Advice on converting master bathroom's closet to a public power room

last year

Hi folks. I currently planning a renovation for my 4B2B single family home. I'm hoping to get some advice on a design trade-off -- is it worth adding a half bath / powder room?

The current option is convert a closet space and a small space of master bath (5'' inward) into the powder room with a dimension of 3' x 6'10''. Please see the attached images. My master doesn't have a walk-in closet, but only two closets. So this will take away one closet for the master use. Cost is another factor for this powder room. It will cost me $25k to build this on a single slab concrete. The benefit is that it will create a toilet for the public use, so folks wouldn't need to go to the other full bath.

So I'm wondering if you think this powder room justifies

Sacrificing one master closet space
The ROI of this cost for future potential selling (just a maybe)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

thinkdesignlive
last year
I’m really on the fence about this just because of placement - that pocket door toilet room right off the island seating area isn’t very private. As a guest, I’d feel much more comfortable using the hall bath.
PRO
AiFL
last year
I’d rather have the closet space and the $25000 than a half bath that is 5 feet away from a full bath, but I don’t have a steady stream (haha) of people in my house using the restrooms. If you were adding a half bath to a floor that didn’t have any, or if all the baths were only accessible through bedrooms, then I’d say yes, that’s a good use of money.
Related Discussions
Best Master Bathroom Advice
Q
Comments (6)
I have my dream master bedroom now (it could be bigger but otherwise it's fabulous). We just finished a remodel. The space was about 650 sq ft, which we broke up by taking 1/3 of the room for a walk in closet (by that I mean a small room) with built ins and a desk/sewing area. We took over an old linen closet and added a foot to the front of it to house a stackable washer and dryer (you will NEVER regret this!!) We added enough to the master bath to allow a japanese soaking tub and a walk in shower. Both were a big deal to us. I wanted to find a way to work onyx into the room, so we built a cabinet in our bay window which has an onyx top. That is our headboard. (The dog and cats think it's their bed LOL) I wanted room for a sitting area as well and decent storage. In our next house we are going to take one bedroom and turn it into a master closet with builtins as well and an island. In between that and the master we'll do a 2nd floor kitchenette (hot water dispenser for tea, beverage fridge, ice, etc with a small sink). It will be double sided. (the walk way will be inbetween the sides...it's a small bathroom we're removing for this purpose) then the master will be huge. We'll keep the tower as a seating area and replace the old (victorian) fireplace. On the other side of this we'll do the master bath. The stackable in this house will be part of the master closet. Just a hint on stackables in a closet...plan your water shut off valves carefully (close to the door since you won't be able to reach over to shut it off) And if I had to do it over again, I'd have made it one foot bigger to allow for storage of laundry soap and incidentals.
...See More
Floorplan Advice NEeded - Entry, Kitchen and Master Bath/Closet
Q
Comments (54)
Your original kitchen plan is VERY similar to my current kitchen. Except that our fridge is next to the pantry door, and we have wall oven/microwave where you have the fridge now. And our island is a little longer -- matches same size as its opposite wall, not counting pantry door. Our place (a condo) had no space for an L with island, so our options were more limited. I like having the sink in the island opposite the cooktop because it allows me to face the views/ windows and socialize with those in the living area while i'm prepping/cleaning up. It is true that it can get messy (sink splash) behind the sink, and for that reason we only have 4 stools, two on either side of the sink. But I love having the pantry and fridge together, as it makes pulling together ingredients for a meal easy. Your plan would frustrate me as it would seem you'd have to walk to the pantry... walk all the way to the other side to the fridge... If you move the sink to the L part then it seems a long long way to the fridge. Imagine getting out some veggies from the fridge, walking them ALL the way over to the sink to wash them, then to the island to prep them while you chat with family on the stools. Now it's clean-up time and you've packed away leftovers at the sink / garbage can, but have to walk ALL the way over to the fridge to put them away.... I'm going to also say that our kitchen works because we have ample walk-in pantry space (coffee station and cleaning supplies live in there too) AND also have floor-to-ceiling built-ins along the DR wall for entertaining items, china, tablecloths, seasonal stuff too. Overall I love our kitchen layout as it's tight and super efficient. I don't get a work out making a meal as everything is close by. Making pasta? I fill the pot at the sink, turn around, walk two steps, and put it on the cooktop. Draining the pasta? It's reverse. I prep on the side of the right side of the island across from the fridge/pantry. I pull out hot oven trays and leave them to cool on the left side. I have less comments on the master bath/closet as I dislike double sinks and toilet closets. I would prefer more closet space and less bath space, but that's me. Master closet: you may be different than us, but it was #1 priority for us to have separate closets, having had to share for years. Mine is a walk-in his is a built-in along one wall. You could possibly do a built-in across from the bed and have a space for a t.v. if you want a t.v. in the bedroom. Laundry wise, think about noise, if you do laundry at night. Linen closets are awesome, but you do seem to have enough space in the baths for towels in drawers, and the laundry is generous and not far away. Just think about non-linen items like extra TP, toiletries, maybe cleaning supplies, etc you generally store in the linen closet now (if you do). Where are your cleaning supplies going to go? Vacuum? Mop and other tall/ bulky cleaning tools? We have a very small entry but it works; but it does have a closet. We don't use our DR table all that often so we were fine making the trade-off for a larger kitchen/ smaller DR (in fact we swapped the two spaces in our reno). The space is probably below standards for clearance but we put in comfy DR chairs and mood lighting, and nobody complains.
...See More
Help with Master/Closet/Bath/2nd Bath/Laundry Layout
Q
Comments (8)
Our budget right now is $30k. I am not quite sure how much that’ll get me. I have never undertaken anything like this. This will absolutely be something we take on in stages. This space is what we’d like to tackle first and is the largest. In our kitchen at some point we will replace countertops and in our other bathroom we will swap out the toilet, tub and vanity. Luckily the rest of the house is functional for us. I lack the vision and knowledge that a lot of people on here have of being able to see a functional layout in disaster zones lol. My intuition tells me all these spaces can somehow be rearranged to give us what we need. I’m completely wrong, please help. Im also completely fine and understand if it’s impossible, financially or practically to have it all. I do have a consultation with a designer scheduled for this week (so excited), and I’m praying that she’ll have time to take us on as clients but I got excited and wanted to ask the Houzz community first. Thank you !!
...See More
Convert large master suite or living room for extra bedroom/bath?
Q
Comments (2)
Hello there - Thanks for sharing those sketches to help give me a visual of circulation, etc. I recommend moving your daughter's bedroom to the third floor, alongside your current master. With resale in mind, it's always best to keep private spaces together and again to keep public spaces together. Folks enjoy gathering areas which feel separate from areas which evoke calm and quiet. So even though the master will be reduced, you're still sticking to the flow of a home that most will expect and enjoy most. Plus, that sacred trio of kitchen, dining and living is always a big selling point ;) and ought to be featured well together, without disruption of a differing function. And lastly, this keeps in tact a more so general bath for the home, allowing for both bedrooms to have their own on the third floor. That feels quite natural! Hope this helps you move forward, Ashley | mindbodyabode
...See More
arcy_gw
last year
I am not understanding an issue with people using a hall bathroom. I do not see your 'need'. As stated above IF you didn't have a hall bathroom or nothing on that level of the home MAYBE but right now you are causing work, expense and angst for no net benefit.
PRO
JAN MOYER
last year
last modified: last year
I'd be doing a different kitchen , forget the powder. You need that much "living room"? Get an architect to your site, and plan big dollars for just a kitchen re do. You have no dimensions on the spaces or the walls and windows, nobody knows what is load bearing or not. Neither above are good. Sorry.
blueskysunnyday
last year
The placement of that powder room is too public for comfort, especially with a pocket door.
PRO
User
last year
You would be best served by engaging a design professional to rethink many things here! But, NOPE, on the powder room. Hall baths are just fine as the public bath. People expect to share with kids. And kids should sure expect to share!
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
IMO closet space trumps PR all the time I do not see any issue with guests using the hall bathroom so I would save the 25K for much better bang for your buck like a kitchen renovation for sure. BTW always best to put the measuremetns on the drawing not just the scale.
lharpie
last year
The hall bath is right there so this would not be worth it to me. i guess it depends on if you have large gatherings and need two public bathrooms. i woulsn’t mind losing the br closet but i really like having a linen closet!
latifolia
last year
A powder room wouldn't be worth it to me, but getting the laundry out of the garage might be.
Kendrah
last year
This would make sense if you had no other bathrooms on this level, or even had one on this level and wanted to add a half bath. But, it doesn't make sense to have three baths so close together. I don't think it will help resale and could hurt to eliminate the hall closet.

Here's the main issue I am curious about - what do you not like about guests having to use the hallway bath? Figure out what bothers you about that and see if you can come up with a plan to address that issue. (For example, do users leave it cluttered or a mess and you don't like guests to see that? If so, can you add a different kind of vanity or more storage organization?)
artemis78
last year
last modified: last year
Agreed with others--would much rather have the closet space. This would be a negative for me as a buyer, not a positive. I can see the appeal of having an additional half bath, but I wouldn't try to squeeze it in by the bedrooms--wait until you're ready to remodel the kitchen and living spaces, and think of creative ways to integrate it there. You have tons of square footage in the public spaces but very little in the bedroom/bathroom corner of the home--I wouldn't give up an inch there. If the issue is that the hall bath doesn't feel presentable to guests, I'd spend the money on a facelift there instead.
cpartist
last year
Your bigger issues are the kitchen and the laundry in the garage.

Do you need all four bedrooms as bedrooms?

Do you need a living room, a dining room and a family room?
3onthetree
last year
Repeating the same sentiment as others - the Powder does not move the needle much in any direction.

I would also question your chosen Scheme 3-2, as that is not what I typically see for such a huge remodel and shifting of adjacencies. Typically, a family is trying to get the informal cooking/eating/relaxing together and with a connection to outdoor living. Your scheme has eliminated the informal Family Room and separated the relaxing far away, where it would also be a segmented space (the old Dining Room) and of an oblong shape.

Advice on converting master bathroom's closet to a public power room

Comments (13)

thinkdesignlive

AiFL

Related Discussions

arcy_gw

JAN MOYER

blueskysunnyday

User

Patricia Colwell Consulting

lharpie

latifolia

Kendrah

artemis78

cpartist

3onthetree

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US