Hey Gibby -- 6 x 10 bath here [finally demo'd last week!] and I know that my size isn't even that small. I've been on the lookout for 3 or so years and it's been surprisingly difficult to find ideas. Aside from "recess whenever possible," of course! There's the "monochromatic = more spacious" school of thought but IMO there are alternative ways to lead the eye around the room and create interest in a small space. Things to consider: * color / color contrast * the lines of an object (round vs square) * judicious use of oversized scale * having some consistency with eyelines/sightlines of your vertical elements Here are some of the apparently-smaller baths I've found that put at least one of the above into action: We're adapting this built-into-doorway cab for our bath -- ours will be built out from the wall, perpendicular to the sink, and serve as a med cabinet. I'd use a wall-hung if this were a full bath, but I do love this! [Note horizontal cladding] I was involved in this [5 x 8 with TWO doors!] bath: Grabbed space from kitchen to make this 15" cubby: IMO one of the biggest challenges with small baths is to create negative space that serves to set off what IS in the room. In our case, we splurged a bit on a demilune/semicircle vanity instead of a square or rectangular one -- given our bowling alley dimensions, it helps carve out some pleasing curves. However, having lived in a place where the tiny wall-hung sink, toilet, and clawfoot were all accessible from one spot I know negative space is sometimes non-existent! I've enjoyed the book below, which has a mix of sizes and lots of materials in it --"ideas for tiny half-baths, medium-size his-and-hers, and large, luxurious home spas. Specifics on ventilation, waterproofing, faucets, showers, tubs, and more." Here is a link that might be useful: New Bathroom Idea Book (Taunton Press)

The "regular" bath layout that jensbride posted first is very similar to what our DD & DS shared for years and worked very well. The door, however, was a pocket style and placed directly across from the toilet. This allowed the vanity to be scooted around the corner to take up the whole wall. It leaves the toilet close to the tub, but with lots of elbow room. Our kids just learned to keep the door partially closed when the bath wasn't in use due to the "view".

Instead of one long mirror we opted for two IKEA mirrors. If the counter had been big enough to fit 3, we would have done that. The arched top of the mirrors matched our cabinets. In the other bathroom we bought a plastic mirror from Home Depot for $20. I figured it would warp or something, but it has been perfect. It is entirely plastic and appears to be all one piece including the frame. Light as a feather. I'm an optics nut when it comes to mirrors, so the HD mirror had to pass my inspection in the store. If a mirror has any fun house effects like wobbly, ripples, or distortion at extended distances, I don't look at it. This HD mirror looked perfect even when reflecting the walls of the store 200 feet away. It is a big mirror but not nearly as big as you're looking for.

Dear Weedyacres: One bedroom is 13 x 25, the other is 12 x 18. The other bathroom which is not in the drawing serves two bedrooms and one of those bedrooms is really tiny. On the other side of it is the dining room, so no way to make that smaller. I guess the only possibility at this point would be to loose the tiniest bedroom and turn the current master bath into one with the spiral shower, but I don't like that idea at all because we mostly heat that part of the house with the fireplace and I wouldn't want to loose a bedroom in the main section. Plus I think that really might affect resale value. Probably best to leave as is. I am so thankful for everyone's input because I think it's helping me to see that the spiral shower is a no go. Actually, the house isn't the main feature for me. The main feature is the two acres and lots of woods and the sun room with wall to ceiling windows. And the room we will use for dancing which actually brings me to another problem. The house is on a slab and we want hardwood. Sounds like engineered is the only way to go. We keep this room about 50 degrees and we want something that won't hurt our feet like tile would do. Thanks again for your help. I really do appreciate it very much.