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Help with bathroom remodel layout

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

We are hopefully going to update our 19 year old, not really completely finished by the past owner master bath. It has a super tiny shower and a HUGE tub we have never used. We are thinking about taking out the tub and replacing with a nice big shower but are having trouble with the vanity side of the room. Do we go with one vanity with double sinks or do we do separate vanities or just put a smaller linen closet where the shower is? The space is 7.5' x 10'. Any suggestions are welcome!

Featured Answer

User

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

With double sinks, I would not do a vanity smaller than 72". I have 60" and our elbows hit the wall if we try to stand directly in front of the sink. There's also only one 12" drawer stack. A 72" vanity leaves 18" for a linen cabinet, which is wide enough for single stacks of towels. What's more important to you, a lot of linen storage or a second sink?

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Comments (8)

Heather D
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Personally, I would prefer having more counter space than having a double sink. We could always use more storage but aren't desperate for it. I think I am having trouble imagining what it would look like to have one big vanity vs 2 vanities vs a vanity and a linen closet.
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plan2remodel
6 years ago
Heather,

Keeping the same layout, it will look like the 1st design below. You can gain storage by adding a tower on the countertop. But that's not a big shower. It's 50" x 36". The second design below allows for a longer shower, two separate 40" long vanities, and storage space between toilet and shower. But the second design means gutting your bathroom and moving more of the plumbing.

Here are some inspiration photos for a narrow linen closet
Heather D thanked plan2remodel
Heather D
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks for the inspiration plan2remodel! After showering in that tiny shower for a few years, I would love anything bigger! :) The door isn't centered on that wall so there is actually room for a 48 x 48 shower. One of the problems with the room is it isn't a complete blank box. The ceiling drops down 6 to 8 inches oddly in the middle of the room and then slopes with the roof line toward the tub. It makes one side seem small and the other side seem light and airy.
plan2remodel
6 years ago
Heather, The sloped ceiling may be a problem forshower placement. I think that it may not be possible to replace your existing tub with a shower in the same location.

The code is as follows: "Bathrooms shall have a minimum ceiling height of 7 feet except at the center of the front clearance area for fixtures. A shower or tub equipped with a showerhead shall have a minimum ceiling height of 6 feet 8 inches (2032 mm) above a minimum area 30 inches (762 mm) by 30 inches (762 mm) at the shower head."
Heather D thanked plan2remodel
Heather D
Original Author
6 years ago
I wish I could draw a better picture of this room! Any suggestions for an online tool to draw the room? Any way, I went back and measured the ceiling. The ceiling drops 9.5 inches about half way across the room and ends up being 77 inches at the lowest point which is the exterior wall the tub is on.
Heather D
Original Author
6 years ago
May be I should have asked for suggestions how to fix this bathroom. The shower feels tiny and the tub is huge and never used. We have a 48 inch vanity in 50 inch space. The huge tub area was never finished and looks really bad. The cheap vinyl floor is curling..... We would like to limit moving pipes just to keep costs down. Any ideas?!
plan2remodel
6 years ago
It sounds like this will be a big project and your bathroom may not be usable for several weeks during the renovation. Hopefully, you have a second bathroom to use.

I use floor planner for layouts. There's a small annual fee. There are other more sophisticated software tools available. I found floor planner to be the simplest to use.

Keeping the toilet vent in the same location will save on plumbing costs. To get a permit from your city, you will need plans to be submitted by an architect.

Building Code Requirement: "The minimum interior shower size is 30x30 inches or 900 square inches, in which a disc 30 inches in diameter must fit. Recommended: The distance from the centerline of a toilet and/or bidet to any bath fixture, wall, or other obstacle should be at least 18 inches."

Each state and city may have additional code requirements.

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