzanne says IF you don't have any suit jackets, etc. And if neither of your are extra tall or wide.

And I don't understand the concern about turning the corner in the bathroom?

For cpartist, you are right. I got caught up in not having
an extra door in the bedroom (small bedroom too). But, that was causing several
other issues. So, back to closet access
from the bedroom. I could increase closet to 6’6” (wide) and 6’ (deep). Then, I
could tuck a pretty decent sized shower back there. And perhaps make less of a corner.

For Suzanne_m, I don’t know if I could do a narrow-wise
shower. I flipped the shower and water closet, and then I flipped the vanity
and tub (maybe it could go either way). It’s a little choppy, but I think there’s
5’ now between each element. Maybe the walk-in is hanging on the top wall, and the opposing wall is just 1' shelving.

Actually, I prefer the layout I drew mainly because the vanity is long enough to put two towers where the left tower can have an electrical outlet inside. I don't have a tower sitting on my vanity at home but I would love it to hide my electric toothbrush plugged at all time and store a handy hair dryer, daily creams and hair products. This all contributes in keeping the vanity counter clutter free. The 2 towers give you a lot of storage which means you don't need a separate cabinet.

If you look at the floor plan, you only have 2 ft of only 3'1" wide walkway (that is only one step). The space in front of the shower is also only a walkway as I think most people will dry themselves inside that long shower and then go directly in front of the vanity or in the closet. I believe you would find a 3'6" wide shower quite spacious. The shower may look narrow but that is only because it is very long. I believe I saw that your initial shower was 3'2" wide.

A 6'6" wide x 6'0" long closet with hanging space on the 3 walls gives you only 15'0" of hanging space where 4'0" of them are hard to access because of the corners. Imo, corners in closet are inefficient.

EDIT: I forgot that the south wall was an exterior wall. I would place the windows above the tub instead of beside the shower. This would also give you a nice reflection in your vanity mirror.

I like suzanne's version except that I find such a long shower wasteful of space. I had a 3' x 6' shower in my condo and it really was 1' too long. It could have been about 6" wider, but not longer. Our new shower will actually finish out to 5' x 40" and it's plenty spacious for myself or 2 of us.

Actually i sort of like Najeebeh's idea. You could make the bedroom and the bathroom just a bit larger.

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On
this one, I changed the shape of your vanity so your sinks are in the widest
part on the bathroom since that is where there is the most activity and you need
more space to move around. Reducing the depth of the counter in front of the shower gives more floor space in
that area while the shallower part close to the door allows you to stand
further away from an opening door that swings towards someone standing in front
of the left sink.

EDIT:

The number 4'7" in the shower should be 4'4" instead. The space in front of the shower/WC is 3'4" x 3'0".

I just realized that the cabinet could be recessed in the closet wall and the two 9" x 1'6" counter top of the vanity could be changed 9" x 1'3". This would enlarge the space in front of the/shower toilet by 3". Also the sinks could be a little more apart. This would give you wider drawers in the middle of your vanity.

Suzanne_m, I think you've been right on about the vanity tub placement. I actually just turned in 2 options to our architect for final, but both are basically going to have the vanity opposite the tub.

Here's the first:

And your second, but maybe bumping back the wall a bit, just to give us a bit more floor space and doing only one side hanging.

I really appreciate your perspective on this! What a change for us in 24 hours!

If
possible I try to avoid corners in closet because the clothes at the
intersection are hard to reach. I drew the closet of your layout above. A
1'0" corner of clothes is not the best but at least it is better than
1'9" deep corner.

I put a
2'0" wide door in the WC because with a 2'6" door, you would need to stand too close to the
toilet in order to be able to close it. Even 2'0" door is not the
best but in this configuration you can't replace it by a pocket door.

As you can see, a pocket door in your closet as drawn in your layout above does not help. It makes the space more cramped and gives you less length of easy access to the clothes. You can have the pocket door but just run one row of clothing in the back.

If you are willing to go with only one row of hanging space, the previous layout I drew could look like this:

I can understand that the walkway to access the closet in the layout above is narrow. If you are willing to lose some storage in both the closet and the bathroom, you can put your closet door right by the entrance of the bathroom door. The space behind the vanity is just a bit shy of 4'0". I think it is acceptable:

Ok Najeebah and Suzanne_m. this one's for you. Master closet has clothes hanging on the top wall only. I think the closet is 5' now. Turn the toilet sideways, and if measurements are correct, I end up with 4.5' feet between vanity and water closet, over 6' feet between a 42" shower and 64.5" closet (includes interior wall), and 4.375' between any pinch where the vanity and shower overlap.

Could this be it... ?

This is close to what you explained with some minor additions/changes. I suggest that you run the hanging space all the way to the back wall. The way you have it in your layout above makes the access to what is on the shelves in the corners hard to reach.

I added a tower on the vanity. It takes more counter top space but at the same time you have more storage to hide non decorative elements such as tooth brushes etc.

Najeebah - no hanging clothes along the width. For our schedules, we are a-ok with closet in the bathroom.

suzanne_m - you are a pro. you nailed it. I think I'm going to widen the shower to 42", and have a bit smaller freestanding. I just told our architect to scrap the earlier designs and went with what we drew up. I told him to make it final.

I am truly floored. Suzanne_m, najeebah, cpartist... you are all tremendous contributors and I thank you (x1000) wherever you might be right now!!! How do we get you some "PRO" tags? Thank you

I would suggest a frosted french cafe door for your closet. This way the door stay closed at all times and it easy to open when you need it.

I would also rotate the tub so so have a view of the vanity and a closed door closet. If you widen the shower (and the WC), I would make the closet 4'9" instead of 5'0".

The location of the towel bar for the shower is not practical if you have a door. I would mount the towel bar on the shower glass door for easy access.

You could make your shower doorless but then you won't be able to put a bench a the end (a corner bench could work).

I would also do a frosted door on the toilet closet to let more light in. That's what we did in our condo and what we're also doing in our new build.

I like the new layout overall. However I am no fan of having to walk into the middle of the bathroom to get to the closet. I think I would be ok with it near the door to the bedroom, but not where it is now. I would also be worried about it becoming a moisture problem where it is. I can't see a way to completely moisture proof the closet.

Honestly, if I saw a house with a master closet in the bathroom, it would be a huge negative to me as a buyer.

Suzanne_m and cpartist, is a frosted glass panel version of
the attached, what you envision for the doors:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/bethesda-master-bathroom-beach-style-bathroom-dc-metro-phvw-vp~11113633

Your comments address a concern that came up with light in the room. As
the top wall is closest to our neighbor’s house (darker), and the right and bottom walls
are yard facing, with more natural light (lighter).

I think frosted glass is a great idea for the water closet.
I also suggested a window transom for the shower to our architect if we needed
more light still along the bottom wall.

Suzanne_m, I think the towel bar placement is great where it
is. I was thinking the shower door could swing towards the bathroom, rather
than towards tub, and then the tower bar would be in the right spot?

Surfsuhp, there are several different versions of frosted panels where you can only see shapes or color through. You need to test them. This is what I had in my condo I sold. It was frosted. You can barely make out the haze of the toilet inside.

The toilet closet was on the right. The door was a saloon type door that swings both in and out. That is safer for a toilet closet because if something happens, someone can still get in to help.

I believe that a shower door must not open towards the inside of the shower. Below is how I visualize your shower door. You can always get out of your shower completely then close the door than grab the towel but as you can see it is not practical. That is why I suggested the towel bar mounted on the door but even that I am not liking it that much. I think a hook between the toilet and the shower would be better.

I like the idea of the frosted glass for both the toilet and the closet.

Just wondering - in all these plans, are people allowing for the subtraction of drywall, molding, etc., in their measurements?

I ask because I noticed some of these plans have a 2' door? About 10 yrs ago I fell outside and ended up with a compound leg fracture. I used a walker for almost two months. I could just barely get the walker through a standard 32" door.

To go to as much trouble as you're going to, but not allow for at least a minimum amount of universal access, seems to me to be overlooking the realities of life.

Our own MBa is 6x13. Standard 6' double sink because going longer costs extra for both cabinets and countertops, and wasn't worth it. One tower cab for spouse holds a ton of stuff; no need for a linen closet (for which a wall niche works just fine). Sink cabs hold the rest. We prefer showers so the tub is in the 2nd bathroom on the main floor. We have two niches in the shower and should have done three.

Plus, we overlooked safety bar installation, which was just plain dumb. I regret it to this day.

I believe that a shower door must not open towards the inside of the shower.

My shower door was also a saloon type that swung in or out.

I ask because I noticed some of these plans have a 2' door?

I missed that! I would like jakkom suggests, make all doors a minimum of 32" wide. In my new build all my doors are 36" wide.

I am curious to know where you see 2'0" doors. Other than the layouts I drew with my software which shows 2'6" doors no other layouts mentioned the size of the doors. Did I miss something?

In the last layout, the shower door is 3'0" and you can widen any other doors.

The only thing I should mention in the layouts I drew is that you should allow for a 4.5" thick walls not 4". My software draws them 4" by default and I don't know how to change that. Also I think you need to allow for a 4.75 thick wall when a pocket door is sliding inside.

suzanne, even a 2'6" door is still a bit narrow for someone with a walker. I don't think it was a diss on you, but just to make the OP aware they should increase the door sizes to at least 32".

That's right Njeebah, I just saw the 2'0" in the 2 posts stamped yesterday at 11:17 and 11:27 am.

I agree, you have room to make your doors wider, I would do it.

I like cpartist's idea to have a shower door that opens both ways. I think that what is not to code is when the shower door opens only inward but I am not completely sure. I just heard a Houzzer saying that a shower opening inward is not code.

Suzanne that's good to know about the shower door. Even if there's no code, I still think it's a good idea to have it open out for the same reason you want a door to a toilet closet to open out. If you ever fall, or have a problem while on the toilet or in the shower, if it opens out, help can get to you.

Sheesh the things I've learned here on houzz

I have truly appreciated all your help in getting our project off the ground. Although it is the holiday tomorrow, we haven’t heard from our architect since last Thursday. We originally engaged our architect in February, and it will have been 5 months in the design phase of a 500 sf addition, which basically adds a master bed and bath.

For context, it was supposed to take 4 weeks to get through design and on to construction documents. Instead, it has taken us 5 months. It took 4 weeks to provide an initial 2-story design which we liked, then 4 weeks to realize that he hadn’t accounted for the city setback and redesign a 2-story we didn’t like, 3 weeks to deliver a 1-story design without a setback (but that didn’t have a layout that worked), 2 weeks to redraw a drawing that I sent over. I pretty much thought we were done on May 25 and off to construction documents, but used all the extra time this past month to get the bathroom right.

Is this typical of the design process? It seems to be taking longer than anticipated, given the scope of work. I still don't think we are on to construction documents, and he indicated this could take another 3 weeks. Appreciate your thoughts on whether this experience is common.

I only added a hundred sq feet above an existing single story side sunroom with adequate existing setbacks and foundation and it still took from first initial meeting with GC and architect in November 2015 until August 2016 to use my new bathroom. A lot of the delay was on us too. Could not finalize wants quickly on my part and had a major personal crisis one week after we tore off the existing roof that needed two operations and weeks of hospitalization.

Some other delays were weather related and we had the slowest tiler in the world.

I do think you do not want to rush this. For the time, money and inconvience you are putting out you want it to be perfect which means lots of time planning. I know you are anxious but honestly a year after ours was done I no longer remember the worst of last summer and the bathroom was worth it.

surfsuhp - I have two bathrooms to remodel, so occasionally read this forum. Comparing your original layout to the most recent ones, I can only commend you on the improvements I see. With respect to your '....this could go on another three weeks...' please think about how this may apply to your kitchen and other areas of the house. I can see that this may add months to the process with hopefully a much improved end result. Having gone through a major remodel a few (5+) years ago, I may (and do) question my finish choices (my choices) , but have zero regrets over the highly functional layout with which the forum helped tremendously. (Said differently, these are the 'pat yourself on the back' solutions because you fixed a problem or optimized a space' solutions). I'd highly suggest you post each layout, and solicit input. Kitchen, closet, etc. A year from now, do you want a space which is complete/finished/DONE or one which is functional and attractive? For example, step through how you would make an omelet (pancakes/scrambled eggs/oatmeal). Where are the pans, ingredients, plates in your kitchen layout. Best of luck, oldbat2be

Thank you for giving me the patient pill... it helps to get feedback on the design process, and that some back and forth is expected. I didn't realize how much I'd have to contribute (and then rely on houzz for).

Going back a few comments, suzanne mentioned a frosted glass door to the closet. I don't forsee going into the closet and then closing the door behind me. Is there a benefit to a frosted glass closet door, other than aesthetics? (I understand the glass water closet door because that is opposite the window).

Hi all, it's been 2 weeks since I turned in our design to the architect, and he hasn't responded yet. I am trying to be patient, but he did say he would have construction documents available to submit to the city next week.

In the meantime, I realize that I have been working with him room by room. Lately, I have noticed the result is that we have created 3 different adjacent room lengths (top to bottom) in the house. For example, Bedroom B was sized to match Bedroom A, the master bathroom was widened based on this thread, and then the master bedroom falls in between. Do you think this layout just looks funny to me on paper, and might actually be ok? Should I be trying to line up the wall with Bedroom B (making it 13' and a bit small), or bathroom (making it 15' and squeezing the family room)? Or should I make the Family Room square, and then just have a flush wall with the master bed and bathroom (there would be a small jog then in the master bedroom).

Thank you.

Suzanne_m, Naj, and CP – Not sure if you are still following
this thread, but our work was recently completed and our especially talented
designer (Irene Lovett) just took some photos, and I thought you’d be
interested to see how all your input came to life. A long way from the initial post, that's for sure!

All credit to our interior designer, Irene Lovett of
designstiles, for completing this bathroom. For more info, please see her link
at: https://www.houzz.com/pro/designstiles/designstiles

That is pretty amazing! I'd love to see the rest of your remodel. Nicely done.

Outstanding! A beautiful space - you must be so pleased!

Also, so awesome to see the ‘after’ especially given all the great back-and-forthing on the thread :)

OMG...what an improvement from your first post! It's gone from being awkward, with a poor use of square footage, to sensational. Thanks for the update.

Hi, I'm still here Surfs! Been a while, and a very productive while on your side I see.

Impressive work, thanks for sharing the update!