cpartist, how come? Is there a reason for this from a layout/functionality standpoint or do you just prefer that stylistically?

Currently, the bathroom is a full bath, with a single sink. There is a small single sink/vanity where the linen shelves would go, and the space where the double sinks are in my drawing, is actually my DH's closet space, which we are stealing from, to add double sinks in there. Also, the door is centered between the sink and the toilet. I may or may not move the door over, with the remodel. Believe it or not, this small bathroom layout, is currently even smaller!

Your sketch is way out of scale, and doesn't take into account clearance spaces.

I take it the toilet is mounted on the same wall as the door?
A toilet is roughly 2,5ft. You need roughly 2 feet of clearance in front of it (free space)
That gives a total of 4,5ft. You have just under 8ft along that wall.
So the double vanity, as shown, has about 3,5ft...

You're better off skipping the tub combo for a standing shower, and having a single vanity.

Thanks, Najeebah. The toilet is mounted to the wall that is perpendicular to the door, not the same wall. It's mounted to the wall that has the double sinks. Most codes require 15 inches (measured from the center of the toilet). So that means if I have a 60" vanity with double sinks, I have 34" for the toilet.

I currently have a tub/shower combo in this bathroom with a single sink, so I'd like to at least keep the tub/shower combo, since I enjoy taking baths. I'm hopeful I can do a 60" vanity with double sinks as well.

I would 86 the double sinks and opt for the counter space and extra interior storage . Double sinks in sixty inches always seem tight to me and the room size really is too tight for two person occupancy.

In my heart of hearts I know you're right, Roarah. For a house with two small bathrooms, I guess I was just really hoping to have at least one bathroom feel a bit more luxurious, like a 'master'. Any suggestions for a vanity that offers ample counter space with only a single sink? I was hoping for a slate blue vanity... I was really hoping for two mirrors and sconces, and that whole look... *sigh*

More sinks ≠ luxury. Interstate rest stop bathrooms have more sinks. Just because you only have a single sink doesn't mean it can't be luxurious. That's a function of quality and finishes more than space.

ETA I haven't commented on your plan because I don't understand the drawing. Why are there shelves in the doorway?

I'd also lose the double vanity. Two people in that space will be tight.
And are you set on a tub? A shower is often more convenient, and you do have another tub.

So I've got some options, to scale.

*****1*****

Here's what I'd do. Decent sized everything, and a sizeable standing shower. You could have the sink moved towards the wall, for a mirror above, next to the window (not indicated)

*****2*****

Here's what you'd proposed, with one sink. I particularly dislike walking into a bathtub upon entering a bathroom.

*****3*****

Here's the change cp suggested. Considerably better, you could do this, but I wouldn't advise it. The narrow long space between the bath and vanity, just not ideal

*****4*****

The vanity rotated, this gives a much more user friendly open space. Like with the first option, you could shift the sink over to the side.

*****5*****

I wouldn't do this either, but here goes. leaves a smaller (I think 2'6") vanity, simple plumbing.

*****6*****

The above with the tub shifted; you could extend the counter. Not the best design of a counter, but from experience, I know this setup does work

Here's what I mean by shifting the sink along. This shows the window location and size to scale too. You still have a comfortable space for the sink. The clearance space is indicated by the arrow.

I love this single sink, mirror sconce setup! Or you could do a full glass with the sconces drilled through the mirror, I love that look!

Like Najeebah showed, a single sink doesn't always have to be centered. I have designed vanities with an off center sink to get more counter/storage space to one side.

Option #1 is really the best. You could tile the whole wall above the vanity and use really nice lights/sconces for a "luxury" look.

Najeebah has the best layout with her first or last one. I too would nix the tub if you have a tub elsewhere in the house.

With window over vanity:

Wellesley Farmhouse · More Info

Man's Vanity · More Info

So sorry for the delayed response, I had an extremely busy workload with my job. I have poured through all of your suggestions and that that last layout that Najeebah so generously took the time to mock up, is my best option. And with the inspiration pic from Mayflowers (love that first vanity!) I’m able to see that it could still feel like a luxurious bathroom. I might even come to appreciate having the vanity facing the window with all the natural light that it will provide and it will give me a beautiful view to look out upon while getting ready. I also get to keep my bathrub.

However, with this layout, I lose the linen storage. Do you think there would be any space available for a small piece of furniture or shelves for half dozen towels or so? I suppose a train wreck or the toilet could accomplish that, But with three messy boys in the house, I’m not sure I trust clean towels left above the toilet. :0

I don't like towels left out. Research "toilet plume" and you'll see why.

Wouldn't you have a fairly wide drawer base in that last layout? The two bottom drawers would be your deep drawers and one could hold towels.

Just for layout, not design at all (it's very period-specific) you might look at this bath:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/vintage-apothecary-bathroom-craftsman-bathroom-new-york-phvw-vp~19569096

There are floor plans linked to the right of the large photo.

It's the same length as yours but about a foot wider, which means you wouldn't have room for the free-standing cabinet, but you could do a wall cabinet or shelves. See the first question on that page; there are pics in there of someone who copied the design into a bath smaller than yours but managed to get in shelving opposite the sink. And of course you would have a vanity instead of a console, which will give you more storage.

In-wall shelving or a semi-recessed cabinet might be another option, depending on your wall situation.

I'm not sure I like the vanity against the tub. Water concerns for the vanity and it would be difficult to turn on the shower.

I think option 3 could work if you do a 19 inch deep vanity. The vanity could also be longer. (Still do one sink and drawers on either side.) You could hang a couple towels under the window and a couple behind the door.

Rebecca, by "last" do you mean the one in the second post, not the one numbered 6?

For more towel storage than the vanity will offer, you can move the door further from the wall it opens against (perhaps change the swing too) and have a narrow cabinet against the wall. I'm not at my pc at the moment to depict this, but I hope the meaning is clear.

Karenseb, you do have a valid concern about the ability to turn on the shower. I was thinking to solve the water next to the vanity issue by putting in one of those glass shower screens next to the vanity, creating even more of a problem turning on the water, so I was going to move the plumbing valves to the side wall (the valves for turning on the shower do not have to be on the same wall as the shower head). My first thought was, "I wonder if the long wall of the shower is an outside wall?" That is when I remembered the window. And the shower head. On the same OUTSIDE wall. Living in Michigan this is not a possible set-up. Unless this bathroom is in the far South, this shower cannot go where it is sitting, with the shower head where it is situated. Ceiling mounted rain head, anyone?

Back in the GardenWeb days I could click on the OP's name and probably find her gardening zone listed, which would tell us if she could have plumbing on an outside wall! There are a few shortcuts I miss!

I went to the reveal of the other bathroom and learned that Rebecca is in the Northeast, so that shower and vanity may NOT have plumbing on the wall with the window and we must learn if either long wall in the bathroom are outside walls.

Rebecca, It seems that we are back at your original configuration, which was confusing. Where does the current tub/shower water come from? Is there a wet wall built in front of where you have the door drawn and the shower head is mounted on that? Is the tub really only 25.5" wide or is it partially in front of the window? Just where is the door currently?

Can you put what rooms are on the other sides of the walls? I am trying to put your tub/shower in place and running into trouble fitting the toilet, door, and the end of the shower all on the same wall, so I want to move your door to the long wall over in front of the window. That would allow you to have the shower across from the toilet and the vanity next to the toilet. But for all I know, I have you walking out of the bathroom into the back yard, into a closet, or into the kid's room instead of into the bedroom.

If you make the vanity shallower, there is more space between the tub
and the vanity. It is much easier for two people to move around in that bathroom
space. Also, once you start looking at 18" deep vanities, you move into
modern and European design. The advantage of that is they know that
space is at a premium, life is never optimal, and that sometimes you
have to squeeze a second sink into a 60" vanity! Heck, Europeans will
put a second sink in a 48" vanity. The second sink may not be
comfortable used everyday by a couple standing side-by-side discussing
their coming day, putting finishing touches on their grooming together,
but I have a feeling that you do not live that sort of life. If you
want to wash your hands without interrupting hubby's shaving, a
Euro-configured tight double vanity should do the trick. Or the slick
trick of using two faucets on one trough sink would work, too. That
even leaves you space for some counter top! So peek at some of these options. And let us know where the options are for moving that door. Remember that you can always make the door a pocket door or have it swing outward into the hall or other room.

Here are some 18" deep vanities to see from Signature Hardware.

Here are 18" to 19" deep vanities from All Modern, a Wayfair company that does modern design only. Note how precisely you can modify your search criteria and go ahead and play around with that. As a matter of fact, here is a search on Wayfair for 18 to 20" deep vanities that are 48 to 62" wide, and you have over 1500 to see!

Nancy, the long wall where the toilet sits is an inside wall as that was where the bedroom closet was situated. Maybe she could put the controls on the wall next to the toilet and add the shower outlet on the former closet wall with a handheld shower attached to the outside wall.

Bathroom Remodel · More Info

If she could move the toilet, that would solve the problem. I'd be inclined to put a shallow linen closet (12 to 16 inches) behind the bathroom door with the vanity next to it.

Her aisle between the cab and tub would have about 35 inches with an 18 inch deep vanity and 31 inches with a 21 inch deep vanity. You could fit a 60 inch vanity in that space with sink in middle and drawers on both side and a large mirror over the vanity. A 36 inch aisle would be nice, but with the tub opposite, I think it would still feel roomy at the sink.

Karenseb, that hand held hose solution does work fine and there is always the possibility of a ceiling rain shower if someone wants that too. So the shower could stay in the spot where the group has placed it as long as the water supply stays on the long wall. Good catch!

We have a 36" aisle in the kitchen and it is fine. The 35" in the bathroom should work, especially since the tub does not have one set exit point. I see in your drawing how much better the bathroom works if she could move the toilet to the other side of the shower, though. It just adds a touch more roominess.

Imagine no door swinging in the space. I still think that if the toilet stays, the door should become a pocket door.

Since there is not really the room to build a wall at the end of the shower, Rebecca, are you thinking of a glass tub surround with a wall of glass facing the toilet? You could make it obscured glass if you wish, if the two of you will ever be using the shower and toilet at the same time. Or you can use a second shower curtain on this side. This will mean having to find a tub with a finished end as well as side panel. There are a few out there.

Hi all, yes, I’m in the Northeast, outside of Boston Mass. Some in this area with proper insulation and wrapped pipes do wet walls on the exterior wall, but I’ve heard of too many nightmare stories of burst pipes to take that risk. The two longer side walls abut my DD’s bedroom, and our master bedroom. Currently, the wet wall in my bathroom is between the shower and the sink vanity.

Namcyinmich, thanks for the vanity suggestions. I don’t plan to use the vessel style ( just not all that practical for a hard-working bathroom with three children) but there were a lot of other good options in the links you provided. In terms of shower door, I’d like to avoid a glass door. In my other bathroom, I purposely went with a curtain instead of a glass insert. My DS had a terrible accident with a glass coffee table, and since then I’ve been wary of any large sheets of glass in my home. Plus, the maintenance of squeegeeing after showers is just too much for our busy lifestyle.

Question: if I keep my current layout but only put a single vanity across from the shower in Karenseb’s first drawing, will 36” between tub and sink feel too tight? I should measure the width in the main aisle currently, I bet it’s even less than that right now.

Also, think we’d save quite a bit on the expenses if we keep the toilet put, without having to reroute the main septic stack pipe.

My house was built in 1946 and while I love some of the character of older homes like mine, it’s times like this that are so frustrating! Why would anyone design bathrooms so small?!

In 1946, central heating was fairly new for most homes. People born in the first half of the century were not thinking of luxuriating in a wet environment. They got in and got out as fast as possible and the smaller the shower stall, the warmer it felt. Our farmhouse circa 1900, had a shower in the utility room, none in the bathroom. The shower stall was steel and cold. Our water pressure was minimal in the late 1960s when we moved in and the showers in that room were miserable. Imagine your 1946 home with no insulation. Spaciousness works against you in that kind of situation! You may not have even have had a heat vent or radiator in every room.

Yes, Karenseb and I were talking about both of her designs and we agree that you can get by with 35 - 36 inches, but others will tell you it is too tight. All you can do is mock it up with cardboard boxes and try.

What is your current tub like? Is it a 3 side alcove with a short wet wall? Or does the current tub have two finished sides - one long side and an end? Have you started looking for this kind of tub? Are you going to have a shower curtain on the short end as well as on the long side? There is not room enough between the toilet and a 60" tub to have a wall.

Kohler does have a 54" long cast iron tub, though! You can have a knee wall built to accommodate the end of this one. I am not sure that I would have a wall built to enclose the toilet in a nook this tiny, so that is why I did not propose that you build a wet wall. I suppose that is a possibility, though. Kohler Seaforth Cast Iron 54 x 30.25 inch alcove tub.

You are so knowledgeable, Nanyinmich, I am lucky to have your keen advice!

Right now, I have a 60X30 cast iron Kohler in the bathroom and the wet wall completely separates the vanity from the tub.

Here are images of the space currently:

Here you can clearly see the wet wall that separates the bath from the sink vanity.

PLEASE help me find a way to get a small single sink out of this alcove!

The wall that bumps out is currently DH's closet, but we are taking that square footage and adding it to bathroom for this project. That is where I was hoping to squeeze a small double sink vanity, or single sink with extra counter space.

So my overall goal (maybe not reality) is this:

1. Keep toilet and shower/tub in same location, to cut down on plumbing costs
2. Create a pocket door, or reverse the swing of the door, to swing out not in
3. Put a 60" double sink vanity alongside the toilet on the long wall, opposite the tub/shower
4. Put a 60X30 tub/shower in spot where the existing tub/shower is
5. Put a linen tower or shelves in where the vanity currently is.

Is this possible?

Here is my dream/inspiration pic - I know this is just a shower, I'd be okay with that too instead of the tub. (But, I really don't want a glass enclosure)

Nancyinmich, our water pressure is terrible also! I don't know why I even need two full bathrooms, only one person can shower/bathe at a time or else our pressure is down to a trickle. I think there is a way to resolve that by updating the pipe that carries our water from the street to our home. I think ours is 1/4 inch now, and it needs to up upgraded to 1/2 inch.

Is there anything wrong with the cast iron tub you have now? Can you just re-use it, take out the vanity and put shelves in its place, frame in a cabinet door front and make it a closet? Then take out the bump out, put in your new vanity, make the door a pocket door, change the flooring, paint and fixtures, maybe a new fan, lighting, and underfloor heating and you are done! Why mess with your tub and wet wall? If the tile above the tub needs updating, consider a solid surface like Kohler Choreograph or Swanstone or Corian for a no-grout surface. (They may adhere directly onto the old tile once it is roughed up a bit. No need to demolish. Or if there is leakage and mold behind there, tear it out and install greenboard and solid surface.) Change out the tub faucet for a modern pressure balanced system or (even better) a thermostatic system, and you will feel like a new shower without the expense of a new tub. Pop a couple of these Dals LED lights into the shower and it will be bright in there too. One of the Bath Forum regulars told me about them. My builder loves them. He says they are so shallow, you can even place them under ceiling joists.Easy Dals LED ceiling lights.

Your pictures are worth a thousand words. It looks like your original idea should work and you could do linen shelves where your sink is now located. You might be best to move the door a few inches to avoid hitting the toilet. I think i"d have it open against the linen shelves. You might want to use the toilet you have or a round toilet that is not deep. My son is using the round Toto Drake which takes up less room.

I think the 25 1/2 inches you have shown on the window wall for your tub looks like it would not work, but if it has been working for you, don't change it.

I would still do one sink. I think you would get nice drawers on either side of the sink that way.

My son has a 1909 home with no tub. The shower is a minimum 30X30 unit with a 30 inch sink. He is taking almost 2 feet from the adjoining bedroom to get a decent tub/shower. HIS ROOM WILL STILL BE SMALLER THAN YOURS!

That is basically exactly what I'm hoping to do! The tub is okay, but it's off white and I want white (I think it's possible to have it glazed?). I was planning on some sort of marble look a-like porcelain tile surround and wood-lookalike porcelain tile flooring like I used in my downstairs bathroom. But the tiles in the tub surround are falling out and there is definitely mold behind them, so I'd really like to demo the space, replace all the walls, new greenboard, and add new tile surround. I'd also like to rid all the rest of the tile....even the ceiling was tiled!

I'm not sure I can make code with a 60" double vanity, I may still need to do a single vanity or there will not be enough room from toilet to sink.

thank you, Karenseb! Lol, it's crazy what we go through to gain just a few spare inches in our bathrooms!

Yes, I think I will take your and Nancyinmich's advice, and stick with the layout I have currently, by using the current vanity area as shelving/storage cabinet. And maybe change doorway opening. I'll add a single sink with side drawers on the opposite wall. Toilet will stay put, I'll look at that round Toto Drake.

I think the widest vanity that I could put in there is 64"? The wall is 94" and I need 15 inches on either side of the wall and vanity. (measured from the center of the toilet - and for sake of planning I'll base this on measurements of the Toto Drake which is just shy of 20" wide).

What is the length of the closet wall you will be using? As of now how far is the center of the toilet from the wall with the door? 15 inches, 16, 17 or 18 inches? I would try to do at least 17 inches from the wall on the left of the toilet. I'd probably stick with a 60 inch vanity, 61 inch counter top. The width of the toilet is not important, it is where the center of the toilet is in relationship to walls and vanities.

We chose the Toto because it is about 26/27 inches deep compared to elongated toilets (29/30 inches deep). With a linen shelf and door across from the toilet, it will feel roomier with a shorter toilet. How far out is your toilet now?

Tubs take up more space then needed. A stand alone shower would be my go to. It'll give your bathroom a much more modern look. Unless you are going to soak in the tub every day or at least half of the week, it makes no sense to install.

https://designerdrains.com/tips/walk-in-shower-guide/

Karenseb, I would have to measure the space around the toilet when I get home. I will let you know.

DesignerDrains, right now I take a soaking sub every night before bed, and then usually shower 3X weekly for hair washing, shaving, etc. I would definitely use the tub. If I were to put only a shower in, I would use the downstairs tub instead, which is not as convenient since my master is on the second floor next to this bathroom. I'm less concerned about resale, as this is mos likely my forever home.

Rebecca, measure your current tub footprint while you have the measuring tape up there, just in case you do change out the tub. This way we can have one all picked out for you in case yours is not able to be re-enameled. Look into the various methods of renewing tub finishes. Some work long term some don't.

Ok, current tub is 60x30. Pretty standard so that’s easy. We have the Kohler Archer soaker tub downstairs that we love. The sink vanity is 30” wide so I was thinking of looking for a 30” base cabinet on Craigslist that I can refinish and get a remnant piece of marble for a top, and add a few floating shelves above it. The space from the center of my toilet to the wall on either size is about 17.5 inches and feels plenty roomy and that still leaves an exact 60” for a double sink vanity next to the toilet. Not that the measurements add up to code and layout is defined, I think I’m ready to pick out lighting, vanity, flooring...oh my! Let the fun begin!

I found the perfect inspiration pic for what I want to do with the space that is currently where my sink is...what do you think?

Very nice! Remember that the shelving and cabinet have to be removable (and quickly so!) in case something goes wrong with the plumbing in the shower. You can leave a removable access panel behind the side of the bottom cabinet and even going up to the shower head. So there will be no tile trim for you here, Rebecca. I wonder if the lower cabinet can be put on concealed casters so that a tug will pull it out of its nook in order to get into the shower plumbing?

Oh good news on the size of the tub. Are you still going to try to rehab it, or do you want to plan on replacing it with another Archer? Maybe you need to research the cost and quality of refinishing the surface before answering that!

Interesting point you raise. There is no access in my current bathroom and no access in the newly remodeled bathroom we did a few years ago, downstairs. Is this a code thing or just a smart homeowner thing?

I don't really know. I have always had access to shower plumbing through adjacent closets. I have used it once for a leaky shower head connection and once in another house to have a plumber replace all of the shower controls so that our elderly father would not burn himself.