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Help with small master bathroom design

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I am having trouble making decisions on our master bathroom redo. It has no windows and is fairly small (made smaller by dividing into two rooms). I've attached a current layout and pictures of the current (very ugly!) bathroom.

What I am currently thinking:

- Keep two rooms, we do like being able to use sinks when someone is in the shower, especially since our kids often use this shower.

- Take out tub and weird shelves around tub and replace with a walk in shower with no door.

- Attached picture shows my current thinking for floor and shower tiles.

Concerns:

- Building a walk in shower will require another partial wall - that will likely divide the area up even more

- Could help divisions by taking out wall between shower and vanity area, but then would a walk in shower be too cold?

- If we build a smaller shower, we could possibly put in a tub as well, but I think that might be tight and we'd have to change plumbing around

- Color choices for tiles? I know that I want light colors because of no natural light, but any thoughts on these? The floor tile (wood look) is what is in other areas of our house already. I am thinking of looking for something with more variation/movement so that it's not quite so plain.

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Comments (5)

emilyam819
3 years ago
I can’t see how you’ll have room for a tub, but I can’t see the sink side of your diagram. Would a tub be able to go on the sink side? Then sink, toilet, shower?

I believe you’ll be redoing plumbing no matter what.
User
3 years ago
you can probably solve the "cold shower" problem with a good shower curtain.
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There have been some really long threads here on the "two sinks versus one sink" issue. Some people absolutely must have two (I'm in this group) and some people absolutely think one is all they need. So, you need to think about how you feel about two sinks versus one sink. If you do need/want two sinks, then doing a nicer shower in your bath and then an upgraded tub in the other bath might be a good way to go, especially since you don't take baths every day. Lot's of people do just have a shower in the master bath, and as long as it's decent size and nice it doesn't hurt resale, in you're concerned with that. Part of whether that's a good idea or not is whether other people (kids?) use the other bath. If you're not going to be able to have that other bath look nice and/or be able to relax in it, because of it being used by a bunch of kids, then maybe having the tub in the master bath is a better idea. Let us know what you end up deciding!
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What type of window do you have now? Have you thought about converting the window to a transom window above the where the shower / tub would be? That way you could still get a lot of natural light from the window but it would not be in the actual line of the tub.
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Sorry I'm so late getting back to you. I think that oddly sized fixtures can be off-putting. Many home buyers are looking for an "ideal" and they can't see past that. If the tub is well made and the bath is located where it's most needed a shorter size tub might not be a problem. If the bath will be used by children then its size is less important, but children grow into teenagers. acm voiced a concern I had about the location of this bath to nearby bedrooms. My mistake in calling it water-resistant drywall. It looks like drywall but it's better referred to as tile backer board. It's most often 1/2 inch thick but I have seen a Hardie brand backer that was only 1/4" thick and came in 3 x 5 ft. sections. HERE is a link to more info on these. There are several types with differing properties. On toilet location, I don't think "obstruction refers to the nearest wall or fixture. I think it refers to something directly in front of the toilet. Looking at your floor plan an angled toilet would not have anything in front of it. There might be room between the toilet and the vanity for a waste basket.
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I think the hex would be fine for the floors. You could go larger: 6" or 8" hex. Pick a grout that matches in the middle (not super light/not super dark) of a color in the tile. A coordinating grout will make it look less busy than a contrasting grout. I'd go with coordinating grout in the tub as well. I would do marble-look porcelain, not real marble, for easier maintenance.
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oreet
3 years ago
Changing the toilet location is complicated and costly so I would keep it where it is. I would however swing your double vanity around so that’s the first thing you see when entering the room. I would convert your tub into a shower and get rid of the dividing wall. The added wall make the room look small and cramped. Below is a photo giving you an idea of what it could look like. The tiles you chose are fine, but keep the walls and cabinets light. Good lighting is essential, especially since you don’t have a window in there. Add a ceiling light in the shower, lights by the sinks and a strong combination exhaust fan & light.
chachawoman
3 years ago
If this is a one story house or a second story bathroom, a Solatube or two to bring in natural light would be great. I have one in an upstairs bathroom, and it really made a difference.
Side3
3 years ago
I agree, Solatubes are fantastic. For months after installing 2 in my sons interior bathroom with no windows, everytime I walked past I called out,”who keeps leaving the light on in here?” Oreets’s layout suggestion is spot on!

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