Hi Gerry, thanks for the feedback! I am not crazy with how closed-in the bath feels with the closet walls breaking up the space currently. I think the cabinetry and finishes are quite in poor condition so would need to be replaced anyway. Tub is kind of that yellowing acrylic variety too. So I figure if I am going to replace, I might try to reconfigure to open up the space more too. Taking out some of the closet walls shouldn't be too bad because they are not load-bearing. I haven't looked into the extra cost of moving the plumbing around though. I think the biggest cost would be for moving the toilet. There are already plumbing fixtures along the walls already, so I think moving a sink or showerhead a few feet won't be too bad, but would love to hear from others if this is more expensive than I think!

thank you!

Your budget will have a lot to do with determining your floor plan. If you wish to spend less than 30k everything will most likely need to stay as is and you can change out fixtures and finishes. If you do not mind spending above 60k moving the walls and toilets are maybe possible.

If it were my house and I had three college tuitions looming in the next decades I might live with the layout as is and make it prettier. Actually I would most likely live with it as is and invest my extra cash. I did just do a masterbath addition but that was because my house had none. Even though it was something I feel was very much wanted and for resale purposes expected I still have buyers remorse when I think of how that money would have covered two years tuition at a state university.

Labor costs are local but the big expense items, vanity, tubs, cement board, waterproof material, fixtures, and tile are pretty standard. Nationally, bath remodel costs are 20k for small modest remodels to over 60k for larger bathrooms. These are national averages. Return of investment is nationally below 50percent for remodels.

A couple of ideas - both bump out that angled corner in the bottom right of the current closet.

nancy, thanks! i think your reasoning for not wanting the separate room for the toilet makes a lot of sense. we are ok with just a wall too, so i think we will proceed with that idea.

roarah, thanks for the input on budgets. we got the house knowing it is a fixer upper. the only three projects that we really want to do is the master bath and the kitchen and improving the exterior. I think it will add some value to the house going forward. We know it is not our forever home, but will be our home for 15 years. We will most likely want to downsize after that once our kids go to college. I think it would be worth it to make it nice for ourselves to enjoy during that time. That said, spending 30k would be immensely better than 60k! we were thinking to save money buy buying our own materials and GC'ing it ourselves. Hopefully that will be reflected in some savings.

Jani, thanks, I haven't engaged any designer just yet. I am just doing some preliminary ideas. I like to play around with things on my own and figuring out what I like and don't like before calling in a pro.

Damiarain, thank you for the ideas! I like bumping out that corner. it does make the closet much nicer. I will also consider getting rid of the tub to gain more space. We don't use tubs often, but it always seems to be a selling point to a lot of people, which is why I included it. And they look so nice, but they do add a lot of cost too.

This is completely unacceptable. Scrap that idea immediately. If you need to expand space? It can not intrude into the nook like a tumor.

Hi Sophie, thanks for the input. that wall is actually existing. do you think we should cut it back? it is about 5 feet.

That is original? Yeesh. That’s got to be fixed if you’re doing renovations. It has to either go in the bathroom, with the tub there, or in the bedroom. No half and half as currrnyly exists. That’s just too awkward and limiting for any space planning.

As you enter our bedroom the corner is clipped much like yours. I would hate to have that squared off as it really opens up the area. Where do you approach your bedroom from and would the corner being squared off matter?

Do you need the bath tub? To me that would be one way to cut costs. You have another bath nearby. I like the first floor plan you did but just have a bench or open area where the tub is.

I would make the wall next to the toilet a full wall. This gives a degree of privacy and allows for space for towel bars and electricity.

Ditch the tub and do like Sophie suggested.

Sophie, I agree it is awkward from the nook side. Inside the bath you don't notice it since everything is narrow and angular there, lol.

RNmomof2, I know what you mean by having the clipped corners making the feel more open. That corner is where the master enters the hall to the rest of the bedrooms, so it is probably not worth the extra storage by squaring off the corner for the sake of loss in visibility and openness there.

cpartist, I am still debating on losing the tub. We are not regular tub users, mostly used for bathing my dog, but in our area, a 5-piece bath (toilet, tub, 2 sink, shower) is a big selling point in a master suite. So not sure if we should risk the loss in resell value 15 years down the line.

I played around with clipping the corner in the nook.

Let me know what you guys think!

Plan 1: separated the closet from the bath

Plan 2: moved the tub to the clipped nook area. if i put the tub there, i would have to clip the corner of the nook more to have a wide enough wall for the tub.

Michoumonster, if the master suite opens into the hall through the double doors near the stairs, what does the door by the nook open onto? I see windows above the tub and the children's toilet, so it seems that it is the outdoors deck?

I look at the corner where Sophie circled and think that the corner does not bother me nearly as much as the swing on the door. The door swings right into the nook. I would rather keep the wall and corner in place and reverse the door, putting it on the other side so that it swings along the wall that Sophie so despises. Then the furniture in the window nook area is undisturbed by the door opening, and the door has a place to rest when open that is not in the way of anything else. The little space behind the door can hold anything that you might take out onto the deck with you and have to bring back in, instead of leaving it out there - terry-covered soft cushion or umbrella for the sun, that sort of thing.

In a way, the despised wall also provides a bit of privacy of view from others who may be out on the deck, so perhaps it serves a purpose? The sight lines in your revised layout (just above) show how wide-open the bedroom would be with the wall gone.

How do you feel about the corner? I do not feel that either of the new layouts are better than before. I also agree with Nancy that removing Sophie's wall really opens up the bedroom and maybe not for the better. How does the master work for you now?

I am confused with the first layout where the water would be in the shower? If it is on the wall with the vanity, then you would be in the shower when the water is turned on. I would not like that at all.

In the second drawing I would not like to walk thru the closet to get to my bath.

A cheap and easy redo would be to remove the huge corner tub and replace it with a smaller tub along the wall. Knock the linen closet out and straighten out that wall. This gives more hanging space in the master closet, put in some shelves for a "linen' area. Up date your finishes and there you go, a new bath!

Nancy, you are correct that outside is a walkway that goes to the deck. I do see what you mean about the wall giving more privacy.

RNmom, thanks! I think regarding the water in the shower, you can make it work by putting the shower controls at the entrance to the shower but place the showerhead on the vanity wall or in the ceiling towards the back.

I am inclined to leave that nook wall since it is one less wall to take out. It does open up the space a lot to remove it, so I see Sophie's point. I think if I take out just the closet walls inside the bath and leave the outside as it is, it would be a little less framing and demo and the functionality would still be much improved. I will play around with leaving the location of fixtures in their relative same positions to see. I do want to move the toilet to give more room to the closet though.

thanks! new plans coming for your review :-)

Ok, how about this. Place new tub along wall as I suggested before. Close off door to closet. Remove linen closet, put new door to closet in where linen closet had been. Not sure of dimensions but hanging rod could go perhaps on both sides or at least the shower side and shelving units on the bedroom side. This probably doubles actual storage space in closet. It might even be worth it to square off that angled wall in the master closet for shelving or additional hanging. It would leave a void in the wall but it could be a "safe" for hidden storage.

mulder2001, what if I put a door on just the closet?

i am leaning towards no door on toilet just because it does feel a little claustrophobic...

Rnmom, so is this what you had in mind? it does require a lot less work.. by replacing the tub i get a larger shower and more vanity space. i am not sure i can do a wider shower though because of the door on the toilet. i would like to try to get at least a 48" wide shower.

what do you guys think of this plan as well?

i the tub and shower stay in their old places. i build a new wall for vanities adn move the toilet to give the closet more continuous hanging space

Ok I like the second plan. Definitely more cost and time but it is nice. Doors swing into walls, privacy at the toilet.

In the top plan, I imagined the closet door more centered where items could be on both sides of the closet at the entrance to it. I would also change the swing on the door to the bathroom from your bedroom so it does not open into the vanity but goes back along the closet wall.

I agree that the door to the toilet is probably not needed. We have a similar set up and it is rarely closed. The long wall opposite the shower now gives you room for towel bars too.

Thanks RNmom, i think the plan is growing on me. The vanity area is a little shorter, but I much prefer a larger shower to a longer vanity. DH slightly prefers the toilet facing the window so he can look out, but i think it is better to be more private, lol.

As you age, you will appreciate the proximity of the toilet in that last plan. It seemed like a looong haul to get to it in its original position! Our Smaller Homes have their advantages sometimes! (we have a forum here for Smaller Homes)

Since you have the room, you may wish to slide the tub out a bit toward the toilet. Many tubs have a sloped back wall, so having clear access to the side wall to enter the tub will make it easier to get in and out. Maybe center it under the window and see if it gives enough room there. Where it is now, the person stepping in will be barely to the end of the sloped portion in a lot of tubs where they will be stepping into the tub.

In that same plan, is the closet hanging run that is on the other side of the wall from the vanity deep enough to hold hanging clothes? If not, it can be a tall wall of folded storage, shoe storage, cubbies of all sorts. Even luggage would be convenient to store way up high on a bank of shelves. Seasonal bedding, too. So don't worry if you can't get the closet deep enough for two rows of hanging clothes. You could also plan on vacuum bagging off-season clothes and stacking them on the storage wall to cut down on what has to hang.

I like this and your original plan both. I also like Damiarain's plans, but could understand you not wanting to make the entrance to your room squared off and losing a sink. I have found that hubby and I use one sink. The other sink tends to hold dirty socks and nightshirts! If your buyers are wanting that five piece master bath, though, you have to offer it. Spacious hanging space on both sides of the closet does look awfully inviting, though!

I played around woth your space. You can edit the bathroom/closet size and exact layout, toilet separate or not, etc, but solve the odd angled wall. It's odd indeed, and this is the time to fix it. To have a squared off bathroom, you will need a dead space. (In red below)

You can mirror the bump out. Not add another odd different angle, but make the 5-sided bump out a 6-sided space. This is what's shown below
You can alternatively reduce the bathroom in length, and have the (left most) wall of the bumpout continue down, but of course, that reduces the bathroom size

Najeebah, thank you! that is a brilliant idea! I never thought of adding wall to get rid of the bumpout. it is both more cost-effective to do that and i still get a decent sized bath. thanks again!

Nancy, thanks! i think i could shrink the closet more and only have one long row of shelving to get a bigger bath, but i agree having some narrow shelving would be useful for folded clothes and pants hangers. very insightful on toilet proximity.

I'm glad it helps, let us know your thoughts on layouts. I do find one wall for the walk in sufficient, but yes, narrower shelving can work well if you need more. Also quite easy to pack and access things.

Is there enough space behind Najeebah's wall to make that triangular dead space into a small linen closet? Yes, it is outside the bath, but it could hold overflow of TP or kleenex boxes, or odds and ends you don't use that often.

You could do that Nancy, yes, and rotate the toilet. The space is sizeable. I'd suggest that however you do, shelving, doors, etc, close it off in line with the walls, not further recessed.

I was thinking to just make the cabinet opening outside in the new wall, so as to not add cost by cutting into the existing wall. This was for overflow storage.

I think that is a great idea. I can see doing a decorative lighted niche in the nook outside and some good shelves for toiletries inside the bath.

Ah I see what you both mean. I don't recommend any niche or opening on the side of the bump out; keep that simple, mirrored down the centre. Angles are tricky enough alone, let's not open the worm can more than we need to.

It's a good idea though to have the wall on the inside (just behind the toilet as shown) function for some storage.

Again keep in mind the exact bathroom layout can be changed from that