I have the typical 80's tract home bath too. Same large window above the same huge tub as yours. It is common now to convert the tub to a shower and incorporate the existing window. Moisture proofing technology and products have dramatically improved the last 15 years. Since I saw that your gm is planning on using an acrylic shower pan, I think he may not be up on the latest technology or may be trying to avoid the cost of a custom shower floor. Either way, you need to quickly bone up on the current technology yourself and demand that it be used - Schluter Kerdi offers a 25 year and Laticrete Hydro Ban a lifetime warranty on their products if installed following their method. It would be best if the windows are not wood. You also plan the shower to where the windows will not get any direct spray. A freestanding tub would sit on the tiled floor. Floor faucets are expensive so another option is to build a tile ledge beside or along the tub and mount a roman faucet. Some tubs are designed to have the faucet mounted on the deck and the side of the tub hides the plumbing. Another trend is to enlarge the shower and go to a regular alcove tub. Regular sized tubs have really improved and are designed for deep soaking, so you can get a lot of tub for a 60 x 32 space. Folks are reducing the tub deck and installing them as a drop in or installing the alcove version. So the trend is to switch the emphasis - more shower, less tub. When you start researching tubs, you get into a whole "fit" thing since the basin sizes can vary so much. You need to go to www.houzz.com and browse for ideas. Look at free standing tubs. Look how smaller tubs are incorporated into the deck/bench of the shower, ett or just installed beside the shower. Look at double vanities, vanity towers, linen towers, sinks, faucets, lighting, etc. Houzz quickly becomes addictive. This forum is wonderful - it has a lot of great ideas and how to's with great people. You can search for tubs, faucets, toilets, shower systems, tile, lighting, construction techniques, etc. Their is information on using Kerdi and Hydro Ban products too. I would certainly specify either one of those 2 methods on your remodel. You can search them on this forum also. [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/lincoln-park-residence-contemporary-bathroom-chicago-phvw-vp~424960) [Contemporary Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2103) by Chicago Architects & Designers SPACE Architects + Planners [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/beaumont-construction-inc-traditional-bathroom-birmingham-phvw-vp~31908) [Traditional Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2107) by Birmingham General Contractors Kathy Beaumont [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/white-rock-traditional-bathroom-vancouver-phvw-vp~332372) [Traditional Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2107) by Vancouver Interior Designers & Decorators Enviable Designs Inc. This post was edited by Anna_in_TX on Sun, Mar 16, 14 at 15:53

The average ÚS bathroom remodel--without moving around walls and plumbing---is 16K. Upscale is 51K. Since you are moving stuff, you will be much closer to the second number than the first. Canadian projects cost even more. 10% i.e., 5K, for design fees is standard to low, depending on if you are using a design/build or independent designer. Design build tend to absorb some of the design costs in higher build prices. If you get more design services than just floor plans, like decorative finish selections, then 5K is WAY low for the design portion of the budget. Try 3x that ballpark. 15-20% (10K) will go to the GC for supervision and project control. Of the 70% of the budget left, maybe 30% (15K) goes to materials, and the rest (20K) is job labor. It's a labor intensive project to start moving plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, and doing tile. Here is a link that might be useful: Cost vs. Value

These remarks relate to the Bedroom Entrance Option The European style drawer slides take 1/2" on each side. Lee Valley Tools Catalogue drawer slides. So that means losing an inch. The Kohler Purist and their Kathyrn shower receptors - both cast iron and porcelain like a good old-fashioned tub - are 36" x 48" and that probably makes for a comfortable shower for most people. The 30" dimension shower would be far more uncomfortable for me, as I am a big person. Those extra couple of inches (51 - 48 = 3) would make your linen pull outs that much more usable. Big towels would probably have to be rolled, but the linen closet would be so worth it! A six foot long vanity absolutely has room for dual sinks - we have them in a five foot long vanity here - but if you are not sure you want them, then why the long vanity? Are you going to make a place to sit and do your hair and make-up? Or do you simply want the cabinet space? If it is the cabinets you want, then make a tall cabinet in part of that space and do a 4 ft vanity and a 2 ft linen closet. Do drawers in the base cabinet of the linen cabinet over by the toilet so that you don't have to worry about opening cabinet doors there. Then you can have a robe and towel hanging space at the end of the shower, instead of a narrow linen closet. The four-foot long vanity space could have a trough sink in it, that would actually allow room for two people to use the sink if needed. Again, look to Europe for space-saving measures. Here is a Lacava trough sink in a 48" space with two faucets. To quote the designer: kelley gardner "The sink is 34" and the entire width of space is 48". The space between the faucets is roughly 22" "

Thanks Mark. We have a nice portrait on the wall as you walk up the stairs as a focal point, but your solution is probably the best. You could do outswing, but have it rest 180* against the wall shared with the stairs. I didn't think of that at first (I thought, "Outswing it, so you see the open door when you come up the stairs,"), but since you have something nice planned at the top of the stairs, I wouldn't want to block something pretty.