Gorgeous @cpartist! I definitely plan to crib a lot of your elements! One thing I'm noticing is the lower ceiling over the tub. We are adjusting the ceiling height in the existing space anyway (right now it's got some very odd vaulting going on), and I'm wondering whether a bit of an alcove around the tub would make sense.

Here's a wall mount tub filler with a hand shower that I like:

It's more traditional than the Kohler Purist faucets we'll have above the sinks:

Would having the different styles bother you? I'm thinking it's okay, especially because the sconces lean traditional.

Thank you. We did it to feel a bit more intimate while in the bath. Here's another pic of the bath and how it's "walled off" from the vanity to create its own "alcove".

It's more traditional than the Kohler Purist faucets we'll have above the sinks:

They both work very well together. They look like they are cousins. Our shower faucets don't match our bath faucets and our bath faucets don't match our shower or sink faucets. They work together in that all three have "similar" elements.

Both faucets are beautiful! We haven't discussed your design - Is it more traditional or transitional? Your light fixtures are traditional, but how about your cabinets, cabinet hardware, and tub style?

Here's a comparison of the two faucet styles. (click to enlarge)

What is my style? This is something I have struggled with, because I find things in all of them that I like. Does transitional mean "conflicted" -- if so, that's me! I do really like all of the Studio McGee bathrooms.

For cabinets, we'll probably do Shaker style, full overlay, painted. Still deciding on hardware, but I'd love to try to introduce a different finish in the cabinet hardware and mirror. Maybe oil rubbed bronze or gunmetal or black? Still researching the light fixture over the tub. I had thought about a chandelier, but I gather that will be a code violation. So I'm looking for a flush/semi-flush with just enough "oomph". Also haven't figure out paint colors.

I really like the Reve tub, but not the price! My budget is more like $1,000 for the tub.

I read somewhere that you should look at what you gravitate to for jewelry to figure out your style. If so, my style is pretty simple...and maybe a little boring :) -- small diamond studs, engagement ring, wedding band. I love how others look with statement necklaces and earrings, but when I try to wear them, it just doesn't feel right.

I'm a 'less is more' type person too. I like clean lines, shaker cabinets, marble tile, quartz countertops, warm oak wood floors, classic style. Here's a couple of articles I used.

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/your-guide-to-a-transitional-style-bathroom-stsetivw-vs~124509112

https://mariakillam.com/two-ways-incorporate-black-bathroom/

The plan has not one dimension noted for anything but the shower? Begin there. Add every inch

I think the grid lines equal 1’ - yes? Pretty spacious overall and I love a cave shower over a glass one when the room(s) are large.

Knowing how tucked away the toilet is - would you ever consider loosing the door to the toilet room? You’d gain a foot of storage and the feel of more natural light into the main space.

@JAN MOYER Each square = 1 square foot. Luckily, we've got a decent amount of space to work with. @thinkdesignlive Both husband and I like the feeling of "protection" from the door. It's some weird psychological hang up! :) But I'll confirm that with him.

Ok I just mention it because safety wise it’s best to have that door open out (think if someone were to pass out in the toilet room and then completely block the door). Which you could do but then the door would stay shut all the time. Nice to have safety and natural light.

" I like my showers steamy and cave-like! "

Me too! Consider a transom window above your shower door. We have that, so I can close it up to capture steam, or leave it open if I don't want that. I usually close it and it gets really steamy in there. The bathroom ceiling is 10' so we furred down to 8' just over the shower to help with steam capture.

I'm not for tons of small gaps, and from experience with so many free stand tubs ?

Clients get a lot less use from them than planned. Want to read,have a glass of wine...got product and want to condition your hair? There's no where to really set stuff down: ) Close to wall? You do have to get behind there to clean.

A built in tub can be luxurious and au courant.

I'm not talking those awful set ups from the nineties.

Tall cabinets that act as linen and storage for EACH of you? Yessssssss!!! WITH electrical inside for the tooth brush.=, water pic uglies.

And nine feet of toilet loo length? Not necessary, and I WOULD do a pocket door deepen the depth of that wall, and be able to get hooks or a towel bar on there too. ( Hooks are better )

It's a generous space, so use it!

Sue me for a few inches....lines are faint

Wow @JAN MOYER! That's amazing, thank you! I will draw this up as a new plan on Home Designer (it's become an obsession!) so I can "walk through it" it. I must confess...I am a sucker for the freestanding tub. (Maybe because I have one of those awful set ups from the nineties.) I take a bath maybe 2x per year, so for me it's acting more like a sculpture. It's ridiculous, I know... :) But I will take another look at built-in tubs. Do you happen to have pictures of built-in tubs that you especially like? Thank you again!

@AJCN I love the transom window above the shower door idea! Thank you!

Doesn't look nineties to me. Looks classic and CONVENIENT/ especially under mounted

How high is the ceiling in there?

If you're tiling the bath floor? Heat it!

Even if that ceiling is nine feet? And heavy glass is generally FOR THE door....max 80 inches? You take the fixed glass to the ceiling. The door is 80, and you need not have the expense or complication of a transom. AT ALL. The steam will escape, trust me. And with hot water? You will be toasty. all shower long and even on exit.

One tip on pocket doors. It is UNNECESSARY to use pocket door hardware. You use a 1/ 1/4"knob !

Why? It will indeed keep the door from completely hiding in its pocket and that's the point!! You have an easy grab, no "dig" to find it, and you will actually use that pocket door: ) Rather than you paid, and it stays...........unused and completely wasted for lack of convenience.

As it does in so many laundries, closets, pantries. poo closets too.

Here's some alcove ideas for your tub, depending if you are going with a free-standing tub or not. The alcove can be simple framing with a shelf on one side. (click to enlarge)

I really want to thank everyone for weighing in. It's really helped me think through some of my decisions, which led me to make some serious adjustments. So here's where things stand at the moment.

New layout:

View when you walk in and turn a bit toward the shower:

The redesign was deeply inspired by this bathroom. I discovered it while looking for freestanding tubs with alcoves, then learned from a comment that it had more-or-less the same dimensions as my bathroom. Score!

Classic Bath · More Info

This plan accommodates:

• Freestanding tub "moment" when you walk in. I do really love the look of a freestanding tub. And with the alcove...chef's kiss!
• Toilet room. I can tell there are strong feelings about the toilet room! It's a must have for my husband, but this layout allows me to incorporate some storage so I've reduced (somewhat) the wasted space. Plus: the door swings out.

At this point, I feel mostly confident about the layout and plumbing fixtures. I'm now thinking deeply about cabinetry, tile selections, light fixtures, paint...on and on it goes! I am very open to any suggestions on those (or anything else!). Thank you again everyone!

Beautiful floor plan! You did a great job expanding on the inspiration photo. Definitely a 'wow' moment when you walk in and glad you decided on the freestanding tub with the alcove! I like the sconces on the sides of the alcove too. This bathroom is classic and you can layer on colors in the rug, window treatments, and decor. I like the cabinet that you added next to the shower and the cabinet you added in the toilet room. All this storage will come in handy and keep your beautiful bathroom uncluttered. I agree that you've nailed the layout!

minor details:

- most shower doors swing both ways, so I'm assuming you are ordering a door that only swings out. (If you got a door that swings both ways, it would hit the seat.)

- are you going to have a niche in the shower? Looks like there's room above the seat. Big plus not having stuff on the seat.

- I prefer the polished chrome/nickel hardware in the inspiration photo to the black hardware. I think the polished chrome/nickel sets off the marble.

- I'm assuming there will be tile baseboard along the outside of the shower, cabinet, and toilet room to protect the sheetrock.

- are you adding fan(s) for the shower and toilet room with a separate switch?

- Your pretty alcove makes me want to add glass doors to your cabinet.

Check in 3D view if you want to push your cabinet back so the cabinet lines up with the left side of the alcove wall. It's tough to tell until you see it if it looks better or not.

Great job. Just this one thing bothers me because it seems to make the closet very prominent. So I’d make it line up with the alcove wall. Looks like that would make the shower maybe 4.5 feet instead of 5? But it would allow plenty of space for towel bars next to the bathroom door.

Pretty design, too bad the bathroom door will be open in front of the tub. Can you tell I think out swinging doors are silly for those rooms? How often will the door really be closed? Our set up with the toilet and tub are similar. That door with the toilet is rarely shut because most of the time only one of us is in the bathroom.

Everyone is afraid of someone falling behind the door but that rarely happens. Someone is going to slump/fall off the toilet having an MI and not be all the way in front of the door. And unfortunately studies/data show that in those instances death is usually imminent. If the door is hinging into the toilet there should be room to get in.

Another thing to consider is if someone is using a walker or wheelchair, that door will be left open as it is awkward to approach the door and swing it open and then enter.

Not always a fan of pocket doors, but this would be a perfect location for one.

Your comments have (once again!) improved my plan. But now I have a new thing to worry about...will I ever reach a point where I know I am done? :)

Here's where things stand now:

Things that have changed include:

• Made the toilet room door a pocket door (thank you @RNmomof2 zone 5!). You can't tell from the layout, but it has a regular door knob (thank you @JAN MOYER!)
• Lined up the shower and the tall cabinet with the tub alcove (thank you @emilyam819 and @wiseca9!)
• Recessed the shower bench so that the shower door can swing both ways, added shower niches, exhaust fan/switches in toilet room and shower, and glass doors to the tall cabinet (thank you again @wiseca9!).
• Various adjustments were made to cabinetry, door positions, walls, lighting alignment, etc.

A few things to note @wiseca9:

• The plumbing fixtures are set to chrome, the sconces to polished nickel, and the cabinet pulls to "gunmetal." (I agree that it looks black/bronze in the image though.)
• I'm planning on a tile border around the shower similar to this (if not cost prohibitive). ("We took slabs, and then we mitered the corners, so you get this really cool molding effect around the outside.") I'm still trying to figure out how that will work with baseboards.

• The plan right now is for one or both of the shower recessed cans to have integrated fans, on a separate switch.
• The pulls, light fixtures, tub filler controls, tub, paint colors, etc. are just placeholders objects.

Here's a similar view as before:

And here's a better view of the cabinetry:

Some things I am pondering:

• Six sconces -- too much? I took it straight from the inspiration room, and it works beautifully there. But I keep thinking it looks a little like a hotel hallway in the software I'm using.
• Do I need all that tile around the tub? I could save the tile money (or redirect it to window treatments). We're not big bath takers, so I'm not too concerned with water damaging drywall.
• The inspiration room broken arch alcove and matching window are gorgeous, but the room's good without them...right? (I'd like to use our existing window, and I feel like arches may be a bit too traditional.)

About polished nickel, some information on https://www.aquaiaw.com:

Polished Nickel shower arm: Polished Nickel is the most difficultly produced surface finishing. To ensure plumbing products quality, polished nickel is normally only used on brass material. After the brass pipe is polished, layers of nickel would be electroplated onto the surface of brass pipe. No further steps, so the materials quality is the key factor for the surface finishing quality. Similar as polished chrome, polished nickel finishing is also shining as mirror, but the nickel color is appeared.

I am curious about your decision for chrome fixtures, polished nickel sconces, and gunmetal pulls. Why three different finishes? Curious, not critical here.

@ptreckel Good question! I have decided to go with chrome plumbing fixtures. When looking for light fixtures, it seems like most of the silver tone fixtures (at least the ones I'm drawn to) are polished nickel, rather than chrome. I'm not sure why that is, but I've decided to just accept it. Here are a couple I like:

So where does "gunmetal" come in? I really like bathrooms that mix metals. If I can figure out how to do it effectively, I may use these in the gunmetal finish. But if not, those will be polished nickel too.

Your feet are in two different style "shoes"

I wouldn't mix chrome with polished nickel. The polished nickel will take on a greenish hue by comparison. The gunmetal pulls with those sconces? No. : ) Heavy looking!!

No bath needs more than two finishes. It can survive quite beautifully on ONE. Much depends your tile selections....vanity style, all of a w.h.o.l.e.

Go back, review your inspo's...........get very clear on the feel you want in the new space.

Chrome - they are out there: )

But first? Go back to the feel.....

Forma Wall Sconce with Fabric Shade, Polished Chrome · More Info

https://www.houzz.com/products/forma-wall-sconce-with-fabric-shade-polished-chrome-prvw-vr~100245882

Bonita 1 Light Wall Sconce, Polished Chrome · More Info

Thank you @JAN Moyer! Those are some great lighting options that I hadn't discovered in my searching. (So much searching...it's just one big swirl at this point.)

I take your point about getting clear on how I want it to feel. When I watch the HGTV shows, I hear "modern classic" a lot. That seems right, but what is it? I want the bathroom to feel timeless (but not old-fashioned); clean and light (but not stark and sterile); calm (but energizing); approachable (with a pinch of luxe), balanced. What does it mean in terms of light fixtures? I honestly have no idea! :)

You might look at Hudson Valley Lighting. Many of their sconces come in a variety of finishes, including both chrome and nickel. Look at those with cloth shades vs. those designed for baths. Elegant. If you wish for an alternative to multiple sconces, look at those that are double sconces for your bath alcove, and between the two sinks.

What does it feel like? That's the purpose of an inspo...at some point, when you're prone to twist/spin? What with what..as you did with what,where? : )

You hire a designer. To help you refine from ten million possibilities. The secret to "calm" is editing. Of ideas, materials.......

What you pay in design help, can streamline the process, save you very costly regrets, in any style.

But at some point? You have to narrow it down. Go back to the Studio Mc Gee you said you liked.

WHAT do you like?

I like your last layout, but wonder if the entrance to the bathroom would be improved if you added a tall linen cabinet on the right side entry and shortened your already very long vanity. Then hinge the door to open to the right and you will have a nice view of your tub and shower a you enter.

Also no door interference with shower.

Great job on your latest plan! I like how you utilized the space for the two cabinets and shower bench - very clever! Love the glass in the cabinet with the extra drawer....and the shower door can swing both ways, the WC pocket door, and the recessed lights line up with the center of the freestanding tub. Nice!

Regarding the tile in the alcove...My first reaction is that you don't need a full wall of tile. You could do a half wall (just below the niche for the lights). Also, I wouldn't mix 3 tiles because it gets too busy. I would stick to the floor tile and mosaic. Per your question, I don't think you need a curved ceiling and curved window. But I would add some nice trim to your existing windows. Keep looking on decor pad and houzz for another alcove inspiration picture that you like (without a curved window).

Here's some examples of window trim that I've seen in new builds (and I put in my home). If you are going to install a valance or roman shade, then I wouldn't do the header trim because it won't show anyway.

What software do you use to draw your floor plan?

@Karenseb Great idea! I'll incorporate that into the plan.

@wiseca9 I believe you were the one to originally suggest a tall cabinet on the right as you enter -- it's coming full circle! My husband came up with the recess-the-shower-bench idea. He's so clever! I'll definitely study up on window trim (as well as tall cabinet trim...still struggling with that), and experiment with the tile. The software I use is Home Designer Architectural. I started off with Home Designer Suite originally and only recently upgraded to the Architectural version. Well worth the money to help me iterate on ideas before spending any serious $$. (I think I may have originally tried to use Sketch Up, but I found Home Designer to be much easier.)

@Jan Moyer After spending many tens of hours now trying to get the layout just so, I have a newfound appreciation for what designers do. I will probably reach out to a local designer to do a sanity check once I get my style and goals more defined. I really appreciate the inspo pictures and will be thinking deeply about what I like about the Studio McGee style.

I can tell you:

Don''t wait for the sanity check. Do it now: ) You are NOT a go it "aloner'

You will log 8,000 posts here. twice as many hours.

How do I know? This thread and thirty plus years experience, that is how I know.

No matter the resources, size, style, materials-

There will ALWAYS be yet another suggestion, another light ,another finish, tile, color. Any one of a thousand or fifteen thousand combinations of elements can make a beautiful bath . I know your type, I know for fact that perfection does not exist and is very very over rated if indeed it did.: )

Get the help now, and you will be glad you did. Go one on one. That person can save your sanity, time. resources , your contractor, and the result can be every single thing you ever wanted.

What you like about the Studio McGee ? It is already done. You see it "finished". But none of those baths are yours to the inch. The window is probably different. Maybe you want different drawer sizes on your vanity........A knob versus a pull....

My point here is simply that as much or even more than a kitchen ? A lot of "science" and technical skill goes into a design. Inches!! for everything. Decisions FOR EVERYTHING.

Can you do it alone via Houzz? When every selection will yield all the yes, no , sort of...."this is what I did in MY bath" answers? : )

I challenge you to do this:

Scroll back, and read only your own comments from yesterday. Just those. Then? Go back to

your very first post:

"Hello! We're planning a master bathroom remodel in the next 3 months or so. .........."

Make that nine months, unless you refine ideas, select and order. Why? You don't want to demo a darn thing, until.........every last scrap of the materials required are ordered . Preferably? They are on your site! Or you shall have elected to live in a dust bowl "forever".

Given all I have seen /read here to now? This is your 2024 bath : ) The first thing you need? The plan final, and the v.a.n.i.t.y design to the fraction of an inch., along with either the paint or wood and the who, what, where it is coming from. If you had that at this moment? It's twelve weeks minimum until you own that vanity. Ten/twelve feet of cabinetry doesn't fall out of the Amazon Prime sky. Before it does? " lady, where do your drains go" I'm going to chalk that off on this wall and this sub floor" ......................

See what I mean? All this stuff is WAAAAAY before chrome with gunmetal or another anything.

When do you want to begin enjoying the view of the tub???

My designer took me WAY out of my pre-determined style, and I am glad for it, because I found my true style and dumped my behaved, good-girl, do-what-I'm-told style. Good riddance!

@ KL and for the original OP

There is but ONE reason to get a designer. To get what you want, better than you ever dreamed you could have it, and within the resources available, and with enough momentum of process that it doesn't take three years to make you a bathroom. ..................the....end. lol

Edit:

"view of tub inspo?" Call that a 120k bath

Get the translator/designer.

You make a compelling case @Jan Moyer!

I actually did hire a designer a couple of years ago when we thought we were going to pull the trigger. She came up with an excellent plan, but then the scope expanded to include some adjustments to the bedroom, which then impacted the space available for the bathroom. And then I decided to throw out one of the constraints she was working with (the position of the big picture window), which opened up more options. So it was back to the drawing board. The design fee I paid wasn't wasted (I plan to incorporate many elements of her design), but I would have gotten more out of it had I had better knowledge of the true constraints and design goals. I will probably re-engage her once I feel more confident that I've gone as far as I reasonably can in defining those.

And...I actually really like playing around with the design on my own. It's like a grown-up version of playing with a dollhouse! Plus, I'm learning so much, and thinking through my priorities without time pressure. (The 3-month timeline is more aspirational than real.) One of the real takeaways for me is an appreciation of the effort and expertise that go into making a beautiful design. The HGTV shows make it seem like you can whip up a show-stopping design in an afternoon!

HGTV is THE worst lie perpetrated on an American consumer, ever. THE WORST.

So too in some ways, the Internet in general, which as morphed in three decades to far beyond what an average homeowner can digest. Instagram, Pinterest, and more. Result? things screen grabbed and seen in complete isolation, one from column A one from B."ohhhh love that TOO!"

The problem is........Your home is not that "doll house" or Legos. There are no do overs that don't cost money or time, or both if you find a goof or regret !!

It is real money. So I hope you consider right now, all those very compelling facts as nothing lives in isolation. Not the bath.....and not one element within that bath. : ) Good luck!

It looks HGTV "easy" ONLY when done, and done WELL.

Hey Susan,

I did the same before we built our new home. After we bought some vacant land, I spent two years designing our floor plan and another 6 months with a retired architect. Like you, I loved every minute of the design process, especially with no pressure. I spent at least 3 years reading blogs and articles...and eventually started saving inspiration photos for each room on pinterest. And yes, when we started building, we hired a designer. In fact, I also hired a kitchen designer (best $400 I ever spent). My point is the designer gave me options and guidance (and made sure I didn't do something stupid), but with everything I learned, I felt more confident in my choices and that helped me enjoy the selection process so much more.

Your floor plan flows beautifully! I thought it'd be fun to look at the McGee bathroom - I noticed some similarities with yours.

https://studio-mcgee.com/the-mcgee-home-master-bathroom-webisode

I inadvertently deleted a post from last night! I'm not sure I can re-create, but I'll try....

@wiseca9 thank you very much for kind encouragement and helpful suggestions. Each time I review your comments, I get something new from them. And, as the kids say, I feel very "seen".

@Jan Moyer you have inspired me to reach out to the designer I spoke with earlier to get her advice sooner rather than later. This will be a serious outlay of $$ (not $120k serious!), and I don't know what I don't know. Thank you for the kick on the backside! :)

Here's v3:

I can't figure out the mirrors. I feel like regular-sized mirrors are not tall enough for the space, so thinking about just doing a very big sheet mirror and attaching the sconces to that. But will that be too glam? Any suggestions there are greatly appreciated.

The rule I remember was starting your mirror at 12 inches above the vanity. Since you are installing wall-mounted faucets, your starting point might be a little higher. How wide and tall the mirror should be is a great question for your designer (to keep it proportional)....and how much space between the top of the mirror and the ceiling. Measurements to consider are:

- ceiling height, vanity height, backsplash/faucet height

- thinking about crown molding? (how many inches)

- width of light fixtures and space you want to the mirror

One thing we haven't talked about is if you are designing in 'aging in place' such as higher vanities, wider hallways, grab bars, etc. Our vanities are 36 inches high. Something to think about.

I like the big sheet mirror too. Since light fixtures will reflect, I don't think I'd do the double light fixture since that will reflect as 4 lights

I don't think a sheet mirror is too glam. When I see it, I am reminded of the 1970's. I see it as very practical and calming. I'm glad you want side lights. Remember you can have pendants too for side lighting. I like that for a clean look, because I think about cleaning the mirrors around sconce bases and wonder if I will start to see stuff building up around them. But sconces are nice too. Just throwing that out there.

Since you want to get an idea of the proportions for the mirror(s), you could go to a Kohler showroom (or similar) if one is nearby. It's good to see the hardware, faucets, mirrors, etc. in person anyway and there are people that can answer your questions.

Here's a timely article! Some things to think about.

11 Ways to Age-Proof Your Bathroom (houzz.com)