I wouldn't want it.

Hell no! Especially a double door entrance! Powder rooms should be in adjacent hallways and never open to living rooms or kitchens.

No. If they're working with a small space maybe they feel that's their only option, but I would think long and hard about it before building it. There isn't a point to having a bathroom there as no one will feel comfortable using it if anyone is in the living room. If you can get them to post the proposed floor plan you will get plenty of comments on it.

I would avoid it if possible. My BIL bought a fairly new house and 2 of the 3 bedrooms, a bathroom, closet and laundry room are all entered from the livingroom. The left hand side of the livingroom is all doors. That is probably why it took longer to sell than it should have. The previous owner was the builder and built it to live in short term then sell for a profit. I think he was trying to incorporate the newest "fads", Open concept, X large master suite, first floor laundy, kitchen island, etc. Really except for sleeping how much time do you spend in the master bedroom. If it was made smaller then a hallway could have been put in. I personally don't like the layout and wouldn't of bought it but he is single and it doesn't bother him. It checked his must haves for one level living, close to town and privacy.

That’s just ridiculous. The ”well known design build firm” doesn’t have a clue what they are doing.

I agree and honestly a double door just incase it was not bad enough get a different pro to help with a design .

Someone had done this in our house before we bought it and changing it was a huge priority when we renovated - now it is tucked down a short hall and it is 1000% better

I say this with experience— a big no!

Uggghhh!

How big is the living room? Is it a large, open concept space? The whole design is relative to the question.

I do hope they are proposing French doors with glass. That would be the icing on the cake.

Possibly the double door would accommodate aging family members or someone in a wheelchair. If that isn't anything you anticipate needing, then find another option.

We can say it's terrible but we don't know the situation. Show the current floorplan and then we can intelligently opine.

If it's a skinny row house built before indoor plumbing, it might be brilliant.

A double entry door into a bathroom from the living room would be perfect for someone in a wheelchair or someone who is disabled and has a home care helper that needs to help them through the bathroom doorway.

In that case, one would expect the house to have other modifications to suit that handicapped/elderly/infirm resident.

And one would prefer to use a design/build firm with expertise and experience in working on homes with these sorts of needs, with knowledge of ADA codes and requirements.

Double doors means lost storage and or one HECK of a large bathroom!? I hear what some are saying "show us the space" , IF the doors are on a FAR end of a super huge space possibly... You are here asking because you've never seen it before. You've never seen it before because NO ONE does it!!!

WITH DOUBLE DOORS!!!!!! Fire them in an instant. HELL NO

I don't know why the design company is suggesting this. From the information provided my first response is "hell no", but that would also be my first response if someone said they had a side door that opened into a large bathroom, but I know a house designed with this and was a house guest in the home every year for year after year. The house functioned really well. The toilet wasn't used often by adults, but was great for the kids. Having a large vanity with all the hair tools and makeup and a sink where all the girls could stand and do their hair and makeup on the way out the door was super convenient. Mom could help the kids, sisters curled each other's hair, everyone talked and offered opinions and choices while getting ready for school, work or a night out on the town. Who is to say that this is a bad design choice.

What does the family member who is building think of the design? What are their options?

Why was this decision suggested? Not enough information to fully understand.

I would prefer it to a first floor with no bath at all.

If you're talking about a tiny house, where everything is in one room, sure -- otherwise, I can't imagine this as a positive choice.

It depends upon the house and the circumstances.

BIG FAT NO........Unless you can show me a plan and a reason. Even then ? Probably no. Jeeeesh.

If the "family members" are 85 plus, never have guests, don't care about a resale, are incapacitated, somewhat immobile, incontinent in some way? You get a "maybe" . Capital M.

I've seen powder rooms in all sorts of places. Off of the living room is not unheard of. I get the sense this is a small space. Typically a power room is no more than a 5x6 with smallest bathroom door being 32" for a bath, I am concerned about scale and the use of space with double doors. If they are being used as a decorative effect, perhaps.

It is always wise to seek a second opinion.

There is a two hundred year old house nearby with two raised stoops and two sets of box winder stairs. (It used to be two houses).

Probably 35 years ago the husband had a stroke and in one parlor they created a level back entry and in this room was a set of double doors on each side. One set of double doors concealed a shower, the other set of double doors concealed a toilet and sink and these doors could be connected to each other creating an enclosed bathroom. It was ingenious. It got published in a book that I had long before I moved close to it. For the last 10 years or so, the now elderly widow also lived solely on the first floor of the house by being able to use that bath set up.

So what may be a terrible idea in a standard suburban layout might be a good idea in another. It let that couple stay in their home decades after they would have had to move otherwise.

Many older row houses here have a powder room added in their dining room or at the back of their living room. It's probably a great convenience at certain times, of day. What I doubt happens is that anyone gets up from the dining table when there is company, has a very loud bowel movement three feet from the table, and then comes back and sits down at the table again as if nothing happened. Or takes a shower in the middle of dinner or entertaining company. Most people have more common sense than that and will use the more remote bathroom if they are able.

Ummmm, no. One friend has a beach house with a great room living room/kitchen & the powder room opens directly into the great room. Guests search for a different bathroom so they don't have to "announce" their visit - and they end up in the bathroom off the main bedroom, which obviates the purpose of a powder room. Another friend has a powder room that opens into the kitchen/dining area, which is just as bad. In both cases, the houses were built like that; just poor planning in my opinion.

Never from a public room people gather in. That includes the kitchen, dining area and living room.

A friend had a powder room opening directly onto a family room. It was so awkward whenever anyone needed the powder room. A Big NO!

Definite no for both bathroom and or powder room here

Times change? For the first 100 years all homes that had indoor plumbing had bathrooms off the kitchen, where most families gathered for every meal. In our second home we finished the split level basement. We built a family room and a full bath and come to think of it the door opened into it. Our kids were all pretty little when we moved so not sure if that would have been awkward in the long run or not? The furniture was all orientated to the fireplace thus people's back were to the wall/door the bathroom shared. Hmmm seems like a swing and a miss now.