We are right now doing what you are considering. (Well, our contractor is doing...) We've owned this house for a very long time, and never set foot in the 4th tiny bedroom (really just an office, no closet). But thought we would hurt our property value if we used that office as our closet (our home is our largest asset, so it matters to us if we renovate in a way that lowers value). We live in such a high COL area, we can't move. So we finally decided to (1) add the master closet to the master bath; and (2) put a door from the master bedroom into the office, to make it the new master closet. Turns out in my area it helps value to have a larger master bath and closet - even at the expense of losing the small 4th bedroom/office (tons of homes in my area have this layout). I checked with real estate agents and watched sales for a couple of years to make myself comfortable with this decision. As to layout: similar to your drawing, ours will be 6'x12' with the closet added on). We have a 3.5'x6' shower at one end like your drawing. Left the toilet (saves about $4k in my area, party b/c old house plumbing issues). Then, do a short wall about 30" wide x 42" tall at the shower: (1) have the shower door pivot (both in and out) there, so you can reach the shower valve on the inside of that half wall - no getting wet!); and (2) put the 2nd vanity (30" for us) against your window wall and that 1/2 wall. Your door is at the other 6' end; ours is on the 12' long wall, so a bit different but hopefully this makes sense?! I.e., I think you can fit in two 30" vanities (we have a 30" and 36"), big shower, keep toilet there, and have a huge master closet from your (unused??) bedroom. I personally like the 2 separate vanities vs. a long 60" - and it saved so much for us b/c it kept the toilet in its place - but YMMV. Sorry to ramble! Hope that helps. I'm so thrilled this is happening now to my home, and only wish we had done it a decade ago!PS I, and the real estate market I'm in, prefer a large master bath to large closets if there is a 4th bedroom (as it will get converted to a closet anyway). Of course that varies by market, person, etc... but thought I'd say that as I struggled with this decision for many years.

We own an old Victorian home that was renovated in 2003, at which time the former owners added a TINY master bath and medium-sized walk-in closet to what I think used to be a stairwell. The time has come for an update to the bath at the very least - the shower is crumbling. In the tiny space allotted (6'x6' minus a chunk that is currently taken up by an unused chimney stack), there is no way to change the layout, but I would really love to gain some extra room for a larger shower. The master closet is larger than I probably need it to be, especially if it were renovated and fitted with proper shelving, etc., so I could theoretically steal some space there. The chimney stack is also on the chopping block, but only if removing it is a) possible and not too expensive; and b) gives us useful space in a new layout. I have been trying to get estimates for the chimney removal, but it's like pulling teeth to get appointments. However, I would love some input on the bathroom and closet layout in general, because I really don't know if the chimney stack space is useful no matter what the cost. Here's the current bathroom floorplan, so you can see what I'm working with. And the rest of the second floor, so you can see how the bath fits in (it's the one on the right side of the drawing below). The closet in the guest bedroom (behind the master walk-in) is more than large enough for our needs, so I would be open to stealing space from that closet and the master, or even bumping out into the bedroom behind the toilet, although I think the wall between bath and guest bedroom may be load bearing. Thanks in advance for your advice!

My first collection of comments are related to your revised drawing/plan: As I look at your revised drawing it doesn't look square. You state that the room is 6x6. But even so I think you will only get about 19-20" between vanity and toilet. Unless you got an 18" vanity, which is what I did in my East Bathroom that is 6.5' wide. If you remove the chimney you could put a window there. I've placed a small window in my West Bathroom, that previously was lacking one, and I love it. In my West Bathroom (I show in the last set of pics) I have a cast iron Kohler shower pan that is 36x60", with glass doors (French). I could see you doing something like that in your room. The curb is about 2" finished floor. Easy to get in and out of. The cast iron is a dream to maintain. Even better might be using a 36x48" pan then have 18" to one side for storage, as you can see in East Bathroom pictures, to the left of the tub. The storage could be in the form of pullouts like a pantry, or cabinets with pullouts like mine. They would be deep, so the pullouts would be very helpful for access. If you did cabinets, the lower drawers wouldn't be as deep, to allow for the toilet. The upper ones could be deeper. The plumbing could be housed in that pocket too. I like the idea of moving that closet wall to give you the width you need for the toilet and vanity. My East Bathroom; to demonstrate 6.5' wide room with 27" toilet round bowl, with 18" vanity. The floor tiles are 6x12 to help with floor scale. The pull outs at the tub are not as deep as the 30" tub, due to the toilet in the way, but are great for storage. roughing in: the pullouts, the plumbing is in there too and you can just sort of see the wall mounted tub fixtures. the pullouts come out as far as that door, just to the toilet tank: This toilet is the Toto Promenade in the round bowl. I love this toilet and would recommend it. But I love Nancy's idea of the wall mounted toilet with the tank in the wall. I have a Bidet on it now as you can just slightly see by the toilet lid in the pic above): These second comments relate to the plan where the chimney stays in place: I like the idea of expanding the shower. Here, a Kohler pan 36x48" could work well. One thing I did in my West Bathroom was a long wall niche that allows for a bit more elbow room. Its the only thing I like about having a niche, because they can get bogged down with products and trap water on the shelf, causing mold. I wipe down my shower daily following the showers. Last one to shower gets the honors. Its a quick wipe down of all walls and glass. Floor gets a clean every couple months, if that, depending on the shower load. I haven't had to "clean" my shower in 4 years, because of my daily habit (that I never had before). So glad I adopted this habit, I did not want the ugly mess that my old acrylic shower/tub combo had become. Since your wall is not an out side wall you could put a niche there. I only place 2 bottles of product on that shelf, lol. Any extra go in a basket that sits on the shower floor at the far end. I have a nice clinical shower stool in there too, with a gray seat that matches the floor. Nice to sit once in a while to let the rain shower head run on me. Having your toilet move down into the new expansion would be great. If you could move the wall 18" you could have that left wall become a wall with shallow built in 15" cabinets. Maybe a even a pass through into the closet for some things. It could even have a counter and uppers sort of like a kitchen. My West Bathroom; 5' shower space, with grab bar, niche, Hansgrohe rain shower head and hand held, and Fantech brand exhaust fan with light on the ceiling. The motor is in the attic and split into two locations in the bathroom, on at the shower and the other at the toilet: French doors, allow me to open the whole thing if needed, but I just use one normally: Kohler shower pan, in remodel process. This one has a center drain: Don't forget the exhaust fan, and a gap under your door to allow for make-up air to enter the room so the fan can work at evaluating the moist shower air. Click any photo for enlargement and full view.

Marcy, I am not a pro, but I did build a home a few years ago. A home we once purchased had a very similar layout as yours; it’s called a salt box in our area. With the central stairway, it really does limit your options. Only you can determine what’s right for you, depending on your reasons for renovating, area housing prices, and renovation budget. Now, here comes my opinion, if I did a renovation, I would probably opt to keep it in one area of the rectangle, like the proposed “A” version. Or consider incorporating/losing the dining room to reconfigure the entire kitchen, eating area, mud room, and powder room. In my area, any of these changes would not be financially wise, it would be wiser to sell and move, or redecorate to better enjoy your home. I don’t feel anyone intends to be hurtful in any way, and understand your wish for great customer service. I think you’ve arrived with a very limiting wish list and constrained floor plan, and may have been better served to ask, “What would you suggest to improve my home’s function?” You kinda seem to want a different house and are frustrated with the limitations.